The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Mark Manson is the author of a terrific New York Times bestselling book entitled The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. In his book, Mr. Manson provides the reader with raw and no-frills advice on how to live your best life and how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can become better, happier people. For what it’s worth, I have made this into a handout that I give all my clients.
So, here are 25 quotes taken from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. Enjoy!
- Who you are is defined by what you’re willing to struggle for.
- To not give a f*ck is to stare down life’s most terrifying and difficult challenges and still act (also see Rule 9).
- Not giving a f*ck does not mean being indifferent; it means being comfortable with being different. (Russo: aren’t we all … different?)
- If you find yourself consistently giving too many f*cks about trivial shit that bothers you, chances are you don’t have much going on in your real life to give a legitimate f*ck about. And that’s your real problem.
- Life is essentially an endless series of problems. The solution to one problem is merely the creation of another. (Russo: Indeed, life is chaos. Never forget that.)
- Problems may be inevitable, but the meaning of each problem is not. We get to control what our problems mean based on how we choose to think about them, the standard by which we choose to measure them.
- Most of us struggle throughout our lives by giving too many f*cks in situations where f*cks do not deserve to be given.
- This is what “self-improvement” is all about: prioritizing better values, choosing better things to give a f*ck about. Because when you give better f*cks, you get better problems. And when you get better problems, you get a better life.
- Don’t just sit there. Do something. The answers will follow.
- A lot of people hesitate to take responsibility for their problems because they believe that to be responsible for your problems is to also be at fault for your problems.
- True happiness occurs only when you find the problems you enjoy having and enjoy solving.
- In my life, I have given a f*ck about many people and many things. I have also not given a f*ck about many people and many things. And like the road not taken, it was the f*cks not given that made all the difference.
- The fact is people who base their self-worth on being right about everything prevent themselves from learning from their mistakes.
- You are already choosing, in every moment of every day, what to give a f*ck about, so change is as simple as choosing to give a f*ck about something else. It really is that simple. It just isn’t easy.
- If you want to change how you see your problems, you have to change what you value and/or how you measure failure/success.
- When we force ourselves to stay positive at all times, we deny the existence of our life’s problems. And when we deny our problems, we rob ourselves of the chance to solve them and generate happiness.
- Being wrong exposes us up to the possibility of change. Being wrong brings the opportunity for growth.
- Uncertainty is the root of all progress and all growth. As the old adage goes, the man who believes he knows everything learns nothing. We cannot learn anything without first not knowing something.
- We can only be truly successful at something that we’re willing to fail at.
- You may salivate at the thought of a problem-free life full of everlasting happiness and eternal compassion, but back here on earth the problems never cease.
- It turns out that adversity and failure are actually useful and even necessary for developing strong-minded and successful adults.
- Improvement at anything is based on thousands of tiny failures, and the magnitude of your success is based on how many times you’ve failed at something. If someone is better than you at something, then it’s likely because she has failed at it more than you have. If someone is worse than you, it’s likely because he hasn’t been through all of the painful learning experiences you have.
- Joy doesn’t just sprout out of the ground like daisies and rainbows. Real, serious, lifelong fulfillment and meaning have to be earned through the choosing and managing of our struggles.
- The key to living a good life is not giving a f*ck about more; it’s giving a f*ck about less, giving a f*ck about only what is true and immediate and important.
- What pain do you want in your life? What are you willing to struggle for? (See quote number 1 and read this whole list over!)
