The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%!

The popular self-help book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%! has been turned into a documentary of sorts that sees its author, Mark Manson, narrate episodes from his life as he shares his views on the importance of shedding unnecessary worries so as to fully seize the day.

The film, directed by Nathan Price, consists of an interview-style monologue by Manson, coupled with re-enacted footage of the most salient anecdotes from his life. From the time he got in serious trouble at school, to breakups, failures and coming to terms with his problematic behaviours, the author self-analyses as he goes through the episodes that had the greatest emotional impact on him.

The documentary is essentially an extended informal chat based on personal experience, with a couple of other stories thrown in, such as the tale of a Japanese WWII soldier whose life path was determined by a belief he hung on to for too long, or that of a famed musician who could not enjoy his success because he always held it in comparison to someone else’s. There are also generic clips connected to the themes and concepts he discusses, such as candids of members of the public throwing tantrums.

Although most of what Manson says is valid and sound advice, it is devoid of a formal psychological basis, nor does it present a well-built philosophical discourse. It’s merely an average guy sharing his (far from groundbreaking) opinions about life. It doesn’t hurt to be reminded that death awaits us all and that disappointments are an intrinsic part of living, but either the message or the delivery need to be far more original in order to give meaning to this project.

Manson’s best-selling book owes its success to a brutally honest, down-to-earth tone and, to a large extent, to its catchy title. The honesty, however, as reiterated in the film, seems to boil down to repeated reminders of mortality and Manson’s belief in humanity’s mass mediocrity. In short, it is certainly not inspiring or motivating in the typical sense, but is rather just friendly advice to start living boldly, told in as casual a tone as can be.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%! began as a blog, and it shows. In the book and documentary alike, Manson retains the colloquial tone and lack of real depth which perfectly suited the original platform, but appear threadbare and unsatisfying when amplified. Perhaps this film can be a useful starting point for those who have never dabbled into philosophy, psychology or the myriad self-help material out there. Everyone else will likely draw more satisfaction from meatier content.

Mersa Auda

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%! is released digitally on demand on 9^th January 2023.

Watch the trailer for The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%! here: