The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck is a book about finding meaning in important things in life and only having those values that an individual can control. Whatever value (such as popularity) that is not under a person's control, is a bad value to have and a person should strive to replace it with something more controllable such as punctuality, honesty, or kindness. Manson further advises avoiding claiming certainty about the knowledge that is out of one's grasp and not worry about leaving a legacy for posterity. Instead of worrying about building a body of work as a legacy, one should seek to create joy at the moment for one's self and those around