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The Tim Ferriss Show
#647: Mark Manson — The Path to 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,' The Ups (and Downs) of Success, The Craft of Writing, Personal Reinvention, How to Build a Lean Team, Protecting Boundaries, Decompressing with Fiction, and More
Dec 30, 2022
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02:07:56
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Quick takeaways
- Mark Manson's article 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck' went viral and propelled him to worldwide recognition and success.
- Mark Manson prioritizes his physical health after neglecting it for years and has hired a coach to guide him in making positive lifestyle changes.
- Mark Manson discusses the importance of setting boundaries, saying no to tempting opportunities, and focusing on long-term growth rather than immediate results.
- Mark Manson expresses his passion for challenging conventional personal development norms and making self-help concepts more accessible through video content and gamification.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Mark Manson's Blog
Mark Manson started his blog with a pseudonym called Entropy, where he initially wrote about his dating experiences. He transitioned into writing about honesty, vulnerability, and relationships, and eventually expanded to cover broader personal development topics. One of his viral articles, 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck,' gained massive popularity and marked a turning point in his blog's success.
Challenges with Physical Health
Mark has always struggled with prioritizing his physical health, citing his focus on personal and emotional growth during his 20s. He acknowledges that lack of good habits during that time has caught up with him in his late 30s. He has made a conscious decision in the last year to prioritize his health, seeking inspiration from other sources, including Tim Ferriss's podcast episodes on health and fitness.
The Explosive Success of 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck'
Mark's article 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck' resonated with readers and went viral. The catchy title and the dissonance it created with the content drew attention and curiosity. This article led to the publication of Mark's bestselling book with the same title, which became a global phenomenon. It marked a significant breakthrough in Mark's career and propelled him to widespread recognition and success.
Current Struggles and Focus on Health
Mark currently prioritizes his health, acknowledging a need for physical well-being after neglecting it for many years. He has hired a coach to guide him through the process and has experienced positive changes through lifestyle adjustments, including exercise, better sleep habits, and healthier eating. He appreciates the positive impact these changes have had and is committed to his health-oriented journey.
Mark Manson's Career Journey and Future Plans
Mark Manson, renowned author and blogger, discusses his career journey, from writing SEO-driven articles to becoming a prominent figure in the personal development space. He shares insights into his experience co-authoring Will Smith's memoir and highlights the importance of setting boundaries and saying no to tempting opportunities. Manson also reveals his plans for venturing into video content creation and exploring new creative opportunities.
Influential Writers and Recent Reading Preferences
Manson discusses his influential writers, including David Foster Wallace, Hunter S. Thompson, and Joan Didion. He also mentions his love for nonfiction authors such as Jonathan Haidt and Dan Gilbert. In terms of recent reading, he shares his interest in fiction, particularly Stephen King's works, and his rejuvenating experience exploring lighter fictional stories.
Challenging Personal Development Norms and Exploring New Formats
Manson expresses his passion for challenging conventional personal development norms and making self-help concepts more accessible to a wider audience. He discusses his vision of using video content to explore implementation strategies and experiments with gamification and incentives. Manson highlights the importance of staying open and creative, and reflects on the changing landscape of online media and its impact on personal growth.
Advice on Setting Boundaries and Enjoying the Journey
Manson shares his insights on setting boundaries and saying no to tempting but unsatisfying opportunities. He encourages a long-term perspective on growth and emphasizes the importance of being flexible and enjoying the journey rather than focusing solely on immediate results. Manson's experiences demonstrate the importance of finding joy and fulfillment in one's work and continuously adapting to new possibilities.
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Introduction
4min
2.
Eight Sleep Offers Up to $450 Off of Their Sleep Fit Holiday Bundle
3min
3.
The Most Surprising Thing About Your Life?
3min
4.
Is There a Meandering Path?
2min
5.
Is Universal Pictures a Small Entity?
3min
6.
The Web Team, Is That Included?
2min
7.
How Do You Choose Full Time Versus Contractor?
2min
8.
How Do You Find the Right People?
2min
9.
How Do I Get a Job Description?
2min
10.
Interviews - What Are You Looking for in the Interviews?
2min
11.
Why Should I Self-Publish a Book?
3min
12.
How to Win the Lottery in a Video Game
2min
13.
Is Entropy a Video Game?
4min
14.
The Love Hate Experience With Tim Ferris
2min
15.
How I Got Started a Blog About Teeth Whitening
3min
16.
Athletic Greens Vitamin D Supplement Review - Is This Really Real?
2min
17.
The Video Game Analogy
3min
18.
Is There a Dating Problem?
3min
19.
How Did You Get Your First Mega Viral Article?
