A provocative philosophical exploration of what dark emotions like anger, anxiety, and depression can reveal about ourselves and what it means to be truly human.

Anxiety is not weakness. Depression is not laziness. Anger, sadness, and grief are not disorders we should be ashamed of. In this work, existentialist philosopher Mariana Alessandri challenges the dominant view that compels us to want to correct, overcome, or heal our "dark" emotions. In the face of ancient classical philosophy, modern psychology, and a certain toxic optimism, Alessandri reclaims the dignity and humanity of the dark side of our emotional spectrum.

Through the stories of prominent existentialist thinkers who dared to "enter the cave" of their own dark emotions—Audre Lorde, María Lugones, Unamuno, C.S. Lewis, bell hooks, Gloria Anzaldúa, and Kierkegaard—Alessandri shows us that what appears broken in the light reveals our full humanity in the darkness. He won't ask you to love your affliction, but he will help you understand that dark emotions hold profound truths about ourselves within.

Night Vision is a brave and provocative work that invites us to turn off the lights and leave behind the forced smile, to abandon our fear of the dark, and discover what only our dark emotions can teach us.

"Night Vision offers a much-needed counterpoint to the uncontrolled toxic positivity that surrounds us." This book is for anyone who has ever been told to calm down when they're anxious, to cheer up when they're depressed, or to consider their privilege and stay positive when they're grieving or sick. You're not wrong or bad for having those feelings; you're just human. —Julie K. Norem, author