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Living with Adversity: Eighteen Personal Accounts
Adversity is widespread. While many people recognize the challenges posed by destitution, disease, disability, or discrimination, considering only these conditions seriously underestimates how much adversity there is. We meet and interact with many people, but only rarely do we know anything about the hardships they confront.
The eighteen personal accounts in this collection provide a range of examples of the kinds of physical, psychological, and social adversities people face. The authors explain what it is like to live with these challenges. The essays convey both the hardships and challenges but also methods of adaptation and coping. The narratives are intended to be neither redemptive nor morose. They are frank but un-wallowing descriptions that will enlighten those not facing the same adversities—and resonate with those who do share them.
The eighteen personal accounts in this collection provide a range of examples of the kinds of physical, psychological, and social adversities people face. The authors explain what it is like to live with these challenges. The essays convey both the hardships and challenges but also methods of adaptation and coping. The narratives are intended to be neither redemptive nor morose. They are frank but un-wallowing descriptions that will enlighten those not facing the same adversities—and resonate with those who do share them.
166 pages, Paperback
Published January 13, 2026
About the author
David Benatar
17 books311 followersDavid Benatar (born 1966) is a South African philosopher, academic and author. He is best known for his advocacy of antinatalism in his book Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence, in which he argues that coming into existence is a serious harm, regardless of the feelings of the existing being once brought into existence, and that, as a consequence, it is always morally wrong to create more sentient beings.
Benatar is vegan, and has taken part in debates on veganism. He has argued that humans are "responsible for the suffering and deaths of billions of other humans and non-human animals. If that level of destruction were caused by another species we would rapidly recommend that new members of that species not be brought into existence." He has also argued that the outbreak of zoonotic diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, is often the result of how humans mistreat animals.
Benatar is an atheist and has stated that he has no children of his own.
Benatar is vegan, and has taken part in debates on veganism. He has argued that humans are "responsible for the suffering and deaths of billions of other humans and non-human animals. If that level of destruction were caused by another species we would rapidly recommend that new members of that species not be brought into existence." He has also argued that the outbreak of zoonotic diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, is often the result of how humans mistreat animals.
Benatar is an atheist and has stated that he has no children of his own.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 31, 2026
An excellent anthology of adversity
In this collection of essays, 18 authors relay their experiences facing some of life’s most arduous challenges. From losing a child to losing part of one’s face, to living with medical conditions ranging from type 1 diabetes to Parkinson’s disease and from an eating disorder to complex trauma, to coping with philosophical isolation or a public shaming, these authors all reflect on aspects of life that we may seldom see considered, let alone as candidly as we do in this collection.
As one might expect from an anthology compiled by David Benatar, each of the essays contain remarkable personal and philosophical insight. The philosophical bent for the essays does not always reflect Benatar’s own; even the most optimistic of the authors does not minimize or diminish the impact of the adversity, and even the more nihilistic are not completely devoid of hope.
When placed alongside Benatar’s other works, this collection illustrates quite profoundly both the suffering in human existence as well as the meaning and resilience people can find in spite, or because, of it.
In this collection of essays, 18 authors relay their experiences facing some of life’s most arduous challenges. From losing a child to losing part of one’s face, to living with medical conditions ranging from type 1 diabetes to Parkinson’s disease and from an eating disorder to complex trauma, to coping with philosophical isolation or a public shaming, these authors all reflect on aspects of life that we may seldom see considered, let alone as candidly as we do in this collection.
As one might expect from an anthology compiled by David Benatar, each of the essays contain remarkable personal and philosophical insight. The philosophical bent for the essays does not always reflect Benatar’s own; even the most optimistic of the authors does not minimize or diminish the impact of the adversity, and even the more nihilistic are not completely devoid of hope.
When placed alongside Benatar’s other works, this collection illustrates quite profoundly both the suffering in human existence as well as the meaning and resilience people can find in spite, or because, of it.
April 8, 2026
An OK collection of short essays by people dealing with adversity.
I especially appreciated Solomon Benatar's essay on living with diabetes 1 since age 15 (Solomon Benatar happens to be David Benatar's father, which is interesting) and Ahmed's essay on philosophical isolation. The essay on living with cancer was enlightening despite the fact that I already have someone in my family who has had to fight cancer a few years ago, and the one on living with menopause allowed me to consider some aspects of "aging" (in this case, premature aging) I had not considered before. The essays on hemophilia and Parkinson's disease were equally enlightening and interesting; but I am not sure I can say the same about the rest. The guy suffering from cluster headaches is advocating for more psychedelics research.
All in all, I feel like it was not a complete waste of time but if you want to read stories about people going through difficult life circumstances, it's sufficient to simply Google whatever condition you are interested in and read the stories (of which there are many) of people dealing with them and you are sure to find plenty of insight you may not even find here.
I especially appreciated Solomon Benatar's essay on living with diabetes 1 since age 15 (Solomon Benatar happens to be David Benatar's father, which is interesting) and Ahmed's essay on philosophical isolation. The essay on living with cancer was enlightening despite the fact that I already have someone in my family who has had to fight cancer a few years ago, and the one on living with menopause allowed me to consider some aspects of "aging" (in this case, premature aging) I had not considered before. The essays on hemophilia and Parkinson's disease were equally enlightening and interesting; but I am not sure I can say the same about the rest. The guy suffering from cluster headaches is advocating for more psychedelics research.
All in all, I feel like it was not a complete waste of time but if you want to read stories about people going through difficult life circumstances, it's sufficient to simply Google whatever condition you are interested in and read the stories (of which there are many) of people dealing with them and you are sure to find plenty of insight you may not even find here.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews