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The Most Important Question of Your Life

I've given a fuck about a lot of people and things in my life. I've also given a fuck about a lot of people and things. And it's because of the fucks I didn't care that everything has worked out.

People frequently believe that "not giving a fuck" is the secret to confidence and success in life. Indeed, the strongest, most admirable people we know are frequently described in terms of their lack of fucks given. "Oh, see, Susie is working weekends again, she doesn't give a fuck," for example. "Did you hear Tom called the business president a jerk and still received a raise?" "Holy shit, that dude could care less." "Jason got up and ended his date," or "Jason got up and ended his date."

While not giving a fuck on the surface may appear straightforward, it's a whole new bag of burritos underneath the hood. I have no idea what that sentence means, but I don't care. Let's simply go with a pack of burritos since that sounds delicious.

The idea is that most of us suffer throughout our lives by giving too many fucks to people who do not deserve them. We don't give a damn about the obnoxious gas station clerk who handed us too many nickels. When a show we enjoy is cancelled on television, we don't give a damn. We don't give a damn if our coworkers don't ask us about our fantastic weekend. When it's raining, we don't give a damn.

Because when we give too many fucks, when we choose to give a fuck about everything, we begin to believe that we have an inalienable right to be comfortable and happy at all times, and that is when life screws us.

Indeed, having the power to save our fucks for only the most fuckworthy of occasions would make life a lot easier. It would be less terrible to fail. It is less painful to be rejected. Unpleasant necessities become more pleasant, and shit sandwiches get more savoury. I mean, if we could just give a few fewer fucks, or a few more purposefully aimed fucks, life would be a whole lot easier.

We don't realise it, but there is a fine art to not giving a fuck. People do not appear out of nowhere.

Subtlety #1: Not giving a Fuck Isn't the Same As Being Indifferent; It's Being At Ease With Being Different.

When most people think of giving no fucks, they picture a pristine and placid indifference to everything, a serenity that can withstand any storm.

This is erroneous. Indifference has nothing to do with admiration or confidence. People who are unconcerned are clumsy and afraid. They're internet trolls and couch potatoes. In fact, indifferent people frequently pretend to be indifferent when they are actually giving too many fucks. They are terrified of the world and the consequences of their own decisions. As a result, they produce none. They hide in a dark soulless pit they've dug for themselves, self-absorbed and self-pitying, always diverting their attention away from the awful event that demands their attention.