The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2016

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Key Figures

Mark Manson

A blogger and author, Mark Manson is an individual working his own way through life’s challenges and thus he shares personal anecdotes often in the book. What he reveals of his own story is generally a means of conveying a point. Much of the book's subject matter derives from lessons that Manson gleaned in direct life experience or learned by studying the lives and philosophies of others.

As a self-help book, unorthodox as it is, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck manifests Manson’s personality throughout. He’s not a detached expert offering commentary; rather, he’s a participant in much of what he writes about. For example, in the last chapter, in which he discusses death, Manson offers a sad anecdote from his own life, which exposes him as a young man trying to make sense of a friend’s death. There’s something universal in this story, something generally relatable for anyone who has experienced loss.

At other times in the book, Manson assumes a somewhat brash demeanor. He presents himself as such in opening the book with his over-the-top use of the F-word and, later, in his frank, almost arrogant discussions of his sexual history. The no-holds-barred image that he establishes in the book’s opening chapter soon gives way to a much more thoughtful, reflective persona, but his purpose here is to show the reader that he’s an example of what he espouses in the book. We don’t have to fear the opinions and condemnation of others. We’re imperfect, likely swear a lot, and can be crude at times. While Manson presents his views with a sense of authority, he doesn’t pretend to know more than us. He has learned to accept life on its own terms and simply feels that many of our problems stem from our tendency to wrestle with what is unavoidable. The book conveys his outlook on how to live a fulfilling life, and he bases it on personal experience, philosophical views, and common sense.

Charles Bukowski

That Manson begins the book with an allusion to Charles Bukowski, a famous writer of the 1960s, is significant. Bukowski’s unapologetic manner, especially in his approach to writing, is an obvious inspiration to Manson. Bukowski is famous, perhaps infamous, for the crudity of his work. He writes in a frank, blunt voice, which is at times cynical, misogynist, self-loathing, self-deprecating, and vulgar. His work is not for everyone, which he certainly understood.

Manson’s work, by contrast, is only moderately self-deprecating, but Bukowski’s influence is evident throughout the book. The entire first chapter, in which Manson uses profanity to the point of sounding gimmicky, is an overt nod to Bukowski. While Bukowski was rather antagonistic, at least in his writing, he had a skill for digging deeper into the heart of things. His insight into the ways we respond to challenges in our lives, including his own story, reveal a more thoughtful side. His work is at once abrasive and insightful, and Manson emulates this approach in his book.

Importantly, Bukowski’s view toward success and failure informs much of Manson’s book. He notes that Bukowski didn’t “give a f*ck about success” (3), and he sees this as an admirable trait. The epitaph engraved on Bukowski’s tombstone, “Don’t Try,” becomes a rallying cry in Manson’s book. Manson celebrates Bukowski not because he was a model citizen but because he sees Bukowski as a man who learned to accept his place in the world, who was true to himself, and who achieved success without getting too caught up in what that was supposed to mean.