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Of Human Bondage
By W. Somerset Maugham (UK)

Published in 1915, Of Human Bondage is a semi-autobiographical novel that Maugham began conceptualizing at 23 and completed at 37.

Upon its release, the book was hailed as "a work of genius" and "a Beethoven symphony of literature," quickly earning its place among various lists of literary classics.

The story follows the protagonist, Philip, as he navigates the heavy chains of familial constraints, physical disability, and harsh realities. Struggling and stumbling along the way, he eventually breaks free from the cage of fate to embrace an ordinary yet fulfilling life.

As Everything I Never Told You poignantly states:
"Throughout our lives, we strive to break free from others’ expectations and find our true selves."

Similarly, our lifelong journey is also about learning to make peace.

Once you truly understand Of Human Bondage, you will realize:
To break the chains of destiny, one must learn to reconcile with oneself and the world.

1. Making Peace with Your Family

Philip’s childhood was marked by misfortune.

Born with a physical disability, he lost both parents by the age of nine.
He was sent to live with his childless uncle and aunt, where he grew up feeling like an outsider in his own home.

His uncle, a pastor, was selfish and cold, viewing Philip as nothing but a burden.
He forbade Philip from playing freely and often lost his temper at him.

Although Philip’s aunt cared deeply for him, she was submissive and never dared to defy her husband.
Whenever Philip disobeyed his uncle and provoked his anger, his aunt would only weep and scold him for being difficult.

Life under someone else’s roof left Philip feeling trapped and helpless, yet there was no escape.
He longed to grow up quickly so he could leave this suffocating environment behind.

But his uncle had already mapped out his future without consulting him:
He was to attend Oxford and eventually become his uncle’s assistant.
To this end, his uncle enrolled him in a boarding school.

Unfortunately, right from the start, Philip’s physical disability made him a target for bullying and exclusion.
Other children mocked his limp, tripped him intentionally, and even physically assaulted him.

Helpless and alone, Philip had no one to turn to.
He could only cry silently into his pillow at night.

He once prayed fervently to God, begging for a healthy body.
But when he woke the next morning, his clubfoot remained unchanged, and he still had to face the taunts and cruelty of others.

It was then that Philip realized:
No one could save him but himself.

So he buried himself in his studies, and before long, he became a top student beloved by his teachers.
No one at school dared to bully him anymore.

Through reading, he also discovered a passion for art and dreamed of becoming a painter.
Defying his uncle’s plans for him to become a pastoral assistant, he set off for Paris to study art alone.

Living abroad, Philip finally learned to open up to others and formed friendships with many interesting people.
Although this journey didn’t fulfill his dream of becoming a painter, it freed him from the constraints of his upbringing and helped him shed much of his isolation and sensitivity.

From then on, Philip gradually grew calmer and more self-assured.
He found his calling—to become a doctor like his father, healing and saving lives—and began pursuing the life he truly wanted.

As family therapist Virginia Satir once said:
“What is a calamity for one may be a catalyst for another.”

Whether the circumstances we face become blessings or curses depends on how we choose to perceive them.

We may never be able to choose our origins, but we can always choose how to live our lives.

Our parents gave us life, but that isn’t all we are.
We start off small and vulnerable, but we grow.

And the very wounds that once hurt us can become the strongest parts of us.

Learn to make peace with your family.
Let the pain and resentment become fertilizer for your growth.

You will ultimately triumph over the timid self you once were and grow into a mighty tree, strong enough to shelter your own soul.

2. Making Peace with Your Imperfect Self

Philip was born with a clubfoot, which made his gait awkward and drew unwanted attention.

This physical flaw made him intensely shy, insecure, and sensitive from a very young age.
As a child, he was often mocked by other kids—some even demanded he take off his shoe so they could stare.

At school, when he solved math problems slowly, his teacher would angrily call him a “lame idiot,” deepening the wounds of his already fragile self-esteem.
The constant ridicule from classmates, along with the curious or pitiful stares of strangers, gradually turned Philip quiet and withdrawn, burdening him with a heavy sense of shame.

Even after starting work, he couldn’t bear to hear the word “limp.”
His disability felt like a kind of original sin—something that made him unfairly hate himself.

