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I No Longer Give A F*ck, Thanks To Mark Manson

"...suffering, while it sucks, is never a truly bad thing because all it does is make you stronger."

Breana Pietrosanti

Mar 14, 2018

St. John's University New York University

108

I No Longer Give A F*ck, Thanks To Mark Manson

Pixabay

Last week, I listened to the closing chapter of “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson. And I subsequently balled my eyes out. I guess that defeated the whole point of not giving an F, but I don’t give an F that I gave an F.

“The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” is a self-help book that kicks you right where it hurts. You’ll never get a sugar-coated inspirational quote, or be asked to look for some kind of silver lining. Manson wants you to suffer, not because he wants you to be a mopey human, but because he truly believes suffering, while it sucks, is never a truly bad thing because all it does is make you stronger and help you realign what you truly give an f about. It’s not about not giving an f, it’s about giving an f in all the right places.

Usually, self-help books use underdog success stories to cheer their readers up. Manson refuses, using stories of unaligned values and misery to whip us into shape, or realigned values to show us how to move on from our suffering. For example, Dave Mustaine was kicked out of Metallica.

As revenge, he formed Megadeth and spent his whole life trying to get back at Metallica for dumping him. He later admits that despite huge tours and all the riches, he still felt like an utter failure because not only did he not take down Metallica, but his former bad even superseded his own. His value: crushing Metallica, was unattainable and chasing it increased his suffering rather than helping him move past it.

I can say this book thickened my skin for the better. It taught me to own up to my own contributions for my misery, instead of putting all the blame on this one and that one. It forced me to really sit down and think about what I really give an f about. And it has made me all the better and all the stronger, and I will never stop improving.

Thank you, Mark Manson, for your book. Thank you for giving me the smack in the face and punch in the gut I stubbornly wouldn’t take from anyone else.

“The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” is available literally wherever books are sold, so make sure to grab yourself a copy today!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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I No Longer Give A F*ck, Thanks To Mark Manson

"...suffering, while it sucks, is never a truly bad thing because all it does is make you stronger."

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All names should be "unisex names."

1. Communicating via email can be awkward.

2. Appointments usually accompany weird looks.

3. Introducing yourself to someone is never without a hitch.

4. You’ve probably thought about changing your name.

5. You’re often asked why you have the name you do.

6. You get excited when you meet someone of your gender with your name.

7. You feel awkward when you meet someone of the opposite gender with your name.

8. You’ve had someone say to you, “I knew a [your name], but they were [your opposite gender].”

9. You’ve heard a bad joke/pick-up line or two about your name before.

10. People are surprised when they see you.

11. You’re extra sensitive to other unique or unisex names.

12. You’ve fought with your parents about it.

13. All things considered, you’re happy your name makes you unique.

You know that all of these things apply to you. You'll just never tell.

I get it... I'm pale.

1. At least I can't lose you in a crowd!

2. Oh my goodness your skin is like glow-in-the-dark.

3. Can't you just get fake tan?

4. Do you tan or just burn?

5. Your kids are going to look like Casper the Friendly Ghost!

6. *holds arm against your arm* Look how much darker I am compared to you!

7. *holds pale arm against another pale arm* Aw, at least you're darker than her!

8. I laid out by the pool almost every day over break!

9. I haven't used sunscreen since I was, like, five.

10. *adjusts selfie lighting to their face* Oops, where'd you go??

11. *after working out* Your face is SO red!

12. *wears white* Look! You're all one color!

13. You need to get some sun.

14. Aren't you excited for summer?

The struggle bus is real.

1. Child prodigies:

2. Hearing other musicians in the practice room next door and accepting that you will never be as talented as them:

3. That anxiety that takes over before every performance:

4. Taking a million 0 credit classes:

5. When there's a paper due the next day, but you have to attend yet another concert in order to pass a 0 credit class:

6. When your friends try to encourage you after a performance, even though you are criticizing everything in your mind:

7. Knowing that there's always that one professor during juries:

8. The oh-so-attractive band/choir uniforms:

9. Realizing that a college campus is maybe not the best atmosphere to finish your latest composition:

10. Hearing "Oh, you sing opera? I LOVE Phantom of the Opera!" for the hundredth time:

11. When people think finals week is a breeze for you.

12. When you're drowning in the stress that comes with 18+ credits (and not to mention all those 0 credit classes) and people ask you how you are:

13. When it all comes down to it, though, you know that at the end of the day, music is your passion:

Because you need it in your life.

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6. holds arm against your arm Look how much darker I am compared to you!

7. holds pale arm against another pale arm Aw, at least you're darker than her!

10. adjusts selfie lighting to their face Oops, where'd you go??

11. after working out Your face is SO red!

12. wears white Look! You're all one color!