Try free for 30 days

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
How to Be Miserable cover art

How to Be Miserable

By: Randy J. Paterson PhD
Narrated by: Stephen Paul Aulridge Jr.
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $23.99

Buy Now for $23.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

In How to Be Miserable, psychologist Randy Paterson outlines 40 specific behaviors and habits which - if followed - are sure to lead to a lifetime of unhappiness. On the other hand, if you do the opposite, you may yet join the ranks of happy people everywhere!

There are stacks upon stacks of self-help books that will promise you love, happiness, and a fabulous life. But how can you pinpoint the exact behaviors that cause you to be miserable in the first place? Sometimes when we're depressed, or just sad or unhappy, our instincts tell us to do the opposite of what we should - such as focusing on the negative, dwelling on what we can't change, isolating ourselves from friends and loved ones, eating junk food, or overindulging in alcohol. Sound familiar?

This tongue-in-cheek guide will help you identify the behaviors that make you unhappy and discover how you - and only you - are holding yourself back from a life of contentment. You'll learn to spot the tried-and-true traps that increase feelings of dissatisfaction, foster a lack of motivation, and detract from our quality of life - as well as ways to avoid them.

So, get ready to live the life you want (or not?). This fun, irreverent guide will light the way.

©2016 Randy J. Patterson (P)2016 Wetware Media

What listeners say about How to Be Miserable

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    47
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    42
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    36
  • 4 Stars
    16
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Recommended

Loved it, title is true to its word, 40 strategies everyone definitely uses! Great to actively acknowledge and understand certain thoughts, actions and behaviors you unconsciously participate in. Easy and entertaining to listen to, great narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Never fails

Never fails to remind me of my ways that bring myself down to depression.. 5stars

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for R. T. Whitney
  • R. T. Whitney
  • 13-06-2017

A Delightful Kick In The Rear

I listened to this whole thing pretty much as fast as I could, and not just because of the genuinely charming narrator. The author does an excellent job of pointing out the best strategies for losing at life in a cheerful tongue-in-cheek style and with the backing of years of psychological experience and research.

There were moments when I cringed as some of the methods described hit a little too close to home, but these were also the best moments. After all, if I am the cause of some of my own misery, I am also the solution.

If, like me, you're someone who has struggled for years with mood disorders, this book won't cure you of any chemical imbalances or childhood traumas. It will, however, help you figure out how not to exacerbate these unavoidable troubles.

This book definitely gets my recommendation.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Randy
  • Randy
  • 29-06-2017

Very worthwhile listen

Excellent insight into the ways we inadvertently make ourselves miserable, and how to avoid them (or continue if that's what you want).

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for WT
  • WT
  • 10-06-2017

Interesting

A somewhat unsettling look into a lot of the choices I make. Some parts were uncomfortable to listen to because it's like they were describing how I think / act, which I thought was unique to me. I have just listened through the whole book, and if nothing changes, I can say that this helped me be more aware of some of the harmful choices I make.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Amazon Customer
  • Amazon Customer
  • 08-06-2017

absolutely great

this book is so good.. smart and funny.. it will make you realize how often you beat yourself up and show you how to avoid them.. I highly recommend it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Ian B.
  • Ian B.
  • 17-10-2016

Great array of mind-hacks

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A depressed or anxious friend? Absolutely. One without neuroses; not so much.

What did you like best about this story?

The irony / counter-intuitive nature works well, and the book is laced with millions of other great hacks to combat mood disorders.

What about Stephen Paul Aulridge, Jr.’s performance did you like?

Everything. Every book he narrates is pretty flawless.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book has a tongue-in-cheek, ironic overtone, so I laughed quite a bit.

Any additional comments?

My only moment of outrage at this book came from the author's derogatory standpoint on agoraphobia, and his borderline-slanderous remarks about it. For a self-help book, it seemed to be in poor taste, but that's his prerogative.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for HS
  • HS
  • 13-10-2016

Pure brilliance !!! Highly recommend

Helpful, clear and to the point, rapped in humor makes swallowing the insight so much easier.

