Mark Manson is the author of
THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F...K' 2016, Harper Collins)
HELLO, Mark
I enjoyed your THE SUBTLE ART..
First of all, I am much enamoured of the writings of Ernest Becker whose
THE BIRTH AND DEATH OF MEANING I read nearly 5 decades ago.
I quoted from his THE DENIAL OF DEATH in my Zen/happiness book, 2017-
Google Lim Meng Sing.
My thinking drew much parallel to yours in some ways-
please excuse me—I know you like truth and honesty-
this had been before I read your book.
60% of such thinking evolved from my thinking and experiences,
and 40% from my reading.
I have been very active in Linkedin and Hello Poetry where I posted
ideas such as (not exact words):
1. Why would you need to remind yourself of ‘positive thinking’
unless you were dissatisfied with yourself?
2. PT is a malaise and scourge
3. Praise would destroy me
4. Delete my name from your ‘Honours List'
5. I was the last to arrive but I learnt more along the way than those arrived sooner
6. Trust is necessary, but trusting absolutely would ruin you.
7. They understood the world, but never understood their own selves
8. Happiness can’t be chased after—it will arrive when you are ready.
9. There’s neither freedom nor happiness if fear is not overcome.
10. Who said the other person was happier than you?
11. The greatest wisdom is the acceptance of death and suffering (this theme appears in my
book yet unpublished—couldn’t find a publisher as at now)
titled REFLECTIONS IN TURBULENT TIMES:
A HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVE
12. Don’t expect people to be always consistent.
Most people would let you down—rely on yourself
13. My failures I embrace , I’m silent on my successes, if any
14. Life is less the problem, it’s people , the more
15. Be prepared to be spurned, maligned or mocked-
this will strengthen you and your character
16. Death is mocked by your acceptance or indifference
17. Know and accept life’s downside—more bright will be your life
18. Give me patience , not wisdom
19. I’m a fool but a happy one
20. Because I ain’t special nor exceptional, I court no enemy nor critic
(Sorry, I shouldn’t go on).
I think you had read Zen, Buddhism, Stoicism but am not sure whether Taoism and/or Confucianism.
You are bound to be a cynic——just an observation.
I am a humanist, very much so. If you do meet or know me,
you’d discover I’m a humanist and humourist (life is too short to be taken seriously-Oscar Wilde was right).
I ain’t a philosopher or intellectual but only a life-observer.
The Wheeler Centre in Melb holds an annual writers’ conference and both local foreign writers are invited. Alan de Botton and Norman Doidge spoke here before.
We’d love to have you in Melb and in other Aussie states.
I wish your further success in your future works
Humbly but honestly yours
Meng Lim