The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Book Summary

Book Summary

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Brief Summary

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck* by Mark Manson is a no-nonsense self-help book that challenges conventional wisdom about happiness and success. Manson argues that life’s struggles are inevitable and that people should focus on what truly matters to them rather than trying to be positive all the time. By emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries and choosing what to care about, Manson advocates for a more grounded approach to personal development. The book combines humor, personal anecdotes, and practical advice to encourage readers to embrace their limitations and prioritize meaningful values over superficial achievements.

About the Author

Mark Manson is a self-help author, Self Development consultant, entrepeneur, and blogger. Born and raised in Austin Texas, he graduated from Boston University with a degree in finance in 2007. His book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck ranks sixth on The New York Times Best Seller List in the How-to and Miscellaneous category as of the week of October 2, 2016. His next book, Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope, a followup to The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, was published in 2019. He is married and lives in Manhattan.

Topics

Self Development

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Book Summary Preview

Do you find yourself worrying about everything?

Do you play the “What if?” game with yourself, second guessing every decision, or playing out every negative scenario that could happen in your life?

If so, then maybe it’s time that you just stop giving a fuck. Seriously.

Author Mark Manson has some tips on how to have a happier, more productive life that is better for you and those around you. Here are some of the big points from his book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck…

The big picture summary: You can’t focus on everything

The main points of this book are:

Because everything worthwhile is a struggle, you have to find something worth struggling for. When you find it, you should put all of your focus into that.

Stop running in circles around the things that don’t make you happy and set goals that reflect your true values. If it’s not worth struggling for, stop paying attention to it.

Get out of the victim mentality and learn from your failures so you can do better next time.

And live in the present, like Buddhism teaches, because grasping for the future is just as futile as living in the past.

Now let’s take a closer look at what these points really mean:

Everything worthwhile is a struggle.

Looking for an easy life is essentially a lost cause. The easier things are, the lower your income and quality of life become. And let’s be honest, being poor sure isn’t easy either!

You’re going to have to work for what you want.

You want the income and lifestyle of a CEO? Be prepared to work long hours.

You want to be an author? Be prepared to put in the time and listen to editors’ critiques.

You want to be like those famous YouTubers? Be prepared to work on filming, editing, and sharing videos every day. Those who put in the work are the ones who have success, and that goes for pretty much any life path you choose.

You don’t have time for everything.

You’re going to have struggles. So you might as well choose the struggles that really matter.

Know how to set the right goals.

Setting the right goals is about selecting good values to believe in. Take valuing pleasure, for instance. At first, it sounds like valuing pleasure would lead you to happiness. We’re typically happy when we experience something pleasurable, right?

The problem is that if you focus your goals around pleasure, you actually don’t end up happy. Because chasing pleasure can lead you to lose things you may actually value even more. For instance, delicious food is pleasurable. But if you eat too much of the wrong foods because they taste good, you lose your health and physical appearance.

Chasing pleasure usually leads to less happiness.

Sex is pleasurable. But if you engage in it recklessly, you put at risk both your health and your relationships.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek out pleasurable experiences. But it does mean that pleasure needs to be balanced by weightier values in your life.