Book 81 - A Year of Magical Learning
- cmsears8384
- Jan 2, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 8, 2022
Reflection Title - With culture, either you choose it or it will choose you
Book - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
Book Description: 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. There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.
Reflection:
I have to give the author, Mark Manson, a ton of credit around the branding of his book and the messaging he is trying to deliver to his readers and the world. There is no better what to appeal to the masses than to talk like a real person by injecting some swear words and poop jokes to express how you feel. It is a brilliant method to get your ideas to be heard by the majority of the world.
The irony I found about this book is that Mark and I are 1,000% aligned on how we want to live our lives...we just say it differently. I use the boring words like core values, purpose, and mission that makes people roll their eyes and think I'm about to start talking about either God or Business. Mark, on the other hand, decided to call living his values "not giving a F*ck". That is way more fun, relatable, and inviting. It makes you immediately curious to learn more because it is so in your face.
The words on the cover alone scream read me if you want to be a rebel. All people secretly love to be a rebel...I know I do. They love to be able to express who they are at their core through their actions whether it is culturally accepted or not. However, you only rebel when you know that something deep down about the culture around you doesn't align to something at your core. Something is missing and we break away in search of a place to call home and be ourselves.
Culture is incredibly powerful. Culture is the reason humans have become the world's most most dominant animals. Culture allows us organize around ideas to achieve the unfathomable like go to the moon, cure cancer, build skyscrapers, live longer lives, create beautiful art, etc. For all the good that culture brings to this world, it can be a double edged saw if you aren't careful. Culture can make us feel an immense pressure to conform in order to be accepted if you don't know who you are and what you care about. Culture can make you feel alone, isolated, and lost when you don't understand why you are doing what you are doing.
To combat culture and harness its power, we need values to help us to understand ourselves, guide our path, and stop giving a f*ck about what other people want us to do. With culture, you choose it or it will choose you. You shouldn't have to ever be a rebel if you are doing it right. When you know who you are, you can seek out other culture's that align to your values, or you can create your own culture if you can't find one that aligns to your belief systems.
So as Mark would say, live your life and stop giving a f*ck about what anyone else thinks because they don't matter. No one knows the exact "right way" for you to live other than yourself. So take back ownership of your values. seek out the culture's that align with the life you want to live, and you will most likely find a path to a happier life.
Question: Do they cultures you belong to own you or do you own them?
Links:
What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction
YOML Podcast Discussion - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
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