The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Mansonby Mark Manson
Shares rank 16 of 22 self-help books by recommenders
People recommend it for its core message, urging readers to look past the title and tone. Critics say the profanity distracts and the argument falls apart under scrutiny.
People recommend it for its core message, urging readers to look past the title and tone. Critics say the profanity distracts and the argument falls apart under scrutiny.
5 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 60%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 1.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Core message over title and tone
“don't think too much about the title and the tone, concentrate on the topic”
Comment from 27 Jan 2026 in “The Adolescence of Technology”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Profanity distracts from the message
“the profanity still distracts from the message”
Comment from 28 Sep 2026 in “Intellectuals Are Fucking Idiots” “the profanity-laden slop that is works penned by Mark Manson”
Comment from 1 Nov 2025 in “Self-help gets philosophical” Argument falls apart under scrutiny
“His own book falls apart if you think too much.”
Comment from 28 Sep 2026 in “Intellectuals Are Fucking Idiots”
Other self-help books people recommend
The four most recommended other self-help books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How to Win Friends and Influence Peopleby Dale Carnegie | 67 | 25 | 73% | 11 | — | Approved |
| Atomic Habitsby James Clear | 20 | 2 | 91% | 11 | — | Approved |
| The Easy Way to Stop Smokingby Allen Carr | 9 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Feeling Goodby David D. Burns | 8 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
| The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckby Mark MansonThis page | 3 | 2 | 60% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
All 5 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“His own book falls apart if you think too much.”
“the profanity still distracts from the message”
“don't think too much about the title and the tone, concentrate on the topic”
“"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck"”
“the profanity-laden slop that is works penned by Mark Manson”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.