3min
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The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck
3min
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How Many Articles Have Become Articles?
2min
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How Many Blog Posts Have You Written?
3min
23.
The Health Component, I'm 45 Now, and I've Been Through Pure Life Aggression Sustained
3min
24.
The Snowball Effect - You Can't Put This Off Anymore
2min
25.
The Los Angeles Effect on Health
2min
26.
Will Smith - Your Personal Primary Lessons Learned
3min
27.
I've Never Been on a Hollywood Set Before, You Know?
4min
28.
What You Learned About Chris Rock and the Oscars
4min
29.
I'm World Class at One Thing, and I'll Send Them Home
2min
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Outsourcing - The First Part Coming, but Not the Second Part Coming
3min
31.
What Are Your Goals, Desires, Wants?
2min
32.
The Immediacy of Online Content
2min
33.
Say No to a Lot of Stuff
3min
34.
Is He an a-Lister?
2min
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The Challenge of Holding the Line in Relationships
2min
36.
You Should Say No to My Phone, the Blank
2min
37.
Is This Normal?
2min
38.
Do You Have a Blog or a Podcast?
4min
39.
How to Get Over Anxiety With Video
2min
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How Can You Use Money as an Incentive?
2min
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How to Make Your YouTube Videos Fun and Engaging for a Long Time
3min
42.
Do You Still Use Scrivener When Working on Your Books?
2min
43.
Is There Anything You've Been Paying Attention to in Recent Memory?
6min
44.
I'm on a Light Fiction Kick
2min
45.
The Last Good Kiss by James Crumbly, C-R-U-M-L-E-Y
2min
46.
I'll Throw That One Out Just as an Option
2min
47.
It's the Taky Ball
2min
48.
Five Bullet Friday
4min
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Peloton Row Review
2min
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Get Rowing With Peloton Row
2min
Brought to you by Peloton Row premium rower for an efficient workout, Athletic Greens all-in-one supplement, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating.
Mark Manson (@IAmMarkManson) is a three-time #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck as well as other titles. His books have sold nearly 20 million copies worldwide and have reached number one in more than a dozen countries.
Since 2008, he has written articles at MarkManson.net, one of the largest personal-development blogs in the world, with more than a million monthly readers. In 2023, a feature film about him and his work will be released in theaters by Universal Pictures. See SubtleArtMovie.com for more details, and click here for the trailer.
Please enjoy!
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This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.
For a limited time, Eight Sleep is offering my listeners up to $450 off their Sleep Fit Holiday Bundle, which includes my personal favorite, the Pod 3 Cover. Go to EightSleep.com/Tim to get the exclusive holiday savings. Eight Sleep currently ships within the USA, Canada, the UK, select countries in the EU, and Australia.
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This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.
Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.
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This episode is brought to you by Peloton Row! Peloton Row delivers personalized rowing workouts to help you learn and master your stroke. Form features like Form Assist and Form Ratings & Insights indicate how to improve your stroke in class in real time and provide a post-class breakdown so you can hit the Row harder next time. And with the ability to customize your target metrics, you become an expert at the level and pace that feels good for you. You get all your cardio and strength in one shot, while protecting your joints and ligaments in a high-intensity, low-impact way. Fun fact: you work 86% of your muscles in only 15 minutes.
Right now is the perfect time to get rowing with Peloton Row. Peloton Row offers a variety of classes for all levels plus game-changing features that help you get rowing or advance the rowing you can already do. Explore Peloton Row at OnePeloton.com/Row.
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[07:02] Difficult changes and modified default behaviors.
[10:22] Be careful what you wish for.
[12:14] How Mark’s feature film deal came to be.
[15:55] The teamwork that makes Mark’s dream work.
[20:26] Sourcing talent.
[24:45] How Mark knew he’d found the right agent.
[28:36] From Entropy to F*ckery.
[47:21] Learning the subtle art of strategic F-bombing.
[56:31] Prioritizing health maintenance.
[1:04:04] Co-authoring a book with Will Smith.
[1:11:34] In a post-slap world, what should we know about the real Will Smith?
[1:16:36] How Will Smith depends on and interacts with his team.
[1:18:41] Setting the course for the next few years.
[1:22:51] How Mark says no to financially tempting projects he doesn’t want to do.
[1:31:02] The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck‘s cover story.
[1:33:39] Why Mark is pivoting to video production rather than podcasting.
[1:37:46] What can we expect from Mark’s future video trajectory?
[1:42:56] Staying relevant and creatively fulfilled in a crowded market.
[1:44:56] The software Mark uses to compose a book.
[1:46:10] Recommended reading,
[1:56:51] Parting thoughts.
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For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.
For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors
Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.
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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.
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