The Bookshelf: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck

Written by Safieh Brettschneider

What kind of reader is this for?

This book is suitable for people who aren’t offended by harsh language, are willing to question their thoughts and break old habits even though they may die hard.

Rating

“The subtle art of not giving a f*ck” by Mark Manson is (as some may know or guess) a self-help book. In this, the author approaches everyday problems we face in a rather unusual way. Based on the philosophy of stoicism, Manson gives you a real talk of what is important to care about and what is a waste of energy. It embraces the thought that struggling is okay and doesn’t waste your time with pointless positivity where it is not helpful.

What made it especially appealing to me was that Manson (the author) is not writing from a position where he is sitting on his high horse, telling you about how he changed his life and how you can too. He is blunt, honest and shows you that a lot of us are in the same boat and just because he is writing about it, doesn’t make him more special. In fact, he uses a repertoire of his failings and life problems to show that many of us face similar struggles making it easier to follow his thoughts. Reading this didn’t make me feel stupid for not previously knowing some of the things, but rather guided me (with a polite kick in the ass) into the right direction.

Manson is brutally honest, with a no-bullshit policy, telling you about the reality: Only you know what makes you happy and what deeds will make you feel like a better person, no one else has that knowledge for you. This gave me perspective on my own behaviour and helped me recognize some things I’d want to change. Reading this book isn’t life changing but it does give you the tools to change your life – only if you give enough of a f*ck to do so.

Where can it be found?

Interested? Check out your nearest bookstore, or if you’re too much into the book you’re reading now and don’t want to leave the house, you can find it on the internet under the ISBN-13-978-0062457714. And as students may be a little broke at times, feel free to check out your nearest library, it may be avaliable there  : )

 PDF version of the book: https://oceanofpdf.com/genres/nonfiction/pdf-the-subtle-art-of-not-giving-a-fck-a-counterintuitive-approach-to-living-a-good-life-download/?id=001817155043

“The problem is with people who hand out fucks like ice cream at a goddam summer camp is that they don’t have anything more fuck-worthy to dedicate their fucks to.” (p. 18)

I bookmarked this because it is the most brutally honest statement I had heard in a long time. This is a brief taste of how direct Manson can get at times. This no bullshit statement actually made me stop and think, as for me, it was also offensive. I thought “I do give fucks about important things!” And yes, maybe I do. Buuuuut a lot of the things that I, and overthink are the things I cannot change. This was a little learning moment, that I bookmarked, so I can come back to it and dedicate my fucks in a better way if I feel like it in the future.  

“Wanting positive experience is a negative experience; accepting negative experience is a positive experience.”

What I learnt from this? Not ultimately that it is bad to want a positive outcome, but rather when focusing on negative outcomes, that it is okay not to be absolutely astonishingly great at everything. In reference to university, I learnt that failing an exam is an inconvenience, but not the end of the world. This doesn’t mean that I am wanting to fail each and every one of my exams but rather want to learn from the failure and make the best of it.

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