The Trouble with Being Born (French: De l'inconvénient d'être né) is a 1973 philosophy book by Romanian author Emil Cioran.

The book is presented as a series of aphorisms, meditating primarily on the painful nature of being alive, and how this is connected to other subjects, such as God, metaphysical exile, and decay.

"[5] Writing for The Independent, Nicholas Lezard said "Why should we be interested in the opinions of this eccentric, who is, moreover, contradictory, perverse, resistant to intellectual theory and uninterested in questions of semiotics?

Cioran's loathing is genuine, all-inclusive, and yet perversely generous (the book's second-last aphorism begins 'No one has loved the world more than I .

"[6] In an issue of The Millions, Michael Robbins cited The Trouble with Being Born as one of his favourite books, and said "it's a pity Cioran and Weil never met.