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Kieran Setiya asks how we can live well in hard times. He looks at what it means to feel alone or fail. He explores poor health, pain, and trauma in our lives. He asks why life is unfair and what it means. He also asks how we face life's lack of sense. We all suffer, but some suffer more than others. A good life need not be free from pain.

This book uses philosophy to help readers face such questions. Setiya rejects the goal of feeling happy all the time. He argues that we should face life as it is. Philosophy cannot end all pain, but can help us respond. He asks how hard times might make us strong, kind, and wise. He leaves room for warmth and humour while still facing distress.

Setiya draws on old and new thought and his own life. He uses fiction, history, and books about their authors' lives. He also draws on film, comedy, and social science. These sources link his ideas to how people live.

Setiya teaches philosophy at MIT. He studies ethics, or how we ought to act. He also works on epistemology, the study of knowledge. His work includes the philosophy of mind. He brings twenty years of teaching and study in moral philosophy. He writes essays and hosts the podcast Five Questions. On it, he asks other philosophers about their lives. Radu Sorop translated this edition from English.