The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck - Book Review
The Stoic Philosopher's Guide To Not Giving A Fuck
Excuse my language. Maybe “not giving a fuck” is too strong a term. But then again, maybe it isn’t. My last blog post was a review of The PMA Effect by John Joseph. One of the things that really cut through to me was his no-nonsense language. When I review The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson, I can’t help but think about John Joseph’s writing.
Like The PMA Effect, The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck has the smarts to back up the harsh language. It focuses mostly on the wisdom bestowed by a group of philosophers commonly called the Stoics. Founded by Zeno in the Hellenistic period of ancient Greece, Stoicism enjoying a renaissance in the modern era. If you are looking to dip your toe into Stoicism, The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck is a great place to start.
The Stoic Belief System
The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck
The main teachings of Stoicism are of virtue, tolerance, and self-control. In modern times, we often use the word stoic to describe a person who can endure pain or adversity without showing feelings or complaining. Stoicism itself is more nuanced but follows the same guidelines.
Think of the world as a series of actions, each with a web of effects. Every person can commit an action, which will pull on the web of effects and alter the position of every other person. This endless chain of reactions can be thought of like the structure of the universe, which the Stoics called logos. We cannot possibly alter everything at once - finding a perfect universe is impossible. All we can do is take each reaction as it comes. We can change only what we have in front of us.
Thinking Like A Stoic
Thinking like a Stoic, we can only seek to improve ourselves. We cannot affect the weather. Nor the actions of a rival. Nor the person standing in front of us, blocking the subway and making us late for our train.
The only thing we can do is accept the things we cannot change, and do all we can to change the things we are able to. One of the most powerful lessons is that every thought we have, and every action we take, is within our control. We can choose not to be angry. When the person in front of the subway is blocking you, you can’t change that. Getting angry and frustrated is a choice that you are making. By thinking like a Stoic, you can choose not to be angry, and accept fate. You can choose to not give a fuck.
The Subtle Art
There is a reason that Mark Manson emphasizes the “subtle art” in his title. Often, stoicism can be associated with passivity and a self-centered philosophy. This couldn't be further from the truth - the subtle change in only focusing on the things we can change is focused on doing, and executing an action.
Summary
The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck is a book that brings the stoic philosophers into a new light. Its an antidote to the constant barrage of “happy thoughts and affirmations”. While I’m in no way against the positive way of thinking, I think that people can gain a lot from having a different point of view. One more centered around acceptance and self-improvement. Mark Manson strips away the happy-sunshine glow that can emanate from self-help books in the current era. I thoroughly recommend picking up a copy of his book - the art of not giving a fuck may be subtle, but it extremely powerful.