The path to self-knowledge and self-improvement is rocky and full of challenges, especially in this half of the 21st century, when continuous consumption is the norm, even the ideal way of life for Western societies, in the spirit of "carpe diem." How do traditional human values fit into this world, if at all, and how can we avoid straying onto the wrong path and becoming slaves to other emotions and characteristics? How does society, in both its narrower and broader sense, help or hinder ordinary people in these endeavors? Monika Szijjártó seeks answers to these and many other interesting questions in her book.