The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Review

WARNING: This article contains course language.

 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson is what the tag-line dubs “a counter-intuitive approach to living a good life.” It’s a self-help book that assures you it’s not spouting the same advice touted by the many others out there. I would say it’s most definitely counter-intuitive.

Manson imparts many different ideas upon you, namely shovelling what many of us would view as distasteful criticisms. But these criticisms are, in Manson’s view, the hindrance to a sense of fulfilment and happiness in a consumer driven world that just wants us to do more, buy more, and feel more (happy).

One lesson in Manson’s book that I personally resonated with was the idea of accepting responsibility for your reactions to a situation instead of becoming victimised by circumstances outside of your control.

This victimisation, the idea that everyone thinks their pain makes them special and that they are owed something by the world, is what Manson views as the driving force behind people’s sense of entitlement.

He believes that this is why people chase those “short-term highs” that other self-help literature is full of – work hard to buy a bigger house, a better car, to keep your marriage happy. But once these short-term highs are realised, people feel as if there is nothing new to work towards, as they have placed their values externally rather than internally.

Instead of placing value and accomplishment in buying a bigger house, Manson argues that value should be placed in simpler, long-term goals, such as “being more honest”. A long-term value will foster a higher sense of fulfilment than a “short-term high”, no matter if you’ve worked hard for twenty years to achieve it.

I picked up this book because I’d heard it could change your outlook on life. The last time my world view had been shifted was when I travelled overseas, and a culture shock opened my eyes to how different things could be – I was ready for another change.

What Manson’s book did for me was slap me in the face with expletives while teaching me lessons that other adults had been trying to teach me for years: the world does not revolve around you, and it doesn’t owe you a thing.

Manson’s writing is raw and gritty, and doesn’t sugar coat what it’s trying to say for the sake of protecting the reader’s fragile little heart. Throughout the book there is one idea that keeps resurfacing – sometimes things will be absolute shit, and that’s okay.

It’s okay to feel mad and like you’ve been dealt an unfair hand, but as Manson keeps trying to tell you, you’ve got to pick yourself back up and work out where your true values lie. It’s this principle that will keep you motivated and looking ahead.

As Manson imparts on page five: “The key to a good life is not giving a fuck about more; it’s giving a fuck about less, giving a fuck about only what is true and immediate and important.”

Rating: 4/5