This is a
chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to
Living a Good Life (2016) series. One chapter, one article. Read this
summary, buy the book. Enjoy!
“Being wrong opens us up to the possibility
of change.
Being wrong brings the opportunity for growth”
Being wrong brings the opportunity for growth”
(Mark Manson)
Learning is not the process of going from wrong to
right: it is the process of evolving from very wrong to less wrong. This is because learning is an endless process. Rather
than obsessing over finding the one right answer, Manson recommends that we
visualize ourselves chipping away at the ways that we are wrong so that with
each passing day, we are less wrong.
Certainty is
a fallacy that prevents us from seeking new way to grow. If we are certain that
no one will ever find us attractive, we prevent ourselves from seeking a
romantic partner who accepts us as we are. If we are certain that a new
experience will be painful, we miss out on the chance to see if it could
actually become a positive, learning experience. Our minds and emotions are
often faulty. Our brains and memories are imperfect and subject to a thousand
forms of self-sabotage. Without constantly questioning ourselves and our
beliefs, we risk becoming destructive in our zeal to prove ourselves right. Uncertainty prompts us to explore and
progress towards being less wrong.
Manson’s advice is harsh: We have to kill ourselves. Not physically,
but psychologically. Who we are changes every day as we process new data
from our experiences. If a person is afraid to let go of their old self, they
never develop a new, better self. In every situation, we must ask ourselves if
we might be wrong, what it would mean if we were wrong, and what kind of
problems – good or bad – might result from our wrongness.
F*ck! Acknowledge
that you are often wrong,
And that
learning is just the process of becoming “less
wrong.”
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