The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

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For me, this book is just a preachy retelling of things we already know, written by an average male and, I'm still trying to understand what possessed me to spend actual money on this! Yes Manson does bang on a bit about himself but the stories themselves are used well to articulate the point he is trying to make. This book, full of counterintuitive suggestions that often make great sense, is a pleasure to read and worthy of rereading. Unfortunately, the rest of the book turns into the same self-help drivel you see in any other "how to be happy" kind of book, only Manson starts to present the information with a tone reminiscent of an Andrew Dice Clay routine.

People who base their self-worth on being right about everything prevent themselves from their mistakes. For example, it reminded me that I need to stop hoping my sister and I form a BFF Sweet Valley High-esque sister friendship and accept the fact that we are 35+ fucking years old and it's just not gonna happen.With titles like “The Most Important Question of Your Life,” “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,” and “No, You Can’t Have It All,” his work was reposted by Elizabeth Gilbert, Chris Hemsworth, Will Smith, and Chelsea Handler. Check out the options below (with book and TV/Movie recommendations to help define each personality – mild spoilers ahead).

We all have so many perceptions of life because the people around us mold us into the person we are today, but when you finally start thinking outside of the box it really helps. Developing the ability to control and manage the fucks you give is the essence of strength and integrity. The book would probably be most appealing to straight white men, since there are some parts of advice that would not resonate well with other groups - for example, he talks about the entitlement of victimhood and how that prevents positive change, which is true to a certain extent if we were to look at specific places like twitter, but should not be boasted as blanket statements coming from a white man who admits to coming from a wealthy family. The point is, most of us struggle throughout our lives by giving too many fucks in situations where fucks do not deserve to be given.No very unlikely but if I’m ever feeling jealous I will be reading about Pete Best again and thinking how miserable the wrong values has made Dave Mustaine for 20 years.

Unlike simple affirmations or personal growth books designed to flatter or soothe, Manson urges readers to "change what you value and/or how you measure failure/success. Well, I agree with everything Manson says, but (like other reviewers have mentioned) everything he's written about is common sense stuff. Manson's cheeky but thoughtful opinions combine with in-depth advice in such sections as "You're Wrong About Anything (But So Am I)" and "How To Be a Little Less Certain of Yourself” (hint: “if it’s down to me being screwed up, or everybody else being screwed up, it is far, far, far more likely that I’m the one who’s screwed up”).All is well with the world and I am happy these are much needed things my contribution can go toward. Mark’s books have been translated into more than 50 languages and have sold over 12 million copies worldwide.

His writing is often described as ‘self-help for people who hate self-help’ — a no-BS brand of life advice and cultural commentary that has struck a chord with people around the globe. There are only so many things we can care about so we need to figure out which ones really matter ~~ sorry ~~ There are only so many things we can give a fuck about so we need to figure out which ones really matter. Then fly your helicopter to your wonderfully fulfilling job, where you spend your days doing incredibly meaningful work that’s likely to save the planet one day. I had to get past my disdain for potty-mouth-as-marketing-tool to open The Subtle Art…and I'm glad I did…Manson devotes a lot of time to explaining what a jerk he was while growing up, and how his screw-ups ultimately compelled him to be a better person—which made him a happier person. I found that this book contained mostly opinions, with a few hidden facts chucked in for good measure.

Manson began the first few chapters with a lot of "Fuck this, fuck that, fuck you" kind of attitude. Very easy to read, not a chore or not like a text book on self help that i would have expected as a first time reader of anything like this. As the enlightenment is accepted to be related to letting go of the worldly pleasures according to Buddhism, Manson takes this as an example to justify his opinions.