Mark Manson Quotes Page 2

“Pain is the currency of our values. Without the pain of loss (or potential loss), it becomes impossible to determine the value of anything at all.”

“People are always mistaking what feels good for what is good.”

“Science is arguably the most effective religion because it is the first religion that is able to evolve and improve upon itself.”

“The better things get, the more we perceive threats where there are none, and the more upset we become. And it is at the heart of the paradox of progress.”

“The only thing that can ever truly destroy a dream is to have it come true.”

“The only true form of freedom, the only ethical form of freedom, is through self-limitation. It is not the privilege of choosing everything you want in your life, but rather, choosing what you will give up in your life.”

“The problem isn’t that we don’t know how not to get punched in the face. The problem is that, at some point, likely a long time ago, we got punched in face, and instead of punching back, we decided we deserved it.”

“The pursuit of happiness is a toxic value that has long defined our culture. Living well does not mean avoiding suffering; it means suffering for the right reasons.”

“The wealthier and safer the place you live, the more likely you are to commit suicide.”

“The world doesn’t run on information. People don’t make decisions based on truth or facts. They don’t spend their money based on data. They don’t connect with each other because of some higher philosophical truth. The world runs on feelings.”

“This is where conspiracy theories come in handy. It’s not just that vaccines cause autism; it’s that the medical and pharmaceutical industries are getting rich by destroying everyone’s families. It’s not just that pro-choicers have a different view on the biological status of a fetus; it’s that they’re soldiers sent by Satan to destroy good Christian families. It’s not just that climate change is a hoax; it’s that it’s a hoax created by the Chinese government to slow the U.S. economy and take over the world.”

“Ultimately, the most meaningful freedom in your life comes from your commitments, the things in life for which you have chosen to sacrifice.”

“Ultimately, we are moved to action only by emotion. That's because action is emotion.”

“What if you didn’t have to prove anything to the people in your life for them to like you?”

“When we deny ourselves the ability to feel pain for a purpose, we deny ourselves the ability to feel any purpose in our life at all.”

“You must love someone without expecting anything in return; otherwise it’s not truly love. You must respect someone without expecting anything in return; otherwise you don’t truly respect him. You must speak honestly without expecting a pat on the back or a high-five or a gold star next to your name; otherwise you aren’t truly being honest.”

“Keep your 'self' out of your decisions, because most likely, it’s not about 'you'. Simply ask yourself, 'Is this a good thing to do?' Yes? Then go do it.”

“We can be truly successful only at things we are willing to fail at.”

“A man with an attractive and interesting lifestyle, a man with high standards for himself and the relationships in his life, will take the time to get to know an attractive woman before soliciting her with gifts. He will wait until he feels strongly enough to genuinely give her a compliment. And if he talks to her and discovers that there is little that is interesting about her beyond her looks, then he will lose interest.”

“A needy man’s actions and words will therefore be primarily motivated by impressing and winning approval from others.”

“A non-needy man doesn’t try to control what women feel about him. Rather he tries to control what he feels about certain women. He understands that the world isn’t about him and that all he can control is himself and his own actions. He’s not bothered when things don’t go his way or when people don’t recognize him as being amazing because he already feels amazing himself. He doesn’t need their approval and their disapproval doesn’t faze him from his mission.”

“All unattractive behavior can be boiled down to one thing: neediness.”

“Challenge yourself to find the good and beautiful thing inside of everyone. It’s there. It’s your job to find it. Not their job to show you.”

“Communicate with honest appreciation and you’ll be amazed how she lights up in front of you.”

“Every second I spend sitting around feeling distant from my true desires, avoiding the world and being afraid to engage it, is a second that I’m forfeiting the biggest gift of all: my time here in this life.”

“Few men ever stop and actually think critically about why they like certain things, why certain forms of pop culture are popular and others are not. Few have the curiosity to look into new art forms or hobbies and figure out how they feel about them.”

“For my entire young life, I was terrified of anyone not liking me. The mere thought of someone hating me, girl or guy, would literally keep me up at night. As a result, every aspect of my life revolved around people-pleasing, hiding my faults, covering my tracks, and blaming others. And needless to say, I barely had any success with women. And when I did finally get a girlfriend, she left my ass for a man who could actually express himself.”

“Friction is when a woman finds you to be an attractive man, but there are value differences or external circumstances that prevent her from acting on that attraction or being interested in you.”

“Get out there and expose yourself. Open yourself up and find what makes you happy. Yes, that will mean you’ll probably get hurt. But so what? The best things in life don’t come easily.”

“How attractive a man is is inversely proportional to how needy he is. The more needy in his life, the less attractive and vice-versa.”