#1 New York Times BestsellerOver 1 million copies soldIn this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. “F**k positivity,” Mark Manson says. “Let’s be honest, shit … life. “F**k positivity,” Mark Manson says. “Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it.” In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.
Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—“not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.
There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.
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Mark Manson’s blog post titled “Stop Trying to Be Happy” is among my favorite short thought pieces out there, so I was long overdue to read this book. It’s enjoyable! The author reminds you to focus your energy on what really matters and let go of what really doesn’t matter — and to define your values and success in ways that actually mean something.
Perfect read for a new year!
I don’t do self-help books. That’s why this book worked for me. I have been following the author’s blog for a long time, as I enjoy the way he backs into old ideas with fresh takes and humorous anecdotes.
This book is sort of the anti-self help book. Manson challenges you to find the things in life worth struggling for, and learn to be happy there. Because anyone who’s lived long enough knows life is hard. Manson contends everything is a fight, and you should revel in that fact, going after only what is worth fighting for.
*Note: This book contains strong language. Which I am totally fine with. You may not be. You’ve been warned.
All my best,
Bradley
A funny, clear, and thought-provoking guide!
As Mark Manson explains in this book, his approach is not to encourage people to not care about anything, but choose what to care about to make their lives more fulfilling. It sounds simple, but Manson packs in a lot of counter-intuitive ideas that are serious food for thought. He’s not a fan of striving for happiness, for instance, nor positive thinking. His approach is more about accepting the suffering we all experience in life, recognizing the value in such supposedly-negative feelings as death anxiety or failure, and choosing the life we want based on the problems we’d most like to encounter.
Supported by fascinating anecdotes about famous figures in history and peppered with profanity, this was a fun read. Manson also shares many examples from his own life, both positive and negative, and what he’s learned from them. His ideas were well-organized, with his theory presented in a way that flowed well between sections. It’s a short and breezy book, written in a conversational style that allows plenty of room for fart jokes. Yet I also stopped several times to think about what he was claiming, as the deep philosophical truths sort of sneak up on you.
If you like thinking deeply about your life and laughing along the way, give this book a shot!
The title is a bit of a misnomer. It helps you to realize to care only about those things you are passionate about. It helps you realize you can’t care about everything and still do well at the things you love.
I listened to this book twice. It basically was a book on “Don’t sweat the small stuff!”. It explained so much about priorities, how you measure your priorities and what you measure your priorities by and if you want to be happy, you really need to think of what your priorities are.. It explains about the sense of entitlement common in our society.
I had never of Mark Manson but the title, The Subtle Art of Not Giving…intrigued me. I’m pretty sure many others were also taken in by the title. It turns out that Mr. Manson is an avid blogger & this is a collection of his work. I’m sorry to say that I didn’t enjoy this book. My expectations were not what the subject matter delivered. Fans of Mr. Manson will, no doubt, enjoy re-reading his philosophy delivered in blog format.
I have a certain view on life and after talking to people I often was told I had to read this book. Once I did, I totally got it. Loved the fresh voice and perspective on life Mark brings to each and every page. Life is hard and we should read more entertaining books like this and chill out.
The more I say, the lesser it would be.
All in all, it’s a must read for all.
The best quote that changed my perspective is as follows:
“Wanting positive experience is a negative experience. Wanting negative experience is a positive experience.”
I have read a lot of self help books but nothing quite like this one. The fresh twist on living your best life was hard for me to understand at first but by the third chapter I was all in. The book quite simply is teaching you to only give a f*ck about the things you truly love and forget the rest. Overall informative, witty writing and stories and an important message that more people need to hear.
This book is sort of the anti-self-help book self-help book, if that makes any sense. Non-sweary readers need not apply. The sheer number of F-bombs wandered into the gratuitous territory for me, and anyone who knows me can tell you I have a high tolerance for F-bombs. Still, the premise of this book – that we should stop putting pressure on ourselves to care about All The Things (your IG aesthetic, whether you cook gourmet meals, running a marathon, etc). We need to run out of F*CKS to give ASAP for our own mental health. A happier life, according to Manson’s premise, is one where we choose just a few things to give a f*ck about. As for the rest, “Behold! The field in which I grow my fucks. Lay thine eyes upon it and thou shalt see that it is barren.” My friend actually cross-stitched this for me two years ago, so Manson’s premise is something I was already on board with. Still, this book clarified my philosophy and made me feel like maybe I was on to something. If I had to recommend a self-help book, it would be this one.
Very helpful in life
This was a great book. I really related hard to a bunch of things and it made me think about how to make life easier.
I read this book after I completed my book – pretty much on the same subject. I kept hoping this millennial had discovered the answers to complicated life for readers of his generation, but he hasn’t yet. It’s a guide on how to focus on the things that may make you happy, using language and ideas that may appeal to millennials.
I’m 61. Also, an “evil boomer”. I understand how to get to happiness and what that really involves and it’s not the usual take a millennial might have about a boomer. This author got one thing right, it does involve not giving a f*ck about most things. If you want to be amused at a youngster’s take on life at age 36, this is a good read. If you’re looking for solid, understandable solutions to contemporary problems, look elsewhere.
Novel concept at looking/viewing life and relationships.. .recommend reading.
I chose to check this book out based on the title, which is an admittedly clever way to get people to read a self-help book. and while it was an entertaining read, I didn’t necessarily come to a revelation about what was missing in my life. It did serve as a gentle reminder of the things that are important to keep in mind when life doesn’t seem to be going your way. I’ve had those moments, usually while driving. So maybe I should keep it in my car as a not so subtle reminder that there’s nothing I can do about the traffic, so relax.
If you need a brief reminder to put your problems in perspective, then by all means, give this book a read.
Best damn book.
A refreshing addition to the self-help canon
If you like a no-holds bars book, then this book is for you!
I would recommend the first chapter of the book. If it stopped there and was an article or a blog it would be fantastic! However the rest of the book was just “eh” after that.