Real-life examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary

Let’s start with real people, not theory. When people search for examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck summary, what they really want is, *“How does this actually look in my life?”

So imagine a few different lives.

There’s Maya, a 32-year-old project manager who used to answer emails at 11:47 p.m. because she was terrified of being seen as “uncommitted.” One Sunday, after a full-blown anxiety spiral, she reads a short example of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck summary online. The line that hits her: *“You only have so many fcks to give. Choose them wisely.”* Monday morning, she quietly turns off work notifications after 6 p.m. No announcement. No dramatic quitting. Just one boundary.

Her boss notices her productivity actually improves. Her friends notice she stops bailing on dinner plans. That tiny shift is one of the best examples of the book’s message in action: stop giving f*cks to the wrong things, so you can give more to what matters.

Then there’s Eric, who spends way too much time comparing his body to fitness influencers on Instagram. He reads another one of those examples of examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary posts and realizes he’s been giving his energy to an imaginary audience. He unfollows a bunch of accounts, keeps just a couple that actually teach him something, and starts walking 30 minutes a day instead of obsessing over six-pack abs. Less shame, more movement.

These are the kinds of real examples we’ll unpack below.

Key idea in plain language: you have limited f*cks to give

Mark Manson’s core point is simple: your time, energy, and attention are limited. Treat them like a budget. You can’t spend them on everything.

Modern life, especially in 2024–2025, is basically a machine designed to make you care about everything, all the time: breaking news, TikTok trends, office Slack drama, group chat politics, and whether your kitchen is “aesthetic” enough for social media. The book’s philosophy is an antidote to that.

When people look for examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary, they’re usually trying to understand these ideas:

• You don’t need to be positive about everything.
• Pain, struggle, and failure are normal.
• You are always choosing what to value.
• Not all problems deserve your attention.

Instead of listing them like a textbook, let’s walk through how they show up in real life.

Work and career: examples include saying “no” without burning your life down

If you want real examples of this mindset, the workplace is fertile ground.

Take Jasmine, a mid-level marketing lead who used to say yes to every project. Extra deck by Friday? Sure. Weekend event? Of course. Late-night Zoom with another time zone? Why not.

Then burnout hit. According to the American Psychological Association, burnout and chronic stress have stayed high since the pandemic, with many workers reporting emotional exhaustion and cynicism about their jobs (APA, 2023). Jasmine recognized herself in that description.

After reading a few examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary, she experiments with a new rule: she only says yes to tasks that clearly support her main priorities for the quarter. Everything else gets a polite, “I’m at capacity this week—can we revisit next month or find someone else who’s a better fit?”

What she stops giving a f*ck about:

• Being the “hero” who rescues every project.
• Impressing people who barely remember her name.

What she decides to care more about:

• Doing a smaller number of projects extremely well.
• Protecting her health and sleep.

That shift is an example of choosing better values, which is one of the book’s biggest themes. It’s not apathy; it’s selective caring.

Relationships: the best examples are often uncomfortable

Another one of the best examples of this philosophy in action is how you handle relationships.

Consider Alex (no relation to me), who stays in a situationship for two years because, “What if I never find anyone better?” They constantly overthink every text, every delay in response, every social media like. Their entire emotional life is calibrated around someone who won’t commit.

After reading an example of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary focused on boundaries, Alex does something radical: they decide that self-respect matters more than being liked. They tell the other person, “I’m looking for something committed. If you’re not, that’s okay, but I’m going to step back.”

They walk away. They cry. They doubt themselves. But over the next few months, they start channeling that emotional energy into friendships, hobbies, and therapy.

Again, this is not “not caring.” It’s caring differently. It’s one of the clearest examples of examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary you’ll see in real life: stop chasing validation, start choosing values that are in your control.

If you want research to back this up, the National Institutes of Health has long highlighted how chronic relationship stress can impact both mental and physical health (NIH). Letting go of the wrong relationships isn’t cold; it’s protective.

Social media and comparison: real examples from 2024–2025

Now let’s talk about the digital elephant in the room. In 2024–2025, social media is one of the biggest places we waste our limited f*cks.

Here’s a modern example of the book’s ideas: you’re scrolling TikTok and see:

• A 21-year-old with a “dream” remote job.
• A couple traveling full-time.
• A productivity guru who wakes up at 4:30 a.m., runs 10 miles, and writes a novel before breakfast.

You close the app feeling like a failure. Sound familiar?

One of the most practical examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary for 2025 is this: you unfollow accounts that exist mainly to trigger envy and self-hate. You replace them with:

• Accounts that teach you real skills.
• People at similar life stages.
• Creators who show messy, honest realities.

You also set a 30–60 minute daily app limit. You’re not “above” social media; you’re just not feeding it your entire nervous system anymore.

This lines up with what mental health experts have been warning about: high social media use is linked with anxiety and depression, especially in younger users (Mayo Clinic). One of the best examples of using Manson’s philosophy today is to care less about strangers’ curated lives and more about your own daily actions.

Failure, discomfort, and the “shitty first draft” of everything

Another one of the strongest examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary is how it reframes failure.

