#markmanson

Mark Manson is an American self-help author and blogger. As of 2024, he has authored or co-authored four books, three of which, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck, Everything Is Fcked.

Bestselling Author: Mark Manson is the author of the bestselling book "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life," which was published in 2016. The book became an international sensation, topping bestseller lists and receiving widespread acclaim for its candid and no-nonsense approach to self-help.

Popular Blogger: Before writing books, Manson gained a significant following through his blog, where he shared articles on personal development, relationships, and life advice. His blog posts often challenge conventional wisdom and encourage readers to embrace discomfort and uncertainty as part of the human experience.

Philosophical Influences: Manson's writing is heavily influenced by existentialist philosophy, particularly the works of philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche and Albert Camus. He explores themes such as the search for meaning, the nature of suffering, and the importance of personal responsibility in his writings.

Emphasis on Authenticity: Manson advocates for authenticity and honesty in all aspects of life. He encourages people to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and their circumstances rather than seeking superficial happiness or validation.

“What can I do with my time that is important?”

In seeking meaning in life, I think this is a far better question to ask, instead of “what is my purpose” or even “what would give my life meaning”. 

You can likely create a list from that question of things that both consider your time, and what you feel is important, and start to narrow it down. It also easily allows for change, as your time changes, as well as your ideas of important. 

It’s flexible. 

This article goes through other questions you can ask yourself, to figure out what you can be doing, that would make life more meaningful to you. Oddly enough, the first question is basically “what flavor of suffering do you prefer?” -- an admittance that no matter what you pick, there’s going to be parts of it you don’t like. 

Volunteer work doesn’t pay. It may have long hours. It may have you dealing with lots of ungrateful people.

Running a non-profit is likely a financial headache, and fundraising is a problem. 

No matter what you want to do, you also have to consider the bad parts. 

It then goes on to ask you to reflect on what things about you haven’t changed since childhood, what activities will make you forget to eat because you’re so enwrapped with them, what embarrassments are you willing to endure (and why do you care about those things), how are you going to change the world, if you had to break your routine how would you do it, and what would you do if you were going to die in a year?

These are far different questions than most of us ask ourselves, and the author explains why these questions are important to ask in a clear way that makes sense. 

“Our values determine the nature of our problems, and the nature of our problems determine the quality of our lives.”⁠

- Mark Manson⁠

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