The Subtle Art of not Giving a F**k, By Mark Manson

“The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson is the book we wish we would never end. Within two days, you are guaranteed to be done with this book and be forcing it into another friend’s hands to read themselves.

“The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” is a compilation of chapters that deliver meaningful and relatable advice in a witty and honest way. Manson’s wise words either will make you laugh and/or think about things in a different way.

He discusses and guides you through relationships with yourself, family, significant others, and friends that can be quite overwhelming at times. His main theory that he hopes to deliver to the reader is to live a meaningful life without thinking about it so hard that it contradicts your progress.

One concept Mark Manson discusses that everyone is sure to have experienced themselves is… the feedback loop from hell. This is how he first describes it to us: “You get anxious about confronting somebody in your life. That anxiety cripples you and you start wondering why you’re so anxious. Now you’re becoming anxious about being anxious. Oh no! Doubly anxious! Now you’re anxious about your anxiety, which is causing more anxiety. Quick, where’s the whiskey?”

If you have experienced this loop yourself, you are not alone… you are human, and every human feels this way. Fortunately, sometimes unfortunately, humans are able to conceive thoughts about our thoughts. We get anxious that we are anxious. We get sad that we are sad. Emotions are as Mark Manson would say “the beauty of being human.” It is one thing to feel emotion, but another thing is to engage in this process which takes advantage of our ability to feel emotions and lets us go crazy for a quick second.

So, we’ve all agreed we have emotions, duh. So, next time you engage in the feedback loop from hell remember that. ACCEPT YOUR EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS! It is OKAY TO BE ANXIOUS. Try not to beat yourself up over the fact that you are anxious.

Mark Manson explained it like this: “By not giving a fuck that you feel bad, you short-circuit the Feedback Loop from Hell; you say to yourself, “I feel like shit, but who gives a fuck?” And then, as if sprinkled by magic fuck-giving fairy dust, you stop hating yourself for feeling so bad.”

Trying to avoid these feelings is to give too many f**ks about feelings. To try and not give a f**k about a feeling, is the subtle art of not giving a f**k.

Mark Manson’s advice is delivered in a simple and witty manner like the way he introduced the feedback loop from hell.