In an interview for Gigamesh magazine, the writer spoke of the story “Reasons for Happiness” as one of his most significant and controversial works: “Lately I have been writing more slowly than before. I worked on this story for three months, but I must admit that I had a great time and enjoyed every word of the text. Of course, I can’t say that no one could have done better, but when you don’t want to change anything in what you’ve written, it’s a damn good feeling.” Compared to the hero of Ted Chiang's story "Understanding" presented in this anthology, Egan's hero was luckier: his cheerfulness and ability to be happy were nevertheless restored. However, having received the opportunity to choose how to relate to the world and what to feel, he nevertheless did not learn to control the attitude of the surrounding world towards himself. One of the main themes of the story is the contradictions and consistency that are present in the relationship between man and the world, matter and mind.