Posted on 17th Apr, 2017 in Books
Self-help books are the worst. Seriously. With our generation, it started with Rich Dad, Poor Dad, then it cascaded to The Secret, next thing you know you're drinking nasty-ass kombuchas and claiming you know how to detox your kidneys with brainpower alone.
We need some sanity. Naturally, things move in ebbs and flows. The Subtle Art is to The Secret as Tucker Max was an answer to American Pie. It is plainly reactionary. And that, my friends, is why it's intriguing...
Author Mark Manson takes us on a trip immediately. He pulls no punches. With a Bourdanian attitude and an indifference to the nonsensical, Manson drops nuggets like this on us:
But then there are those people who overidentify with their emotions. Everything is justified for no other reason than they felt it. ... (truncated) ... Decision-making based on emotional intuition, without the aid of reason to keep in line, pretty much always sucks. You know who bases their entire life on their emotions? Three-year old kids. And dogs. You know what else three-year olds and dogs do? Shit on the carpet.'
It's these plainfaced, bold statements of harsh reality that made me appreciate The Subtle Art so much. Do not misconstrue or misinterpret the title meaning, however; Manson doesn't literally mean 'don't give a crap about anything.' He uses the length of the book to explain that he means: only give a crap about what's worth giving a crap about. Which raises the next question, I know: What do I give a crap about?
Manson iterates over that using personal anecdotes that often lean towards sheer silliness, yet he'll bring you back to Earth with the written equivalent of two swift bitch-slaps to the face. Manson covers things like the anxiety spiral of death, where you start to get anxious about the fact you are so anxious. And other intricacies, like recognizing when others are giving too many f*cks, and how to handle them. And then, every now and then, the anecdotal paragraphs break for brief soliloquies in personal pain:
We’re all flawed creatures. And that’s OK. ... I’m OK.
But do not mislead yourselves, even Manson admits it multiple times: you don't find sheer happiness in pages of books or self-help articles. You may find tools, but the secret to happiness lies within you, and out there.
PS: Here's a 360 view of Lost Lake of Shirey Way in the Hartman Flats of Cedar Falls last weekend on Easter. What a gorgeous day.
Discussion
No comments yet.