I just finished reading Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. This was a breezy read and packs a ton of wisdom into 210 pages. I read the entire book on my flight back to California yesterday and think it's worth checking out, particularly if you're disillusioned with the cult of self-help-pop-psychology in today's book market. Manson's book is as advertised, "A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life."
I was initially drawn to The Subtle Art... because Manson, a professional blogger, draws inspiration from Charles Bukowski aka "The Dirty Old Man." Bukowski is one of my favorite writers and has a legion of fans who adore his blunt, crude, and honest way of writing. I can't think of a less pretentious writer. Love or hate him, Bukowski was someone who wrote with raw sincerity; "The Dirty Old Man" was open and unabashed about his vulnerability and he wasn't scared to write about his personal failings.
Perhaps it's only appropriate that he is Manson's muse for The Subtle Art...which reads like a modern day anti-self help book. Manson writes affectionately about Bukowski and says that he was "unflinchingly honest with himself" and offers his story as a counter-example to all of the pie-in-the-sky literature on self-help.
There are a lot of great gems in this book, but I think the biggest one is that we often spend too much time and energy worrying about stuff that doesn't really matter. Manson's anti-self help wisdom can be boiled down into one sentence:
"Most of us struggle throughout our lives by giving too many fucks in situations where fucks do not deserve to be given."
The underlying point in Manson's book is that our time is finite and that we are way too preoccupied with stuff that doesn't matter. He implores readers to embrace failure as an important personal and professional milestone.
The next time you're worrying and over-analyzing things, try to remember Manson's mantra. Don't let the fear of failure stop you from doing something, particularly if it's challenging and pushes you outside of your comfort zone. And likewise, the next time you're worrying about something that threw off your vibe, ask yourself, "Is this going to matter in a month? A year? On my deathbed?" If not, chances are you're giving "too many fucks where fucks do not deserve to be given."
 |
| Other passengers were interested in the book, too! |
Perhaps it's only appropriate that he is Manson's muse for The Subtle Art...which reads like a modern day anti-self help book. Manson writes affectionately about Bukowski and says that he was "unflinchingly honest with himself" and offers his story as a counter-example to all of the pie-in-the-sky literature on self-help.
There are a lot of great gems in this book, but I think the biggest one is that we often spend too much time and energy worrying about stuff that doesn't really matter. Manson's anti-self help wisdom can be boiled down into one sentence:
 |
| Bukowski didn't give a f*ck & that's why he's so beloved |
The underlying point in Manson's book is that our time is finite and that we are way too preoccupied with stuff that doesn't matter. He implores readers to embrace failure as an important personal and professional milestone.
The next time you're worrying and over-analyzing things, try to remember Manson's mantra. Don't let the fear of failure stop you from doing something, particularly if it's challenging and pushes you outside of your comfort zone. And likewise, the next time you're worrying about something that threw off your vibe, ask yourself, "Is this going to matter in a month? A year? On my deathbed?" If not, chances are you're giving "too many fucks where fucks do not deserve to be given."
Comments
Post a Comment