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    “You must see your attempt at attaining mastery as something extremely necessary and positive.  The world is teeming with problems, many of them of our own creation.  To solve them will require a tremendous amount of effort and creativity.  Relying on genetics, technology, magic, or being nice and natural will not save us.  We require the energy not only to address practical matters, but also to forge new institutions and orders that fit our changed circumstances.  We must create our own world or we will die from inaction.” ~ Robert Greene, Mastery

    The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck [Book]

      The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

      By:  Mark Mason

      From this Book: 33 Quotes

      Book Overview:  In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.  For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. “F**k positivity,” Mark Manson says. “Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it.” In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

      Buy from Amazon!  Listen on Audible!

      Great on Kindle. Great Experience. Great Value. The Kindle edition of this book comes highly recommended on Amazon.

      Post(s) Inspired by this Book:

      1. 23 No Bullsh*t Mark Manson Quotes from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
      2. Mark Manson Quote on Problems and How A Problem-Free Life Should Never Be The Goal (Beyond the Quote 274/365)
      3. Mark Manson Quote on How Being Desperate For Something Doesn’t Help You Get It (Beyond the Quote 177/365)
      4. Mark Manson Quote on Experiences and How To Find The Ideal Balance Between Breadth and Depth (Beyond the Quote 162/365)
      5. The Story of Buddha and How Happiness is Not the Absence of Suffering

        “We all love to take responsibility for success and happiness.  Hell, we often fight over who gets to be responsible for success and happiness.  But taking responsibility for our problems is far more important, because that’s where the real learning comes from.  That’s where the real-life improvement comes from.  To simply blame others is only to hurt yourself.” ~ Mark Mason, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

          “Denying negative emotions leads to experiencing deeper and more prolonged negative emotions and to emotional dysfunction.  Constant positivity is a form of avoidance, not a valid solution to life’s problems—problems which, by the way, if you’re choosing the right values and metrics, should be invigorating you and motivating you.” ~ Mark Mason, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

            “Problems may be inevitable, but the meaning of each problem is not.  We get to control what our problems mean based on how we choose to think about them, the standard by which we choose to measure them.” ~ Mark Mason, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

              “Happiness is a constant work-in-progress, because solving problems is a constant work-in-progress—the solutions to today’s problems will lay the foundation for tomorrow’s problems, and so on.  True happiness occurs only when you find the problems you enjoy having and enjoy solving.” ~ Mark Mason, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

                “Happiness comes from solving problems.  The keyword here is ‘solving.’  If you’re avoiding your problems or feel like you don’t have any problems, then you’re going to make yourself miserable.  If you feel like you have problems that you’ can’t solve, you will likewise make yourself miserable.  The secret sauce is in the solving of the problems, not in not having problems in the first place.” ~ Mark Mason, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

                  “If the situation or problem is such that it can be remedied, then there is no need to worry about it.  In other words, if there is a solution or a way out of the difficulty, then one needn’t be overwhelmed by it.  The appropriate action is to seek its solution.  It is more sensible to spend the energy focusing on the solution rather than worrying about the problem.  Alternatively, if there is no way out, no solution, no possibility of resolution, then there is also no point in being worried about it, because you can’t do anything about it anyway.  In that case, the sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be on you.” ~ Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness

                    “One of the strange laws of the contemplative life is that in it you do not sit down and solve problems: you bear with them until they somehow solve themselves. Or until life solves them for you.” ~ Thomas Merton

                      “We cannot solve life’s problems except by solving them.  This statement may seem idiotically tautological or self-evident, yet it is seemingly beyond the comprehension of much of the human race.  This is because we must accept responsibility for a problem before we can solve it.  We cannot solve a problem by saying ‘It’s not my problem.’ We cannot solve a problem by hoping that someone else will solve it for us.  I can solve a problem only when I say ‘ This is my problem and it’s up to me to solve it.’  But many, so many, seek to avoid the pain of their problems by saying to themselves: ‘This problem was caused me by other people, or by social circumstances beyond my control, and therefore it is up to other people or society to solve this problem for me.  It is not really my personal problem.’  The extent to which people will go psychologically to avoid assuming responsibility for personal problems, while always sad, is sometimes almost ludicrous.” ~ Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled

                        “Problems do not go away.  They must be worked through or else they remain, forever a barrier to the growth and development of the spirit.” ~ Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled

                          “Yet it is in this whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning.  Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure.  Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom.  It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually.  When we desire to encourage the growth of the human spirit, we challenge and encourage the human capacity to solve problems, just as in school we deliberately set problems for our children to solve.  It is through the pain of confronting and resolving problems that we learn.  As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘Those things that hurt, instruct.’  It is for this reason that wise people learn not to dread but actually to welcome problems and actually to welcome the pain of problems.” ~ Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled

                            “I truly believe that our major social ills would disappear if we just spent our lives perfecting the art of connecting with each other.” ~ Sean Stephenson, Get Off Your “But”

                              “In life, never spend more than 10 percent of your time on the problem, and spend at least 90 percent of your time on the solution. Most important, don’t sweat the small stuff… and remember, it’s all small stuff!” ~ Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

                                “Through violence, you may ‘solve’ one problem, but you sow the seeds for another.” ~ Dalai Lama

                                  “Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them.” ~ Henry Ford