Being a student today, I have personally witnessed the wide range of overwhelming pressures associated with establishing a feeling of success and achievement in both my academic and personal life. Unfortunately, there are many more students out there who are currently experiencing these same overwhelming pressures.
However, I was recently gifted the novel, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson.
At first, I was sceptical. I have never truly involved myself with the “Self-Improvement” genre of novels, as I never truly believed in many of the messages they provided.
Nevertheless, once I started reading Manson’s novel, I quickly became aware that I would not be capable of putting it down.
The first and most important thing to note is that, despite the title, this book is not subtle in any sense. Manson offers a brutally honest novel that focuses on the importance of understanding one’s limitations and embracing life’s inevitable struggles.
Manson provides a book, backed by academic research, and philosophical teachings, that effectively reminds us of our own personal limitations, fears and struggles. Manson informs us…
“The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive experience”.
Mark Manson, Author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.
Nevertheless, Manson also encourages the reader to accept and embrace them, providing the reader with the opportunity to find both comfort and growth within their lives instead of avoiding the uncomfortable truths.
As a result of Manson’s unique sense of raw, uncensored, and humorous language, he effectively conveys this message. In his own words, he says we’ve got to be wise about how much we care.
“In life, we have a limited amount of f***s to give. So, you must choose your f***s wisely”.
Mark Manson, Author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.
When you boil it all down, Manson provides a book that everyone can relate to.
In its entirety, Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** is a confronting novel. It focuses on many uncomfortable and hard-to-swallow truths.
“If you want to change how you see your problems, you have to change what you value and/or how you measure failure/success”.
Mark Manson, Author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.
It resembles no other novel I have ever read before, and the tone of the book alone is raw uncensored, yet passionate, powerful and moving. Upon first reading, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** is a very difficult novel to adjust to.
However, once you have familiarised yourself with Mason’s unique writing structure, there is a lot of this book that is left to be desired.
For instance, its sheer unapologetic nature is very refreshing, compared to the other ‘self-help’ novels that focus on “constant self-affirmation” and “becoming the best you”. It’s brutal honesty, yet necessary, with brief moments of smartly timed comedy.
However, I believe this novel’s strongest part is the personal connection between Mark Manson and the reader. During my first read-through, I was able to relate to the struggles and challenges Manson shared. I could understand and empathise with the pain and grief he expressed. In a strange sense, I could see myself in the pages of this book.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** is effectively, a much-needed reality check. It is a novel that latches onto you, even after putting it down, and completely changes your perspective on how to gain genuine happiness.
After reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***, I can confidently say that this is one of the greatest novels I have ever read and that I highly recommend this book to anyone who may be interested.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** is unlike any other novel I have ever read. Its overall structure and deliverance are unmatched.
With the beautiful message of understanding one’s limitations and embracing life’s inevitable struggles through the practice of not giving a f***, it truly is the book that changed my perspective on life, and has the potential to do the same for others.