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

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life cover
Good Books rating 4.17
Technical
  • ID: 5442
  • Added: 2025-10-23
  • Updated: 2025-10-24
  • Formats: 4
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
books4people.co.uk · Unknown · 2025-11-25
good 4.00

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck offers a modern stoic approach to life, encouraging readers to focus on what truly matters and let go of unnecessary concerns. The book is philosophical and practical, with insights on relationships, self-doubt, and the acceptance of death, making it a valuable read for personal growth.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson presents a counterintuitive approach to living a good life, blending modern stoic philosophy with practical advice. The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on what truly matters and letting go of unnecessary concerns. It discusses how to handle relationships, the value of self-doubt, and the acceptance of death, all of which are central to stoic thought. The reviewer found the book to be a good read, with many insightful points, especially in the later chapters. They appreciated the philosophical nature of the book and found it helpful in confronting personal problems. Overall, the book is seen as a valuable guide for personal growth and living a more fulfilling life.


Quick quotes

    The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive experience.

    Don’t just sit there. Do something. The answers will follow.

    My assumptions about the book were mostly correct; that this book is a modern stoic approach to life, but I did gain a few new insights and this book has given me the courage to confront some of the problems I’ve been having lately.

angelagrey.wordpress.com · Unknown · 2022-03-07
astounding 4.00

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck offers important lessons on values, happiness, and personal responsibility. It challenges traditional self-help advice, emphasizing the importance of focusing on controllable values, accepting reality, and embracing failure as a path to improvement.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson presents a counterintuitive approach to living a good life. The author argues that true happiness comes from focusing on essential values and accepting that negative experiences are necessary for growth. The book challenges the idea of constant happiness promised by many self-help books, instead advocating for a more realistic and grounded approach. It emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for one's emotions and actions, and the necessity of embracing failure as a means of improvement. While the book can be tedious at times, it is backed by studies and facts, making it a worthwhile read for those seeking a more practical and honest guide to self-improvement.


Quick quotes

    The key takeaways are:

    Avoid the constant pursuit of satisfaction because true happiness consists in only worrying about the essentials because you can only create positive experiences by experiencing the negative ones.

    Stop believing that you are unique because it leads to being entitled without sacrifice, i.e., grandiose narcissism bases itself on the belief that you deserve special treatment, and victim narcissism takes into account I’m bad and everyone else is great, so I deserve special treatment.

    All in all, it’s an astounding book that backs its statement up with studies and facts about prominent people.

huffpost.com · Unknown · 2016-09-15
inspiring 4.50

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a brutally honest and much-needed reality check about personal problems, fears, and expectations. It encourages readers to confront their painful truths and embrace their fears and uncertainties to find empowerment. The book is cleverly disguised with crude language but offers deep philosophical insights about values and purpose.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson is a refreshing take on self-help literature. Unlike typical self-help books that offer feel-good advice, Manson's book confronts readers with harsh truths about life and personal struggles. The book encourages readers to let go of things that don't matter and focus on what truly matters. It's a reality check that challenges the notion of seeking happiness and positivity at all costs. Instead, Manson suggests embracing problems and finding value in them. The book is written in a crude and vulgar style, but beneath the surface, it offers deep philosophical insights about values and purpose. It's a book that will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately feel empowered to face life's challenges.


Quick quotes

    If seeing things online or hearing things your co-workers say is really affecting you that much then you need to look at the values in your life. If your emotions are constantly being pushed this way or that way, and you feel like you're never in control, it's probably because you're valuing a lot of the wrong things.

    Fuck positivity," Manson says. "Let's be honest; sometimes things are fucked up and we have to live with it.

    Once we embrace our fears, faults and uncertainties - once we stop running from and avoiding, and start confronting painful truths - we can begin to find the courage and confidence we desperately seek.