Then one day, while working as a medical intern, Philip met a young boy who also had a clubfoot.
The boy was cheerful and lively, completely unbothered by his condition.
He said to Philip with bright curiosity:

“It’s just not very nice to look at, but it doesn’t really get in my way.”

That child’s optimism lifted a weight Philip had carried for years.
From that day on, he no longer hid his disability. He could even talk openly and calmly about life’s imperfections.

When a doctor suggested corrective surgery for his foot, Philip reassured him calmly:
“I’m not expecting miracles.”

Eventually, he reached a place of unusual clarity and acceptance:
“Without it, I might never have developed a keen eye for beauty, a love of literature and art, or a curiosity for the wonders of life.”

Philip had finally broken the chains in his heart. He accepted his imperfect self and made peace with who he was.

As Dr. Hailan once said:
“Fall in love with your imperfect self. Change what you can, accept what you can’t.
Then, no matter how turbulent life becomes, you can live with peace and harmony.”

There’s a saying: “Gold cannot be pure; no person can be perfect.”
Nothing and no one in this world is flawless.

Everything has its cracks. Life will always have voids.
Imperfection is the default state of being human.

Learning to accept the parts of yourself that aren’t perfect—making peace with yourself—is how you find inner calm.
It’s where you find the courage to change your life.

3. Making Peace with Life’s Struggles

When Philip’s father passed away, he left him an inheritance—enough to see him through university and the start of his career.

But Philip lived without restraint, spending freely until very little remained.
Later, on a friend’s advice, he risked what was left in the stock market… and lost everything.

Life, already tight, became desperate.
Unable to afford tuition, he had to drop out of medical school.
Then his rent came due. He was on the verge of homelessness when a friend helped him land a job as a shop assistant in a department store.

The work required standing or walking for over ten hours a day—agony for his clubfoot.
Customers and supervisors ordered him around, bruising his pride.
But he gritted his teeth, endured the pain and the insults, clinging to the job out of fear he’d lose it.

Even through the hardship, Philip didn’t give up.
Unlike some coworkers who neglected their appearance and complained constantly, he stayed well-groomed and did every task diligently.

One day, the manager of the clothing department assigned him to design a window display.
Using his keen aesthetic sense—honed from his time in Paris—Philip created a strikingly beautiful display.

Impressed, the manager next asked him to design outfits for some hard-to-please customers.
Drawing on the fashion he’d seen while studying art, Philip worked through the night sketching designs.

To his surprise, the clients loved them.
He was promoted from shop assistant to clothing designer.
His pay improved, and the work became less physically demanding.

A few months later, his uncle passed away, and Philip inherited another sum of money.
He left his job, returned to medical school, and threw himself into his studies.
He soon caught up with his courses and earned his medical license.

Not long after, he met a woman he loved, proposed to her, and took over a small hospital in a seaside town.
There, he finally built a stable and happy life.

Life had never gone easy on Philip. But he never complained.
He swallowed his pride, endured the pain, and kept moving forward—one step at a time—struggling, growing, and eventually rising toward a new life.

There’s a saying:
“Every story ends well. If it hasn’t ended well, it’s not yet the end.”

Don’t be afraid of the bumps and storms along the way.
It’s only when we step out of our comfort zones that we find the courage to rise.

What doesn’t break you will only make you stronger.
The harder things get, the more you must rely on yourself.

Only by walking through the thorns can you truly make peace with life—and face its storms with calm strength.

When you confront life’s hardships head-on and move forward with resolve, life will eventually give you the beauty you seek.

In the End

As the filmmaker Kitano Takeshi once reflected:
“The most important ending in life is this:
One day, we must learn to make peace with our ordinary, imperfect parents.
One day, we must learn to make peace with ourselves—and with the world, whether we see it as beautiful or ugly.”

Life is short—barely 30,000 days. The best way to live it is to cultivate wisdom within the chaos of the world:
Learn to make peace with yourself, and with the world.

May you find the courage to reconcile with all that life brings—
Release the past, face the future without fear,
Steady your heart, free your mind,
And embrace life anew with hope.

Accept the ordinary, and in return, may life treat you with grace.