The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck

 

A couple of years ago, I was in an Andy’s Man Club meeting, airing our problems and steadily sorting out our lives. The group works by offering up questions for group members to answer, to get men used to the idea of talking and expressing themselves, the end aim being to reduce the suicide rate in the UK.

The last couple of questions we ask (and answer) change every week. One such question on this particular night was something like ‘what was the last good book you read?’ One of the attendees gave high praise to The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson, and the title stuck in my head.

Years passed, lockdown occurred, and the giant pile of books I had in storage I steadily read my way through. It was time to spend some money. I figured I’d better buy the book with a crude title, the one no-one would buy me as a present.

Subtle Art is not a testament to the virtues of being an unfeeling, unresponsive husk for the entirety of your life, as might be misinterpreted. Manson quickly details the importance of deciding on what you will give a fuck about (and what you will not). A small, punch-packing book, it uses relatable anecdotes (first and second hand) to describe how people have been efficient with their fucks- the end goal, being simply, to live a more enjoyable, fulfilling life. Funny, dark, sweary, rewarding and brutally honest. A great afternoon read.