The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

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After all, no truly happy person feels the need to stand in front of a mirror and recite that she’s happy. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson is nothing short of a life-altering masterpiece. 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*ck is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives. The reviews reflected this fact in that they were very polarised with most people loving it and some people hating it because “Manson just talks about himself” or “It is just regurgitating other philosophies with swearing thrown in”. There are a lot of points in the first half of the book that I agree with: prioritizing fewer things and the right things; defining the right values and what you are willing to struggle for; being addicted to outrage and victimhood to avoid responsibility and acknowledging mistakes; etc.

Manson encourages readers to embrace their fears and flaws and to prioritize personal growth over external validation. In conclusion, Mark Manson's "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" is a five-star masterpiece that I believe should be required reading for everyone seeking a more meaningful and authentic life. Well, if I had received any help from this book, that would be with 'not giving a f*ck' about this book, and move on. However, when a non-fiction book gets this much popularity, this could even become the very first self-help book one reads. Everyone and their TV commercial wants you to believe that the key to a good life is a nicer job, or a more rugged car, or a prettier girlfriend, or a hot tub with an inflatable pool for the kids.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. Manson argues in it that the hardships of life give it meaning, and that the mindless positivity of traditional books of self-help is neither realistic nor useful.

The problem with people who hand out fucks like ice cream at a goddamn summer camp is that they don’t have anything more fuckworthy to dedicate their fucks to. It’s the book your mom dreams about when she takes a bubble bath at night—unless she, too, is a fascist pig. Unlike simple affirmations or personal growth books designed to flatter or soothe, Manson urges readers to "change what you value and/or how you measure failure/success. One of the book's most powerful insights is the idea that we have a limited number of f*cks to give in our lives, and it's crucial to choose them wisely.But even with getting do-not-continue warning signs right from the start, I proceeded till the end, hoping something will change my opinion. By adding a healthy dose of humor and a fresh perspective from today’s real world, these authors make the case for guidelines that stick—just don’t be fooled by their light-hearted, easy-to-read style. Her pension is on its last legs and she’s probably going to die in a diaper thinking she’s in Candyland. TLDR: this book helped me out, connects with you on an unconventional level, and ultimately offers brilliant advice that helps improve yourself and hopefully others around you.

The second half of the book is the weakest, as it starts to dwindle with advice on love and relationships and some of the author’s hokey philosophy on life and death - these parts were too trite for my tastes and felt like he was trying to halfheartedly wrap up the book in a meaningful way now that we were getting to the end. He teaches us that it's okay to feel pain, disappointment, and discomfort because they are an essential part of the human experience.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let's-all-feel-good mindset that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up. With titles like “The Most Important Question of Your Life,” “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,” and “No, You Can’t Have It All,” his work was reposted by Elizabeth Gilbert, Chris Hemsworth, Will Smith, and Chelsea Handler. We can all save ourselves the trouble of trying to find happiness by just realizing that we need to choose to be happy now. If I find a book is not working out the way I had hoped, I stay away from it, and will not invest any more time. With the amount of pressure we are under to be happy everyday with social media being so big, this book gives you a perspective.