7 Truths I Learned from “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” That Actually Helped Me Worry Less

" I used to think self-help was mostly BS.

Most of the books I picked up told me to "stay positive," "think big," or "manifest my dreams."

Meanwhile, I was tired, anxious, constantly comparing myself to others — and pretending everything was okay.

That’s when I found The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson.

It didn’t tell me to smile more.

It told me to stop wasting my energy on things that don’t matter.

It didn’t try to make me feel “special.” It reminded me I’m not.

And that was surprisingly comforting.

This book challenged everything I believed about emotional health, productivity, and caring too much.

These 7 truths didn’t just change how I think — they actually helped me let go of stress and feel better.

If you’re tired of feeling like you need to care about everything, or exhausted from being “perfect” all the time, this just might help."

🔥 1. You have a limited number of f*cks to give

You can’t care about everyone and everything.

Mark calls our time and energy “limited currency.” You spend it just like money. When you waste it on people who don’t matter or things you can’t control, you have nothing left for what actually matters.

Learn to be selective. Your peace depends on it.

💭 2. Trying to always be happy is a trap

We’re not meant to feel good 24/7 — that’s not how life works.

Chasing constant happiness actually increases anxiety. When you're sad, or tired, or unmotivated... you think something’s wrong with you. But there isn’t.

Happiness isn’t a permanent state.

Let yourself feel the whole range.

💡 3. You are responsible for how you respond

Maybe your partner cheated. Maybe the world isn’t fair. Maybe your parents failed you.

Still — you’re responsible for what happens next.

It’s not about blame. It’s about ownership.

That’s how you get your power back.

🧱 4. Pain is part of the deal

No one escapes a painful life… not even the happy people.

But pain is useful — it teaches, redirects, and builds perspective.

So ask yourself:

What kind of pain am I willing to go through?

That’s where your real priorities live.

⚖️ 5. The wrong values will ruin your mental health

A lot of our anxiety comes from chasing values that don’t serve us:

Trying to look good all the time

Wanting to always be liked

Avoiding discomfort or conflict

These seem helpful, but they're fear-based.

Better values: honesty, growth, and courage — even when they hurt in the short term.

🧍 6. You’re not special — and that’s liberating

Sounds rude, right? But hear me out.

Believing you’re uniquely broken or cursed creates pressure and isolation.

Realizing you’re just human — like everyone else — is freeing.

It removes ego.

And with that, shame starts to fade.

📉 7. Failure is not death — it's data

We avoid trying because we’re scared to fail. But failure isn’t a dead-end.

It’s a teacher. It’s feedback. It’s course correction.

The faster you fail, the faster you learn.

The faster you learn, the faster you grow.

🧘‍♂️ Final Thoughts

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck doesn’t tell you to stop caring — it tells you to care more intentionally.

Not about everything.

Not to please everyone.

Just the things that truly matter to you.

And sometimes, that’s all we need to start feeling free.

You’re going to suffer either way.

Make sure it’s for something worth suffering for.