THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK

“You and everyone you know are going to be dead soon. And in the short amount of time between here and there, you have a limited amount of f*cks to give. Very few, in fact. And if you go around giving a f*ck about everything and everyone without conscious thought or choice—well, then you’re going to get f*cked.” This quote sums up pretty much the basic idea behind Mark Manson’s mind-shifting approach against the highly advocated and promoted concept of non-stop positivity, also known as toxic. As the author argues the latter is not only unhealthy, it's quite irritating and invalidating, creating individuals who fail to learn the most important lesson – accepting life with all its flaws, facing and managing the challenges, having a laugh about it.

“Everything worthwhile in life is won through surmounting the associated negative experience. Any attempt to escape the negative, to avoid it or quash it or silence it, only backfires. The avoidance of suffering is a form of suffering. The avoidance of struggle is a struggle. The denial of failure is a failure. Hiding what is shameful is itself a form of shame.”

“To be happy we need something to solve. Happiness is therefore a form of action;”

It’s in understanding that nothing is perfect and working with your weaknesses and your self-or acquired illusions that you start to fully get the hang out of it all and enjoy the ride, because it’s actually worth it. The book is shocking, entertaining, provocative and it makes you look at things from a totally different perspective, a bit cynical, but quite liberating.

“Maturity is what happens when one learns to only give a f*ck about what’s truly fuckworthy.”

Mark Manson (born 1984) is a professional blogger, entrepreneur, and former dating coach. Since 2007, he's been helping people with their emotional and relationship problems. He has worked with thousands of people from over 30 different countries.