The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life is the first book by blogger and author Mark Manson.
Manson’s approach and writing style have been categorized by many as contrarian to the general self-help industry, using blunt honesty and profanity to illustrate his ideas. But the book is profound in its message and perhaps that’s why as of February 18, 2018, it had been on the NY Times best seller list for 60 weeks.
The key message in this book:
We try to do too much in life and this leads to stress and unhappiness. Each of us needs to learn to stop “giving a f*ck” about the things that are causing us pain. Choose what it is you really want to care about, and develop a more constructive approach to work, love and life itself.
Some of the key concepts covered in the book:
- Whatever you do in life will be a struggle, so you need to find the struggle that’s right for you.
- Suffering can lead to great things, but if you don’t have the right values, you’ll never be happy.
- Many people tend to focus on lousy values, so it’s important to find some good ones to believe in.
- Sometimes we feel like victims, but positive change only happens when you take full responsibility for your life.
- You need to accept your mistakes and insecurities if you want to see positive change.
- Humans are terrified of death, and so they try to live on beyond it.