Mark Manson, the author who describes himself as the "anti-self-help guy", has admitted that he "struggled" after the success of his 2016 book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F—k.
The book, which has sold nine million copies and been translated into 50 languages, offers a counterpoint to the banal positivity – “always follow your dreams” – peddled in many self-help books and instead encourages the reader to embrace life’s struggles. Chapter titles include “You are Not Special” and “Failure is a Way Forward”.
Manson discovered how prescient his own words were when success threatened to block his "way forward", stifling his creativity. "I really struggled with [that] after [the publication of] The Subtle Art because the easiest thing I could have done is basically re-write that book all over again," he said at the Sharjah International Book Fair. "It would have taken a couple of months, I would have made a bunch of money and it would have been the safe option.
“But it’s a bit of a trap, once you let yourself get comfortable saying the same thing over and over again. You start to get entitled; ‘Alright, this is how much money I should be making.’ So with my second book, I consciously challenged myself to not repeat myself, to really push into topics and ideas that were new and uncomfortable, that I wasn’t really sure about.
“I understood that a lot of people who loved the first book wouldn’t love the second book. Speaking of worthy struggles and challenges, I decided that this was worth it.”
Manson's second book, Everything is F—ked: A Book About Hope, which argues that technology and the ease of modern life has made humans less happy, has so far sold about 500,000 copies.
Manson, who started writing a blog after quitting a job in banking, was speaking to students at the Sharjah International Book Fair. The 35-year-old called on them to “pick good challenges”, in order to be fulfilled. “Pick challenges that feel important or worthwhile to you,” he said. “That can be in school, doing a hobby, with your relationships, with your family, any number of things. Find something in your life that’s challenging, that causes you to struggle or make sacrifices but [that] feels worth the struggle and sacrifice. And ultimately learn how to make that decision for yourself.”
He added: “If you have a poor definition of success, it doesn’t matter how good your habits are, how early you wake up in the morning, how hard you work every day. If your definition [of success] is poor, then you’re going to end up in a bad place.
“Until you get a good definition of what success is, what happiness is, what the good life is, all the other stuff is irrelevant or even counterproductive.”
The Sharjah International Book Fair runs until Saturday, November 9. More information is available at sibf.com
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
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Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
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Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
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The Energy Research Centre
Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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The specs: 2018 Kia Picanto
Price: From Dh39,500
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Power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm
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Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
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