Think of someone starting a side business in 2025. They launch an Etsy shop, or a Substack, or a small consulting service. The first month, they make $23.17. The old mindset says: “I suck. This is embarrassing. I should quit before people notice.”

The Manson-style mindset says: “Of course I’m bad at this. I just started. My job is to get less bad.”

Real example: Sam, a software engineer, starts posting short coding tutorials online. For the first three months, almost nobody watches. Instead of spiraling, Sam decides to treat each video as practice, not proof of worth. One year later, they have a small but loyal audience and a few paid clients.

What changed? Sam stopped giving a fck about immediate approval and started giving a fck about long-term skill-building. That is one of the clearest examples of the book’s core idea: choose values rooted in process, not popularity.

Psychology research backs this up: a growth mindset—focusing on learning rather than perfection—is consistently linked to better outcomes in school, work, and personal goals (Harvard Graduate School of Education).

Health and burnout: where not giving a f*ck can literally save you

Let’s get more serious for a moment. Chronic stress is not just an inconvenience; it’s a health risk. The CDC notes that long-term stress can contribute to problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, and mental health disorders (CDC).

One of the most important real examples of this philosophy is choosing to care less about appearances and more about your actual well-being.

Picture Jordan, who prides themself on being “the reliable one.” They never miss a deadline, never say no to a favor, never admit they’re overwhelmed. Then they start having panic attacks on Sunday nights.

After reading a few examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary, Jordan makes a decision that feels almost illegal: they start telling people, “I can’t take that on right now.” They schedule a therapy appointment. They block off one evening a week as non-negotiable rest—no chores, no social obligations, just recovery.

They stop giving a f*ck about:

• Looking like they have it all together.
• Being the person everyone leans on.

They start giving a f*ck about:

• Sleep.
• Mental health.
• Long-term sustainability.

This is a subtle but powerful example of the book’s message: you can’t care about everything and stay healthy.

Money, status, and the quiet power of “good enough”

In 2024–2025, we’re bombarded with content telling us to optimize every part of life: your income, your side hustle, your investments, your wardrobe, your home decor. If you’re not maximizing, you’re “wasting your potential.”

But one of the most refreshing examples of examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary is this: it’s okay to choose “good enough” on purpose.

Real-world scenario: Priya is a teacher. She loves her job. She will never be rich doing it. Her peers from college are in tech, finance, and law, posting about bonuses and luxury vacations.

Old mindset: constant low-grade shame about not being “more successful.”

New mindset, inspired by the book: she decides her values are impact, community, and time for her own life. She still budgets, still saves, still plans for retirement—but she stops comparing her income to people in totally different careers.

She chooses to not give a f*ck about:

• Impressing people at reunions.
• Matching other people’s lifestyles.

Instead, she cares about:

• Showing up fully for her students.
• Having energy left for her partner, friends, and hobbies.

This is one of the best examples of how Manson’s philosophy can be both radical and quiet. It doesn’t always look like quitting your job and moving to Bali. Sometimes it’s just deciding, “My life is allowed to look different.”

Putting it together: a living, breathing summary through examples

If you stitched all these stories together, you’d get a very human, very practical version of the book’s ideas. That’s what people are really asking for when they search for examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary—not just chapter breakdowns, but lived experiences.

Across these real examples, a pattern emerges:

• You stop caring about being liked by everyone.
• You stop chasing constant comfort and start accepting discomfort as part of growth.
• You stop measuring your life with other people’s rulers.
• You start choosing values that are under your control: effort, honesty, boundaries, learning.

So when you look for examples of examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary, look for stories like Maya’s, Eric’s, Jasmine’s, Alex’s, Sam’s, Jordan’s, and Priya’s. That’s where the philosophy stops being a catchy title and starts becoming a way of moving through the world.

FAQ: examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck in real life

Q: Can you give a short example of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary in one sentence?
A: You have limited time and energy, so stop wasting them on approval, status, and minor inconveniences, and instead focus on a few meaningful problems you’re willing to struggle for.

Q: What are some quick everyday examples of using this mindset?
A: Ignoring a rude comment online instead of arguing all night; leaving a group chat that stresses you out; turning down an unpaid “opportunity” that eats your weekends; wearing what’s comfortable instead of what’s trendy; or admitting, “I don’t know,” instead of pretending to be an expert.

Q: Is this just an excuse to be lazy or selfish?
A: No. The best examples from the book’s philosophy actually involve taking more responsibility, not less—owning your choices, facing your problems, and accepting that growth requires discomfort. It’s about dropping fake problems so you can face the real ones.

Q: How is this different from just “not caring about anything”?
A: Total apathy is numbness. The book argues for the opposite: caring deeply about a few things that matter and letting the rest go. The real power is in choosing your values instead of letting algorithms, advertising, or social pressure choose them for you.

Q: What’s a good first step if I want to apply these ideas today?
A: Pick one area—work, relationships, social media, or health—and write down what you’re currently giving way too many f*cks about. Then choose one small, specific behavior you’ll change this week: a boundary you’ll set, an app you’ll limit, a conversation you’ll have, or an obligation you’ll drop.

If you remember nothing else from all these examples of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary, remember this: your attention is a finite resource. Treat it like something worth protecting.