One of the most brutally honest books I have ever read. The author, Mark Manson, does not sugar-coat anything in this book. He says it as he sees it. This is an uncomfortable, humbling, and eye-opening book from beginning to end.

‘The subtle art of not giving a F*ck’ is one of the very few self-help books I have actually found helpful. This book presents an honest view of the world, and forces readers to inspect their own lives with a fine-tooth comb.

It shows the world as it is: a place where foolish people are too sure of themselves, and smart people are too foolish to be sure.

The problem with most self-help books

I personally hate books that preach stuff like “waking up at 4:30 am is the secret to success” or “outwork 99% of people to be successful” or “Don’t let your opponent know your next move”.

Let’s be honest, I cannot wake up at 4:30am. Nor can I work 100+ hours in a week. And I don’t even know what to do with “Don’t let your opponents know your next move”. Frankly, these ‘know-it-all’ guides are disconnected from life. They are perfect to disillusion you, but beyond that, they have absolutely no value.

Mark Manson’s book is different. He gives us a counterintuitive way of living life, and certainly doesn’t preach any of the above. He hammers down the notion that humans are inherently flawed.

Manson describes that the problem is that we care too much about the unimportant, and fail to act on the things which actually matter.

In his words, our problem is that “we don’t even know what to give a f*ck about anymore”. Quite harsh, I know. But that’s what makes this book one of the best I’ve ever read.

“Don’t hope for a life without problem. There’s no such thing. Instead, hope for a life full of good problems” – Disappointment Panda (Chapter 2 – Happiness is a problem)

What is the point of this book anyways?

As I have said already, this book is a little too honest. And that is exactly what we need. From dystopian chapters like ‘Don’t Try’ and ‘Happiness is a problem’, to unorthodox sub-chapters like ‘Kill yourself’ (not what you think), this book has it all.

It tries to manifest the idea that we must become comfortable in our own skin, and stop fixating on the ‘external noise’.

Perhaps my favourite part of this self-help guide is the idea that we are in control of everything that happens to us. In chapter 5, ‘You are always choosing’, Manson explains how everything that happens to us is our responsibility.

He states that “We don’t always control what happens to us. But we always control how we interpret what happens to us”. This seems quite counterintuitive (as most of the book is), but it makes sense.

We are in control of the way in which we respond to the things that happen to us.

“This book will help you think a little bit more closely about what you’re choosing to find important in life, and what you’re choosing to find unimportant”

Final words

Without doubt, I certainly recommend this book. It is the best self-help book I have read to date. This book is a combination of wit, humour, brutal honesty, and valuable lessons you will keep for the rest of your life.

Similar articles you’ll like: