A masterpiece of Korean essays loved around the world
Revised and Expanded Edition to Commemorate the 5th Anniversary of "I Decided to Live as Myself"
"A Bestseller with a Reason: Back, Stronger and Deeper"

The longest-running steady seller.
A book that created the spirit of the times by leading the "Living as Me" craze, which has been proven through big data.
Since its publication in 2016, this book has sold over 1 million copies in Korea alone and has been a bestseller in bookstores nationwide for 260 consecutive weeks.
The best-selling Korean book in Japan and a representative work of K-essays loved around the world.
A book that countless readers have read multiple times, saying it has deeply comforted them and moved them, and that they consider it a life-changing book.
"I Decided to Live as Myself" is a Korean essay that has enjoyed overwhelming love for an unprecedentedly long period of time in publishing history.


The author of "I Decided to Live as Myself" started out by trying to explain sociology and social psychology in easy-to-read essays.
In other words, since this book was intended to capture the contemporary social landscape and the minds and ways of thinking of individuals living within it, as time passed, there was a lot of content to revise and add, so a revised and expanded edition was published after five years.
In addition to refining the overall content and expression, we also added several new texts and illustrations to greatly enhance the completeness.
Yet, the book's core appeal, represented by the coexistence of coolness and warmth that it already possessed, was not lost at all.
“I Decided to Live as Myself,” which has been loved immensely for five years, has returned stronger and deeper.
This revised and expanded edition is also a book written for you.

In short, this book started with the thought, “It might not be true,” and it is a book that contains that thought and was written with that thought in mind.
From a small question, I found many answers and gained the courage to accept myself, free from the lies.
I really liked the sense of liberation I felt at that time, so I wanted to share it with you.

--- p.8, from the “Preface to the Revised and Expanded Edition”

My life has many limitations and no guarantees, but even in a normal life there are many things that are permitted.
An adult's adolescence ends when they can accept their current self and fill their life with it, and at that moment, we become true adults.
--- p.53, from “Being Ordinary Enough to Be Happy”

If you find yourself constantly fueled by anxiety, or feeling ashamed that your life is far from the future you envisioned, you need to let yourself know.
Life is just a series of possibilities, and no life is wrong.
Live hard and study hard to your heart's content.
But no one's life can be insulted.
We each have the right to live with respect for our own lives.
--- p.68, from “I will speak about the right to respect my life”

Of course, there is partial truth in every story.
However, success cannot be derived from a single, unchanging formula, as it is a result of each person's individuality, circumstances, timing, and luck.
That's why we need to go through the process of self-examination and judgment about the superficial truths that rely on authority, the self-help theories that inflate their utility like a bag of nitrogen-filled chips, and the greed of someone who wants to create a following.
The moment we stop this process, we become someone's tool.

--- p.121~122, from “Any good words must be verified by oneself”

You must persistently persuade yourself to let go of your self-blame, walk away from the wounds of the past, face your true self, and strengthen your inner strength.
The map of self-love is completed through this process.
Of course, this process is never easy.
But only those who endure that tedious and arduous journey can complete their lives.

--- p.154, from “It will go through a sufficient process”

It's not self-esteem to think that you can break off a relationship at any time, and the pain of a relationship will never end as long as you run away from self-expression.
Learning how to express yourself fluently, developing healthy relationships, and building your life within them.
Even though it may be difficult, and even though it may not be the answer we want right away, it is the path we must learn and move forward on to find happiness.
--- p.207, from “Expressing My Feelings”

What we need is to go beyond the question of legal logic and ask, "What is a human being?"
Questions about humanity are likely to sound naive and ignorant of the ways of the world, and may even make you sound like a hypocrite.
But without this question, would we really be okay?
Isn't it vain?
Is there really happiness there?
--- p.248~249, from “What is a human being?”

Life is a long journey.
You need to keep your body as light as possible so you don't get tired.
So, if the weight of life has become burdensome, you need the courage to face the things you couldn't let go of due to anxiety and let go of them.
Luggage that was never taken out during the entire trip, worries about things that haven't even happened yet, unnecessary desires that weigh down life, shame that wasn't done wrong, and excessive relationships that only tire you out.
An ultimatum on all of this.
That surrender will set us free.
--- p.264~265, from “Living Lightly”

For me, this book was a guide and a pledge to my heart.
Although I've been a bit defensive and have polished some of the sharp edges, I feel like I've lived by the book's message in many ways over the past five years, and I've now internalized it.
And fortunately, my clinical results showed that my mental structure was healthier.

--- p.309, from “Words of Thanks”