Mark Manson's Blog, page 4

Are You Not Entertained?

This is a Mindf*ck Monthly newsletter from July 18, 2022. Every month, I send out big ideas I’ve been chewing on in the hopes that it makes you less of a shitty person.

Let’s dive right in.

In David Foster Wallace’s classic novel, Infinite Jest, there’s a movie that is so entertaining that anyone who views even a small portion of it will give up all desire to do anything else in life in order to keep watching. Throughout the book, characters who see it give up family, friends, careers, even eati...

3 Principles for a Better Life

This is a Mindf*ck Monthly newsletter from June 13, 2022. Every month, I send out big ideas I’ve been chewing on in the hopes that it makes you less of a shitty person.

Let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents3 Principles for a Better Life#1 You Are Perfect, But…#2 Most People Aren’t Evil#3 A Bit of Truth in Everything3 Principles for a Better Life

When I started this newsletter years ago, I started it with the pitch, “3 Ideas That Can Change Your Life.” For years, I sent out emails in ...

Everyone Is Mostly the Same… (And Why This Is Good News)

I started my first blog in 2007. By 2011, writing and publishing online was my full-time job. By 2013, that writing was being read by over a million people each month. And while the exact number has fluctuated over the years, that still remains true.

Early on in my career, as you would expect, I was grateful and amazed at the fact that so many people were reading my thoughts. How fucking cool was that?

But as the years went on, I started to realize what was actually special about my situation: t...

The Biggest Lesson I’ve Learned From You

This is a Mindf*ck Monthly newsletter from May 9, 2022. Every month, I send out big ideas I’ve been chewing on in the hopes that it makes you less of a shitty person.

Let’s dive right in.

Today marks the one hundredth edition of this newsletter. For ninety-nine newsletters, I’ve written with the intent to help and inform you. But for the one hundredth edition, I’d like instead to share what you’ve all taught me.

I started my first blog in 2007. By 2011, writing and publishing online was my full-...

My Response to Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock

Last weekend, Will Smith walked on stage at the Oscars and slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife. Since that moment, my phone and inbox have been inundated non-stop with people (friends, family, readers, journalists) wanting my “take” on the situation. After all, I just spent three years co-writing a book with Will about mastering one’s emotions. What the hell?

First, let’s begin with the obvious: What he did was unacceptable. What I write here is not meant to justify or excuse hi...

On Slaps and Celebrity

This is a Mindf*ck Monthly newsletter from April 1, 2022. Every month, I send out big ideas I’ve been chewing on in the hopes that it makes you less of a shitty person.

Let’s dive right in.

Table of ContentsThe SlapWill the BookCelebrity WorshipAnother OutrageThe Slap

Last weekend, Will Smith walked on stage at the Oscars and slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife. Since that moment, my phone and inbox have been inundated non-stop with people (friends, family, readers, jo...

The Outrage Cycle

The Outrage Begins

Moment Zero: A Significant Event occurs. Eye witnesses and primary sources break the news. Statements are made. Videos are posted. Tweets are tweeted.

First Hour: Journalists scramble to disseminate news of the Significant Event far and wide. Most of this happens on Twitter, but placeholder web pages are thrown together on various news sites and cable news channels interrupt the latest car chase to give you “breaking news” about the Significant Event, even though nobody has ...

The Life Cycle of Outrage

This is a Mindf*ck Monthly newsletter from March 7, 2022. Every month, I send out big ideas I’ve been chewing on in the hopes that it makes you less of a shitty person.

Let’s dive right in.

Table of ContentsThe Outrage BeginsThe ReactionThe Third WaveThe Outrage Begins

Moment Zero: A Significant Event occurs. Eye witnesses and primary sources break the news. Statements are made. Videos are posted. Tweets are tweeted.

First Hour: Journalists scramble to disseminate news of the Significa...

How Trust Runs the World

This is a Mindf*ck Monthly newsletter from February 8, 2022. Every month, I send out big ideas I’ve been chewing on in the hopes that it makes you less of a shitty person.

A quick note before we start: The first live webinar for The Subtle Art School will be Saturday, February 12th at 2:00 PM US eastern time. Current members can sign up here. Non-members can join here first.

Let’s dive right in.

Table of ContentsIt’s All About TrustEnter InstitutionsThe Inevitable Rise of CryptoThe Subtle ...

Why Skills Matter More Than Goals

Welcome to the first Monday of the new year. It’s 2022 and if you’re like me, it still feels like 2019 was last year. Talk about a mindfuck.

This is that time of year where most productive and growth-minded people sit down and focus on their goals, their identity, and who they want to be in the fucking world. Maybe you like to set some goals, create a list, check it twice… then, like most people, quit the gym membership in February and go back to exactly what you did the year before.

I’ve writt...