A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
Paperback, 256 pages
English language
Published Dec. 30, 2018 by HarperLuxe.
In 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. "Fk positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let’s be honest, shit is fked 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 modern 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 …
In 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. "Fk positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let’s be honest, shit is fked 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 modern 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 fk 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 Fk is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.
Aunque es un libro de autoayuda, pero no cae en los manidos argumentos falaces de los que hacen uso en esos libros. Una lectura interesante si quieres que los pequeños problemas de la vida te interesen un poco menos.
Manson doesn't give us a proper framework for non-fuck-giving living. His platitudes often come out as trite. But there are some passages and touchpoints in this book where the ideas are sharp and will get you thinking about how they apply to your own situation. And the ones that appeal to me likely will be different from the ones that appeal to you.
So I'd say this is worth a read to see if anything in it can help you better understand your own situation and approach to living.
I like some of the things he says about improving mental health by not judging by others and not always having to be the best and appreciating what you have. But I can't help feeling that "Not Giving a Fuck" is a very privileged position to be in. Those who are disadvantaged by circumstance or discrimination may not have the luxury of this position.
What a beautifully written book. You could open it at any page, randomly choose a sentence and it would make for a wonderful quote. Once you started reading, it's hard to stop.
The book is full of great (life-) advice with fitting examples from the author's own experiences.
It starts good but quickly gets into an endless repetition of the same principles over and over again. It also feels like there is no clear structure.
Basically, the core essence is that to be successful, you have to struggle and also want to struggle. Only if you accept the struggle or even enjoy them, you reach your goals. Don’t postpone, do it. Strive for constant improvement. Don’t blame everything on others, be responsible for your actions and doubt yourself.
It’s nothing groundbreaking.
The contents would have easily fit into a medium-sized article.
Two stars because it started out good and if you never ever heard about these principles, he makes them easy to grasp.
Definitely written by and for straight, white, entitled males. I have no fucks to give for this book or the author.
Nice and short, funny and insightful. The title is a bit misleading. A more accurate title would have been - a subtle art of choosing which f*cks to give.
