The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

In my life, I have given a f*ck about many people and many things. I have
also not given a f*ck about many people and many things. And those f*cks I have
not given have made all the difference.

People often say the key to confidence and success in life is to simply “not
give a f*ck.” Indeed, we often refer to the strongest, most admirable people we
know in terms of their lack of f*cks given. Like “Oh, look at Susie working
weekends again, she doesn’t give a f*ck.” Or “Did you hear that Tom called the
company president an asshole and still got a raise anyway? Holy shit, that dude
does not give a f*ck.” Or “Jason got up and ended his date with Cindy after 20
minutes. He said he wasn’t going to listen to her bullshit anymore. Man, that guy
does not give a f*ck.”

Chances are you know somebody in your life who, at one time or another,
did not give a f*ck and went on to accomplish amazing feats. Perhaps there was
a time in your life where you simply did not give a f*ck and excelled to some
extraordinary heights. I know for myself, quitting my day job in finance after
only six weeks and telling my boss that I was going to start selling dating advice
online ranks pretty high up there in my own “didn’t give a f*ck” hall of fame.
Same with deciding to sell most of my possessions and move to South America.
F*cks given? None. Just went and did it.

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 Everybody just wants to be liked and accepted. Except for Tim. Tim
doesn't give a f*ck.

Now, while not giving a f*ck may seem simple on the surface, it’s a whole
new bag of burritos under the hood. I don’t even know what that sentence
means, but I don’t give a f*ck. A bag of burritos sounds awesome, so let’s just go
with it.

The point is, most of us struggle throughout our lives by giving too many
f*cks in situations where f*cks do not deserve to be given. We give a f*ck about
the rude gas station attendant who gave us too many nickels. We give a f*ck
when a show we liked was canceled on TV. We give a f*ck when our coworkers

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don’t bother asking us about our awesome weekend. We give a f*ck when it’s
raining and we were supposed to go jogging in the morning.

F*cks given everywhere. Strewn about like seeds in mother-f*cking spring

time. And for what purpose? For what reason? Convenience? Easy comforts? A
pat on the f*cking back maybe?

This is the problem, my friend.

Because when we give too many f*cks, when we choose to give a f*ck
about everything, then we feel as though we are perpetually entitled to feel
comfortable and happy at all times, that’s when life f*cks us.

Indeed, the ability to reserve our f*cks for only the most f*ckworthy of
situations would surely make life a hell of a lot easier. Failure would be less
terrifying. Rejection less painful. Unpleasant necessities more pleasant and the
unsavory shit sandwiches a little bit more savory. I mean, if we could only give a
few less f*cks, or a few more consciously-directed f*cks, then life would feel
pretty f*cking easy.

What we don’t realize is that there is a fine art of non-f*ck-giving. People

aren’t just born not giving a f*ck. In fact, we’re born giving way too many f*cks.
Ever watch a kid cry his eyes out because his hat is the wrong shade of blue?
Exactly. F*ck that kid.

Mark Manson
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good
Life
(​Word Count: 605 words​)

Manson, Mark. ​The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life.
Harper Collins, 2016.

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Week Eight - Quotes & Lines from
Literature
1. “Sometimes you need to sit lonely on the floor in a quiet room in order to
hear your own voice and not let it drown in the noise of others.” ―
Charlotte Eriksson
2. “The educated ones leave, the ones with the potential to right the wrongs.
They leave the weak behind. The tyrants continue to reign because the
weak cannot resist. Do you not see that it is a cycle? Who will break that
cycle?” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
3. “A voice cannot carry the tongue and the lips that gave it wings. Alone
must it seek the ether. And alone and without his nest shall the eagle fly
across the sun.” ― Kahlil Gibran
4. “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” — Stephen King
5. “To gain your own voice, you have to forget about having it heard.” —
Allen Ginsberg
6. “It ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it.” — Jack Kerouac
7. “Not a wasted word. This has been a main point to my literary thinking all
my life.” — Hunter S. Thompson
8. “Style means the right word. The rest matters little.” — Jules Renard
9. “The first sentence can’t be written until the final sentence is written.” —
Joyce Carol Oates
10.“Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on
paper.” — Ray Bradbury

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