The Subtle art of not giving a F*ck - Book

[iamwhatiseem]

A good thing about having a Kindle is that there are many, many free books with a prime membership.
I will admit the title of this book caught my eye... it's free so I started to read it.
I have read 64% of it, probably skipped about 20% of that.
On one hand, it is a book that is very appropriate and needed for the times. It would be a good book for essential reading by high school children and early adults.
It is essentially a book of advice for younger people, particularly addressing todays avalanche of problems our youth have - selfishness, loneliness and desperate attention seeking on social media. As well as constantly seeking moral superiority to inflate their otherwise vacuous existence.
I skipped a fair amount because it really doesn't apply to an older person. Sure there is good advice in this book, quite a lot, but when you are 58 - there are things you already know and fixed about yourself years ago.

At any rate - it would make a good gift for any younger folks you know..

Quote -

“Everything worthwhile in life is won through surmounting the associated negative experience. Any attempt to escape the negative, to avoid it or quash it or silence it, only backfires. The avoidance of suffering is a form of suffering. The avoidance of struggle is a struggle. The denial of failure is a failure. Hiding what is shameful is itself a form of shame.
Pain is an inextricable thread in the fabric of life, and to tear it out is not only impossible, but destructive: attempting to tear it out unravels everything else with it. ​

Amazon product

 

[occupied]

I am aware of this book. I could have written it. I had to figure out how not to give a fuck the hard way.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I am aware of this book. I could have written it. I had to figure out how not to give a fuck the hard way.

Exactly, I thought the same thing.
Most of what is in this book is a collection of thoughts and practices that any reasonably intelligent older person learned themselves.
However - society today is almost wholly youth-centric. Young people cannot fathom the notion of listening to the advice from an older person. That sound practice has been lost since the 1980s.
The wisdom of age and experience is lost on younger folks. This book just might trick a few into not knowing that is exactly what it is.

 

[occupied]

Exactly, I thought the same thing.
Most of what is in this book is a collection of thoughts and practices that any reasonably intelligent older person learned themselves.
However - society today is almost wholly youth-centric. Young people cannot fathom the notion of listening to the advice from an older person. That sound practice has been lost since the 1980s.
The wisdom of age and experience is lost on younger folks. This book just might trick a few into not knowing that is exactly what it is.

I read a lot of books growing up. Some of them even tried to teach wisdom. Unfortunately wisdom is something that can be learned but not taught. Shit has to blow up in your face for you to really learn what life is about.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I read a lot of books growing up. Some of them even tried to teach wisdom. Unfortunately wisdom is something that can be learned but not taught. Shit has to blow up in your face for you to really learn what life is about.

Not necessarily.
I was fortunate enough when I was about 15 or so, to have to watch over my grandmother for a few hours after school when she broke her leg. I was old enough to begin to see her as a human being, and not just this wonderful person who gives us treats and praise.
We talked. She told me stories. She talked to me about her life, mistakes, good times and bad. And about life in general. She gave me a lot to think about. And I did think about it.

 

[occupied]

I've had several tragedies in my life but I didn't feel prepared for any of them. It was the living through them that made me feel like I learned something.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I've had several tragedies in my life but I didn't feel prepared for any of them. It was the living through them that made me feel like I learned something.

What I learned from my parents was the art of value.
My parents consistently lived within their means. Most people have no idea whatsoever that is.
Most people think to live within your means, ,means you have enough money to pay your bills and debts. And as they make more - they increase their bills and debts to match the higher income. Again, and again and again. Till finally they are in their 50s and they realize their death is closer than their birth. This changes their thinking, but it is too late.
I can thank my parents for learning this before it was too late.

 

[occupied]

What I learned from my parents was the art of value.
My parents consistently lived within their means. Most people have no idea whatsoever that is.
Most people think to live within your means, ,means you have enough money to pay your bills and debts. And as they make more - they increase their bills and debts to match the higher income. Again, and again and again. Till finally they are in their 50s and they realize their death is closer than their birth. This changes their thinking, but it is too late.
I can thank my parents for learning this before it was too late.

My parents absolutely meant well but they didn't really teach me anything except how to lie my way out of an ass-whuppin.

 

[1srelluc]

This must be the audio book version.

 

[odanny]

Mark Manson is the author, and the guy has many pearls of wisdom about life to share. Check out his website.

Articles

The complete archive of articles written by best-selling author, Mark Manson.

markmanson.net

 

[Moonglow]

Exactly, I thought the same thing.
Most of what is in this book is a collection of thoughts and practices that any reasonably intelligent older person learned themselves.
However - society today is almost wholly youth-centric. Young people cannot fathom the notion of listening to the advice from an older person. That sound practice has been lost since the 1980s.
The wisdom of age and experience is lost on younger folks. This book just might trick a few into not knowing that is exactly what it is.

I used to think that of my kids yet when they went out on their own I saw they were doing what I suggested or did.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I used to think that of my kids yet when they went out on their own I saw they were doing what I suggested or did.

As did mine. Quite proud of them. They both do important work, live well within their means.. they are going to be fine.

 

[Rocko]

I am aware of this book. I could have written it. I had to figure out how not to give a fuck the hard way.

I read the book. It doesn’t teach you not to give a fuck, which is impossible. The book encourages you to choose what you do give a fuck about.

 

[Rocko]

Mark Manson is the author, and the guy has many pearls of wisdom about life to share. Check out his website.

Articles

The complete archive of articles written by best-selling author, Mark Manson.

markmanson.net

He’s really into stoic philosophy. He’s definitely interesting and inspiring. His life hacks are useful for me at times.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I read the book. It doesn’t teach you not to give a fuck, which is impossible. The book encourages you to choose what you do give a fuck about.

Which, as noted, the majority of older folks learned this on their own. But it took 45 years of life at the very least before they did.
Thus the value of the book, if this generation will listen to one sentence of it.
It, not so subtly, speaks of the obvious long term problems of wokeness and virtue signaling. never says those two words - but a person with an IQ over 110 figures that out quick. Therefore, unfortunately, the people who need to heat his words the most will stop reading it the second they realize he is not a leftist loon.

 

[task0778]

At any rate - it would make a good gift for any younger folks you know..

Do they even read books anymore?

 

[occupied]

I read the book. It doesn’t teach you not to give a fuck, which is impossible. The book encourages you to choose what you do give a fuck about.

I started reading it years ago and quickly realized I already had that figured out.

 

[Rocko]

Which, as noted, the majority of older folks learned this on their own. But it took 45 years of life at the very least before they did.
Thus the value of the book, if this generation will listen to one sentence of it.
It, not so subtly, speaks of the obvious long term problems of wokeness and virtue signaling. never says those two words - but a person with an IQ over 110 figures that out quick. Therefore, unfortunately, the people who need to heat his words the most will stop reading it the second they realize he is not a leftist loon.

I think prioritizing what we care about is something we constantly have to work on. Everyone loses sight of what’s important. It’s in our nature to want to be liked.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Do they even read books anymore?

There are a lot of younger folks on Goodreads.

 

[Rocko]

I started reading it years ago and quickly realized I already had that figured out.

You figured it out, yet the book doesn’t teach you how to not give a fuck like you said learned before reading the book.