The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

This chapter includes four subchapters: “The Misadventures of Disappointment Panda,” “Happiness Comes from Solving Problems,” “Emotions are Overrated,” and “Choose Your Struggle.” Manson begins with another anecdote. This one is a brief biographical sketch of the Buddha as a boy, when he was sheltered and protected from any form of human suffering. When the Buddha finally sees suffering, it transforms his worldview. Manson uses the story to set up the main point of this chapter, (and its title): that happiness is a problem. Manson questions the modern Western tendency to feel as though the pursuit of happiness should somehow be free of adversity and that it’s a final destination we arrive at. In Manson’s view, this misunderstanding of what happiness is, mainly that it can be arrived at free of harm or of sacrifice, leads to a slew of personal problems, including addictive behaviors. Manson instead posits that suffering is inevitable and that a form of liberation comes from accepting this fact.

Manson claims that happiness isn’t some cheap-and-easy end goal but that it comes from solving problems. The reward we get from overcoming challenges results in happiness. However, it’s short-lived because new problems always arise.