The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

What Hacker News says

1. zelon88Apr 2025
   The irony of this statement is; most of the people who have adopted the views you're criticizing used to believe what you believe. I am one of those individuals.

   I used to think that my worth could be measured by the amount of work that I produced. That there was some big tally board and everytime I did something valuable I would get a "tick" and that the "ticks" would eventually be tallied up and there would be some reward. Some relief. Something.

   Only after having been literally told "This is my company, my revenue, my profit, and there's no relief coming for you no matter how hard you try" by not one, but TWO different employers did I finally start to adopt the thinking of prioritizing my own well being.

   And only after prioritizing my own well being did I develop this sense of value in things I enjoy. Armed with the knowledge about the value of myself I was able to finally prioritize between work and home.

   I highly recommend the book "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson. It is really good at demonstrating how "if everything is sacred, then nothing is sacred."

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2. eamagFeb 2025
   - Three Comrades by Erich Maria Remarque

   - Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky

   - and also somehow The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

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3. xucianMay 2024
   Zero to one

   The lean startup

   The 4-hour workweek

   The subtle art of not giving a f*ck

   --

   What I've found out, biographies are the best thing for me because I always want to know what happens next, but I also learn invaluable lessons from the biographee (just googled this term now and it exists!), so it's a nice mix of story and self-help

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4. animeshz916May 2024
   1. The Wellness Sense - Om Swami

   2. The subtle art of not giving a f*ck - Mark Manson

   There are a few more but these are the actual killers.

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5. zelon88Jan 2024
   I liked this post, although I didn't quite agree with all of it. I find that the explore/exploit model is a variation of what I tend to do automatically. I've discovered that I live in phases. I will go 6 months of playing a game in my spare time, then seem to lose interest (organically) and take interest in one of my other hobbies. Motorcycles, robotics, programming. Maybe I'll get bored and reinstall everything in my home lab. Maybe I'll get bored and check the valves on my motorcycle. And during those adventures I'll usually learn something new, or hone some existing skills. For me this is organic. I'm aware of it, I've studied it to understand it, and now I just let it guide me. I've found that letting go of the anxiety of missed opportunity is much more valuable to me than trying to prioritize everything in my life. You cannot be the actor, the producer, and the director of your own play, else the play will undoubtedly be terrible.

   I recommend reading "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson. It explores the concepts of this blog post thoroughly and gives a great perspective. One of the biggest takeaways, for me, was "if everything is sacred, then nothing can be sacred."

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6. nicbouDec 2023
   Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck is a great writer, and he did a great job of illustrating the effects of poverty and how it controls people's actions. I often think about the camp that gives them a roof and restores their dignity. I want to create this sort of good in the world.

   No more Mr Nice Guy - "Nice guys" do things to guilt people into reciprocating. When it doesn't happen in the way they expect (e.g. love), they get bitter. If you want something, say it. If you expect a specific kind of reciprocation, make it explicit.

   How to win friends and influence people - I remember it as: if you want people to help you, be considerate of their needs and feelings. Seek mutually beneficial agreements. This is so unlike the way conflict resolution is portrayed in movies. It was an important lesson for teenage me.

   The Secret Life of Trees - Trees are really cool! You should read The Overstory instead though, because it's a really good (fiction) book that touches on the same topics.

   Salt, fat, acid, heat - The lesson is the title. Balance these 4 things, taste often. My cooking improved drastically after reading this book. It's recommended all the time for a reason.

   The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck - Konmari for social obligations. If it's not useful and doesn't bring joy, don't do it. Not worth reading past the first chapter, but still a great concept.

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