The title alone was enough to pique our interest. We’re living in a time when there are SO many competing issues that seek to demand our attention and time, but there is only so much we can dedicate ourselves to. New York Times bestselling author and popular blogger Mark Manson has written a guide that can help us navigate a noisy world and focus on what matters the most to us.
In fact, Mark’s book isn’t just about giving no f**ks in general, it is a way for readers to become better, happier people. For decades we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. “F*ck positivity,” Mark Manson says.
“Let’s be honest, shit is f*cked, 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*ck‘ is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mind-set that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.
Manson makes the argument, backed by both 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*ck 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*ck’ is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.
With more than 2 million people reading his blog every month, it’s clear Mark is onto something. He doesn’t mince words and doesn’t apologize for his liberal use of f-bombs in his book. That’s probably because he is not trying to compete with any other type of self-help book or author out there. In fact, he’s trying to do the opposite by giving some raw advice that may sound grating at first, but the more you soak in his words you realize he is onto something.
“This book doesn’t give a fuck about alleviating your problems or your pain. This book is not some guide to greatness – it couldn’t be, because greatness is merely an illusion in our minds, a made-up destination that we obligate ourselves to pursue, our own psychological Atlantis,” he writes.
The Huffington Post’s Tree Franklin breaks down how this book is more about the truth than anything else, and how beneficial it can be once you get past the initial hype.
“The irony is the book actually is about greatness. It is hopeful. There’s greatness to be discovered in accepting our lack of greatness, our simplicity and beauty amidst the complex and ugly. And in embracing our problems along with the dirt, muck and grime that essentially accompany life and humanity, we come to live the good life we always yearned for,” she said.
“By the time you finish reading it, you’ll find yourself tingling with promise. The world suddenly seems brighter and lighter. You’ll feel free, and oddly, good, despite the shit sandwiches served throughout the book. And it won’t be the surfacey french fry kind of good that makes your body crave real nourishment, but the kind of home-cooked-goodness good that warms you from deep within, like you’ve just been served a hearty platter of whole, raw, organic, unfiltered truth.”
It seems abrasive at first to read the word “counter-intuitive” in the title, knowing that there is going to be plenty of advice in the book that may make us uncomfortable. However, after reading some of Mark’s work, you quickly realize that he is helping readers dismantle all the unhelpful advice we have been given over the years and even raised with in our culture, and try something new.
We’re huge fans of the “not giving a f**k mentality”, especially when it means getting rid of the clutter and making us more productive, positive people that don’t feel the need to waste time trying to please others and living up to society’s standards. The best way to hear Mark’s advice is to download the audiobook from Audible, and with the 30-day free trial you’ve literally got no excuse.
To hear a sample of the audiobook, listen to the Soundcloud embed below, then head over to Audible to download ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck‘.
This is a sponsored conversation written by us on behalf of Audible. The opinions and text are all ours.
