Excerpts

Both The Haves & Have-Nots Suffer

Who you are is defined 
by what you’re willing 
to struggle for.  

– Mark Manson

One of the realizations [of the Buddha] was this: that life itself is a form of suffering [as it includes ageing, sickness, death, and all kinds of mental suffering in between]. The rich suffer because of their riches [due to desire to safeguard and increase them]. The poor suffer because of their poverty [due to not getting that needed]. People without a family suffer because they have no family [for support]. People with a family suffer because of their family [to support]. 

People who pursue worldly pleasures suffer because of their worldly pleasures [when they are not attained, or overly indulged in]. People who abstain from worldly pleasures suffer because of their abstention [when they are tempted and not strong enough to resist]. This isn’t to say that all suffering is equal. Some suffering is certainly more painful than other suffering. But we must suffer nonetheless… [T]his would be his first… tenet: that pain and loss are inevitable… 

There is a premise that underlies a lot of our assumptions and beliefs. The premise is that happiness is algorithmic, that it can be worked for and earned and achieved as if it were getting accepted to law school or building a really complicated Lego set. If I achieve X, then I can be happy. If I look like Y, then I can be happy. If I can be with a person like Z, then I can be happy. This premise, though, is the problem… Dissatisfaction and unease are inherent parts of human nature and, as we’ll see, necessary components to creating consistent happiness. 

The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck:
A Counterintuitive Approach To Living A Good Life
Mark Manson  

Please Be Mindful Of Your Speech, Namo Amituofo!

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