A masterpiece , should be recommended reading for ever human being.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for M
  • M
  • 31-07-2017

Funny and informative

In the interest of full disclosure I am generally rather sceptical of self help/ self improvement books. I was pleasantly surprised. This book quickly and with a lot of wit goes through a list of forty ways we tend to sabotage ourselves and make our lives far worse than they have to be. I recommend it both if you want to change and if you just want a laugh.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Hector Lira
  • Hector Lira
  • 16-07-2017

Jesus Christ this book is too good...

The witty nature of the book as well as the stellar performance by the narrator made this super easy to finish and understand.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Kindle Customer
  • Kindle Customer
  • 12-06-2017

Helped me a lot with my mood.

The book is very easy to listen to. It is smart and funny and very much helpful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 10-06-2017

If you are interested, buy it

It was exactly what I was looking for. The irony alone sells it, and it has a lot of practical advises. I totally recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Amazon Customer
  • Amazon Customer
  • 03-08-2017

Really helpful !

Loved it !! It really made me think about myself and what I do and made me realise that there are other ways of looking at certain situations.
It has helped me a lot so with that I would definitely say it's worth a listen !
In my opinion it is the last self help book you will ever need if understood and internalised correctly

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for David Walsh
  • David Walsh
  • 09-06-2017

Un-apologetic and utterly sarcastic

An endeavor towards improvement by means of constant contrasting in all 40 strategies. it is deliberately over-simplified to highlight the universal positions we take in life. It has hit home for me and it deserves further attention, It's so short and to the point I will be revisiting it. Dr. Randy J. Patterson uses a no holds barred and direct narration of his understanding, there is much to learn here.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Aaron Forward
  • Aaron Forward
  • 05-06-2017

Good

Nice look at happiness from the other side. Great way to see what to work on next. Will definitely read again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Francesco De Paoli
  • Francesco De Paoli
  • 01-06-2017

A sarcastic and clever path towards awareness

An anti self-help book, or rather a book that cleverly show that rather than showing us how to reach happiness, redirect us towards minimising the ways we actively make our lives harder than they need to be: by sarcastically showing us in detail how to make ourselves miserable. Props to the hilariously serious narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Moh
  • Moh
  • 08-10-2017

eye opening and fun.

a good book, professional information given in an entertaining style by a dedicated reader, would recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for DBT
  • DBT
  • 15-12-2017

Quirky fun and educational. Teaches and entertains

Littered with humour and sardonic, tongue in cheek amusing dirversions. It has a big impact both directly, by being entertaining and indirectly, by teaching you about the traps we get caught in.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for astromads
  • astromads
  • 29-07-2017

Awful

Awful narration
Irritating voice, tries to make to many jokes with the narrative, not that funny.
Repetitive and not anything new.
I actually wondered when the actual book was going to start, listening to the blah blah at the beginning nearly sent me to sleep.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Barnacles
  • Barnacles
  • 21-07-2023

I think I'll buy a copy for the coffee table

I loved the message, the delivery, the jokes, the length and the good mood it leads you to. I read this book as I enjoyed his other book about becoming assertive.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for martin
  • martin
  • 18-03-2020

Very Enjoyable

I really enjoyed this book. the narrator did a great joy and utbwas a pleasant listening experience.
also I felt learned quite a bit while listening and will try harder to make some of the suggested improvements in my own life.
i hope to apply this knowledge to improve my own quality of life. I will probably edit this review in the future to include some of the changes I have made and how well they worked.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for William Axtell
  • William Axtell
  • 16-01-2020

Life-altering!

This is a fantastic book. Broad in scope, funny and ultimately moderate in tone, it's full of good advice without being shackled to a single ideology about happiness which will, inevitably, have shortcomings. The fact the author has learned many if their insights from working at the coalface of depression shines through and they have the scientific background to contextualise these observations.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.