A Subtle Art

“In life, we have a limited amount of f*cks to give. So you must choose your f*cks wisely. Because when we give too many f*cks, when we choose to give a f*ck about everything, then we feel as though we are perpetually entitled to feel comfortable and happy at all times.”

The idea of not giving a f*ck is a simple way of reorienting our expectations for life and choosing what is important according to Mark Manson in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*uck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life.

In a humerous but deeply philosophical two hundred pages or so, Manson shares his life lessons for living a happy life. His main points include;

• We are all wrong, all the time, some are just a little less wrong than others.
• Things go wrong, for everyone, so happiness is learning how to appreciate the struggles in life.
• You are not special, stop trying to prove yourself.
• Life is about solving problems, therefore pick good problems to solve.
• Always be skeptical of yourself and have a fluid sense of your identity.
• Conflict is necessary and inevitable. Learn to deal with it.

Manson suggests that most people who have “first world” problems are often victims of their own mentality and these problems stem from the fact that they have nothing more important to worry about. In addition, some people choose to believe that there is nothing they can do to change their situation. But there is always something that you can do. Changing the way you perceive problems and overcoming this victim mentality requires an individual to take extreme ownership. This can then reorient the way we choose to approach situations and help to overcome feelings of anger, helplessness and despair.

This is a self help book that challenges you to stop sweating the small stuff, find your purpose and embrace your faults in order to live a more content and happy life.