Mark Manson

Author

1984-03-09

Quotes by Mark Manson

• No truly happy person feels the need to stand in front of a mirror and recite that she's happy. She just is.

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• This entitlement plays out in one of two ways:1.   I'm awesome and the rest of you all suck, so I deserve special treatment.2.   I suck and the rest of you are all awesome, so I deserve special treatment.Opposite mindset on the outside, but the same selfish creamy core in the middle.

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• In my life, I have given a fuck about many people and many things. I have also not given a fuck about many people and many things. And like the road not taken, it was the fucks not given that made all the difference.

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• And while there's nothing wrong with good business, the problem is that giving too many fucks is bad for your mental health. It causes you to become overly attached to the superficial and fake, to dedicate your life to chasing a mirage of happiness and satisfaction. The key to a good life is not giving a fuck about more; it's giving a fuck about less, giving a fuck about only what is true and immediate and important.

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• Much of the self-help world is predicated on peddling highs to people rather than solving legitimate problems. Many self-help gurus teach you new forms of denial and pump you up with exercises that feel good in the short term, while ignoring the underlying issue. Remember, nobody who is actually happy has to stand in front of a mirror and tell himself that he's happy.

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• The person you marry is the person you fight with. The house you buy is the house you repair. The dream job you take is the job you stress over. Everything comes with an inherent sacrifice— whatever makes us feel good will also inevitably make us feel bad. What we gain is also what we lose. What creates our positive experiences will define our negative experiences.

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• Despite dreaming about making a living through his art, the real potential of becoming An Artist Nobody Likes was far, far scarier than remaining An Artist Nobody's Heard Of. At least he was comfortable with and used to being An Artist Nobody's Heard Of.

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• Being wrong opens us up to the possibility of change. Being wrong brings the opportunity for growth.

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• We don't actually know what a positive or negative experience is. Some of the most difficult and stressful moments of our lives also end up being the most formative and motivating. Some of the best and most gratifying experiences of our lives are also the most distracting and demotivating. Don't trust your conception of positive/negative experiences. All that we know for certain is what hurts in the moment and what doesn't. And that's not worth much.

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• When the standard of success becomes merely acting— when any result is regarded as progress and important, when inspiration is seen as a reward rather than a prerequisite— we propel ourselves ahead. We feel free to fail, and that failure moves us forward.

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• In my life, I have given a fuck about many people and many things. I have also not given a fuck about many people and many things. And like the road not taken, it was the fucks not given that made all the difference.

  Read quote

• This entitlement plays out in one of two ways:1.   I'm awesome and the rest of you all suck, so I deserve special treatment.2.   I suck and the rest of you are all awesome, so I deserve special treatment.Opposite mindset on the outside, but the same selfish creamy core in the middle.

  Read quote

• The person you marry is the person you fight with. The house you buy is the house you repair. The dream job you take is the job you stress over. Everything comes with an inherent sacrifice— whatever makes us feel good will also inevitably make us feel bad. What we gain is also what we lose. What creates our positive experiences will define our negative experiences.

  Read quote

• Being wrong opens us up to the possibility of change. Being wrong brings the opportunity for growth.

  Read quote

• No truly happy person feels the need to stand in front of a mirror and recite that she's happy. She just is.

  Read quote

• Despite dreaming about making a living through his art, the real potential of becoming An Artist Nobody Likes was far, far scarier than remaining An Artist Nobody's Heard Of. At least he was comfortable with and used to being An Artist Nobody's Heard Of.

  Read quote

• And while there's nothing wrong with good business, the problem is that giving too many fucks is bad for your mental health. It causes you to become overly attached to the superficial and fake, to dedicate your life to chasing a mirage of happiness and satisfaction. The key to a good life is not giving a fuck about more; it's giving a fuck about less, giving a fuck about only what is true and immediate and important.

  Read quote

• When the standard of success becomes merely acting— when any result is regarded as progress and important, when inspiration is seen as a reward rather than a prerequisite— we propel ourselves ahead. We feel free to fail, and that failure moves us forward.

  Read quote

• Much of the self-help world is predicated on peddling highs to people rather than solving legitimate problems. Many self-help gurus teach you new forms of denial and pump you up with exercises that feel good in the short term, while ignoring the underlying issue. Remember, nobody who is actually happy has to stand in front of a mirror and tell himself that he's happy.

  Read quote

• We don't actually know what a positive or negative experience is. Some of the most difficult and stressful moments of our lives also end up being the most formative and motivating. Some of the best and most gratifying experiences of our lives are also the most distracting and demotivating. Don't trust your conception of positive/negative experiences. All that we know for certain is what hurts in the moment and what doesn't. And that's not worth much.

  Read quote