The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: Book Discussion

Halfway though reading this I was mad. Mark Manson isn’t exactly the kind of person that likes the gooy just stay positive kind of self books. The ones that just want people to feel good about themselves. No, Manson is the face reality kind of person. However, in some parts I wonder if he’s gone too far. With one the subheadings titled “kill yourself,” I wasn’t really thrilled to read the rest, but I did any way. I don’t know if think book was really that great for me since I’ve had a lot of self esteem issues and half through reading this book I wrote in one of my journals about how mad this book made me. I talked about being proud of how far I’ve come and that I might not be the best writer, but I sure as hell was going to try to do better. Now afterwards, I felt like I needed that push, like I needed someone to tell me I’m not really that great so I could say “fuck that, I’ll prove you wrong!” So now, after reading this I have some questions I’m going to write down. Please feel free to answer them in the comments below:

1. Is entitlement really just an issue millennials have or is it a worldwide phenomenon?

I don’t think this is an issue that only millennials face. I think in the book even the author stated that we just see a lot of millennials in the media that are entitled. We don’t usally see generations older than us talking about their lives on social media. I think entitlement exists in all generations and it prevents us from working on ourselves. I do think that millennials are now starting to get out of feeling entitled. Now that we are moving of our families homes and having responsibilities of our own. I do think that many children have had a sense of entitlement, but I do think some (but all) of us grow out of it eventually.

I do think that there are a lot of millennials that are used to just being given stuff. And I do think that to a degree my generation as of now probably has a bigger sense of entitlement than older generations. But that also goes for people that have been well of there entire lives and have probably never understood what it means to live paycheck to paycheck. However, not everyone in my generation is that way. I’ve been working consistently since I was 16. I take care of my own responbiltes as well as the ones my parnets have sometimes. I’ve paid for my own gas and car insurance since high school. Now that I’m just working, I pay for pretty much everything I need expect for where I live. I’m saving up so in a few months I can have my own home.

One thing in my generation, I think has changed. Since women have been given more rights men don’t feel as entitled to our bodies and what we do for them. Now, we can finally walk away from bums that don’t do anything for us. We no longer will be treated with disrespect and the men of our generation are starting to learn that.

2. What is the fault fallacy? How does this apply to people who consider themselves victims?

The fault fallacy is when we choose values that harm us rather than give us power. People who consider themselves victims use these as a negative thought cycle to keep themselves feeling powerless. The example the author used was a man that thought no woman would date him because he was short. When in reality, all he had to do was create more assets that would convince women to date him, Like make money, cook, play guitar etc.

3. On social media and maybe even at our jobs, are we more about selling ourselves to people then when are about finding genuine relationships? How does Amercia’s value of trust compare to the real world?

I do think that we try to sell ourselves to a lot of people. We want to be likeable, so some of us will flip over backwards for other people to like us. We don’t like to tell people how we really feel because we afraid that if we do that, we won’t remain friends. In America, trust is not a high value, we lie our asses off in job interviews and with potential parters. In hopes that we’ll get hired even though we don’t have much to bring to the table.

4. How can freedom be found through commitment?

I do think that freedom can be found through commitment. We choose the scarifies we make everyday. Whether we sleep in instead of doing chores. Whether we go to college or just work. I think that sometimes choosing to make those same scarifies everyday can lead just to a better life —therefore, giving us the freedom to do what we want. When I think I freedom through commitment I think of passive income. Yes, at first we have to do the work to get there, but afterwards we get rewarded and we no longer have to be “tied down.”