This book explores how living in accordance with the main ideals (wealth, fame, social power) of our individualistic meritocratic society comes at the expense of our psychological richness. To protect or restore this richness, the mainstream conception of success has to be extended beyond the standard definition. The experience of success is too precious to keep it restricted within the imprisoning walls of the individualistic self. There are more ways to be successful. We have arrived in an era where success in life needs the inclusion of three main components: the "success of the other person," the "diversity of our value system beyond economic values," and "the survival success of nature". The book is distinctive in that it gives a profound treatment of the reasons why many people feel discontented about the restrictive emphasis on individual success and excellence. It deals not only with the limitations of meritocracy but also offers pathways to deal with them.

Hubert J.M. Hermans is the founder of Dialogical Self Theory and one of the most prominent figures in narrative psychology, based in The Netherlands. As full Professor of Psychology he was associated with the Radboud University of Nijmegen. In 2002 he was decorated as "Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion" for exceptional scientific achievements in the service of society. Hermans is the first author of around 200 publications, mainly on the Self-Confrontation Method and Dialogical Self Theory. His work has been translated into nine languages.