His tenets are less anodyne than they might seem, concentrating as they do on not equating material possessions with happiness, being kind to others, attempting to see others' viewpoints and managing conflict serenely. When I interviewed him in 1998, I was prepared to be cynical. In fact, Carlson was not only likeable and friendly, but realistic. He did not deny the existence of big stuff (indeed, in 2002 he published What About the Big Stuff?). However, he claimed, reasonably enough, that we have no right to expect everything else in life to run smoothly. We have come to believe, especially in industrialised Western nations where we are very privileged, that our lives should be perfect, he said. We feel like we shouldn't have to deal with traffic jams or flat tyres or people who are rude to us.
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About Richard Carlson
Richard Carlson was a 20th-century American author, psychotherapist, and motivational speaker. Richard Carlson was an American author, psychotherapist, and motivational speaker. His book, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... Read more on Wikipedia →