Irony of happiness
Botton shows that ironically many people's ideas of happiness are wrong. For example, Botton states that people are convinced by travel companies into thinking that going traveling will instantly make them happier.
The irony of escaping
Botton shows that many people travel in order to escape themselves. However, ironically when they reach their destination they realize that had "inadvertently" brought themselves on the trip.
True happiness
Botton suggests our lives are "dominated by a search for happiness." However, ironically this is usually following a false idea of happiness rather than true fulfillment.
Hospital beds irony
Botton uses a metaphor to describe the irony of travel, saying that "life is a hospital in which every patient is obsessed with changing beds: this one wants to suffer in front of the radiator, and that one thinks he'd get better if he was by the window."
By using this metaphor, Botton shows that no matter where they travel to, people ironically still suffer as much as they did before, as a person cannot truly escape themselves.
Irony of scepticism
Botton shows the irony of people who are usually skeptical and prudent, but when it comes to happiness and travel they somehow lose all sense. He describes how people are taken in by brochures, and seem to think that a trip abroad will cure all their issues.
