Bithive reviewed The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
Stoicism with expletives
3 stars
"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson starts out with a plethora of expletives. Understandably, he has the F-word in the title and needs to fulfill his marketing promise. The book is relatively short and begins with some Stoic wisdom that anyone who has read "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius or "The Enchiridion" might already be familiar with. While not necessarily bad, it can be a good entry point into the topic for someone who finds the previously mentioned books dull.
The second part of the book focuses on values and how pursuing the wrong ones can lead to suffering. I found the anecdote about the musician who later formed Megadeth most insightful: after being thrown out of his band, he vowed to become better than his former colleagues and founded Megadeth. Although he became incredibly popular, he never achieved his goal since he was thrown out …
"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson starts out with a plethora of expletives. Understandably, he has the F-word in the title and needs to fulfill his marketing promise. The book is relatively short and begins with some Stoic wisdom that anyone who has read "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius or "The Enchiridion" might already be familiar with. While not necessarily bad, it can be a good entry point into the topic for someone who finds the previously mentioned books dull.
The second part of the book focuses on values and how pursuing the wrong ones can lead to suffering. I found the anecdote about the musician who later formed Megadeth most insightful: after being thrown out of his band, he vowed to become better than his former colleagues and founded Megadeth. Although he became incredibly popular, he never achieved his goal since he was thrown out of Metallica, leading to a sense of bitterness and unfulfillment.
In the last section, there is a form of redemption arc. Mark Manson, known within the manosphere, has written another book called "Models," in which he shares his personal pickup strategies. Having settled down, he now attempts to reconcile his former lifestyle with his new one. The book still contains several red pill concepts but avoids using terms like frame and alpha, instead explaining the concepts differently.
So, does Manson actually deliver? Yes, indeed. The book offers valuable insights, and if you are unfamiliar with the concept of Stoicism, or as he refers to it, "not giving a f*ck," then it serves as an excellent entry point. For those familiar with the concept, it drives the point home using modern vocabulary.
