The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck is a not so subtle title which does the successful job of grabbing your attention. Who knew the word fuck would grab my attention at the age of 24? How mature. The real reason the book is so popular though is everyone including Average Joe’s give a fuck about something and this can be very detrimental. Learning what to give a fuck about and what not to give a fuck about is genuinely a very subtle art (did I mention the title is great?). We are all victims of giving a too much of a fuck about what we wear, what people think of us and even the length of time it takes the table service in spoons. All these fucks add unwanted and unneeded stress on your life. By reading this book I was hoping this was a subtle art I could master.
Most of this book was a great read but, in my opinion, the best and most influential part was a section called “The do something principle”. In this section the writer states “action isn’t just the effect of motivation; it’s also the cause of it”. When you think about this it couldn’t be more truthful. He then goes on to say that motivation is an endless loop. Inspiration > Motivation > Action > Inspiration > Motivation > Action and so on which means that your actions lead to more inspiration and this starts of the loop. Now that we know this loop, we can utilise it in a way that is beneficial for us if we think about it in the way that Action > Inspiration > Motivation. Think about it. How many times have you thought to yourself “I’ll just put these clothes away” then all of a sudden you have tidied your whole room when you didn’t really have the intention to do that at all. EVERY Average Joe has had an exam to revise for or essay to write and sat there with no motivation putting it off. Well this book suggests by just starting it or saying “just do 5 minutes” starts of a chain reaction where you end up creating your own motivation and inevitably completing the task. Don’t get me wrong I know that this isn’t always going to be the case and I don’t think this book has magically found a way for me to become the most productive man on the planet but it is a principle I think is worth trying.
In this review I am trying not to mention too much of what is said by the author because I am sure I will only provide a butchered attempt at the point he was trying to make but, this book is full of interesting insights which make you question what you think and if things are really worth giving a fuck about. I recommend you read this book but, I won't give a fuck if you don’t.
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