The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck – Mark Manson

Like many of you I have had an adverse reaction to the state of politics over the last few hellish months since President Eats-His-Steak-With-Catsup-Like-A-Goddamn-Child was sworn in to office. To be honest it still feels like a nightmare and I find myself jolting at least once a day when I remember that the people of the United States elected that lying gasbag as the President. This is why I don’t watch shows like Black Mirror. When this is our reality there is no reason to introduce more fantastical shit to be afraid of when we are living in the Twilight Zone on a daily basis.

In the past I would be hesitant to write the above paragraph, afraid I was going to offend a reader. Over the last several months that concern has largely evaporated and I really don’t care what strangers think of my opinions that I type on a blog. Sure, I hope you agree with me but I’m not tossing and turning at night wondering if some MRA douche canoe is angry with me for my Ghostbusters review where I had the temerity to say it is pretty damn great and internet trolls can suck it.

Which is why Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck has really arrived at a time for me when I need it the most. Because I find myself giving too much of a fuck lately and about all the wrong things. The book doesn’t encourage you to care about nothing. Manson helpfully points out that would make you a psychopath. The important thing is to care about the right things and measure them against a value scale that you control, not an external source.

As I said, I would like you to enjoy my writing and thus like me as a blogger. However if I use that metric as a measure for whether or not I’m succeeding I will fail because I have no control over whether or not you like me or not. It’s a value system that is built to disappoint.

I’m not a fan of self help books for the most part so when I say this one is worth getting, you can take it to the bank that this one is worth getting. I’ve already recommended it to my friends and bought a copy for someone. It’s a no bullshit guide to learning to realign your values and thoughts in ways that filters out the noise allowing you to zero in on the signal and accomplish the things that really mean the most to you. In the week since I’ve been reading it I’ve already seen a change in my attitude and reactions to problems and have found I’m happier than I have been in a while.

Get this book.