Show notes (free book summary) / PDF & Infographic / The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is designed to help clarify what you choose to find important in your life, essentially what you choose to give a f*ck about.

Learn on your terms. Get the PDF, infographic, extended ad-free audiobook and animated version of this summary of The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F and more exclusive content on the top-rated StoryShots app: https://www.getstoryshots.com

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the StoryShots podcast now to help us grow and create more amazing content for you.

What should our next book be? Comment on Spotify/iTunes or vote it up on the StoryShots app.

Interested in sponsorship? Contact sales@getstoryshots.com.

We’re only scratching the surface here. If you don’t already have the book, order it or get the audiobook for free on Amazon to learn the juicy details.

StoryShots Book Summary and Review of The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson

Mark Manson is an American self-help author and blogger. He started his first blog on dating advice in 2008. It became hugely popular and gained hundreds of thousands of readers. In 2009, Manson decided to travel the world for the next seven years while working remotely. He ended up visiting more than 65 countries. In 2010, he started a new blog called Post Masculine which provided general life advice for men. On this blog, he posted an article under the same name as this book. The article was so well received he decided to turn it into a book. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck went on to become a New York Times best seller. 

In October 2018, Penguin Random House announced that Manson would work with Will Smith to write the actor's autobiography. Manson’s work has been translated into more than 60 languages.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is designed to help clarify what you choose to find important in your life, essentially what you choose to give a f*ck about. We often don’t realize how frequently we’re giving a f*ck about something that doesn’t matter. Manson aims to help you spot when you are placing too much importance on self-help ideas and how to start giving a f*ck about the most important things. 

The book has sold over 13 million copies. According to Amazon, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck was the most-read nonfiction book in 2017.

Avoid Constantly Pursuing Satisfaction

Before he became a famous author, Bukowski was an alcoholic gambler who was frequently rejected by publishers. It was not until Bukowski turned 50 that an editor finally accepted a piece of his work. The public and media described his story as the American dream. But Bukowski knew the reality: He was still a loser. He wasn’t a best-selling author. He was fine with this, though. This self-acceptance is what drew so many people to him and his books. Bukowski has the words “Don’t try” written on his gravestone. 

This approach is entirely different from modern society’s expectations of how we can become happier, richer, healthier and more successful by merely wanting it. Manson believes this approach means we will feel like we are never enough. True happiness is caring only about essential matters.

The Backwards Law was introduced by the British philosopher Alan Watts. The idea is that the more you pursue feeling better, the less satisfied you become. Constantly pursuing satisfaction will reinforce that you lack it in the first place. Manson rephrases this as:

• The pursuit of positive experience is itself a negative experience.
• The acceptance of negative experience is itself a positive experience.

So, you can create positive experiences through the tolerance of negative experiences. 

Keywords: morning routines, priorities, habit formation, time management, Weekend planning, Productivity, Goal setting, Work-life balance

Topics: Self-Help, Happiness, Mindset, Personal Development, Acceptance

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices