Some people just write in a way that really captures your attention.

Mark Manson is one of those people for me.

Mark is a “author, thinker, life enthusiast”. He writes articles on his blog, books which he sells, and online self-development courses you can do.

I don’t specifically follow Mark’s writing (i.e. I am not a paid subscriber), but his free content presents itself regularly to me because he is widely read and shared.

I admire a number of things about his writing:

• his topic choice. Mark writes about topics that are relevant to us all: happiness, life choices, relationships, culture. You connect with and share his articles because they describe challenges you’ve faced before, or are currently facing.
• his world view. Mark comes across to me as a ‘no bullshit’ kinda guy. He talks about big issues, but in a simple and down-to-earth way. The phrase ‘down-to-earth’ has probably lost a lot of meaning nowadays, but what I mean is that he comes across as someone who has learned life lessons by living them, and seeks to share his wisdom in an uncomplicated fashion.
• his writing style – which is relaxed, conversational, littered with relevant examples and easy to read. It’s a welcome change from the writing style of academics, or medical journalists.
• he writes long articles! Mark writes essays. Thought out and well crafted essays. You have to invest in his articles – your time, and your thoughts. No self-development happens without some investment.
• his liberal use of profanity. Anyone who knows me know that I love a good swear. I try to keep it in check on this blog, but I long for the day when my potty mouth is set free.

It is worth noting that there is no indication that Mark is a health professional, or registered psychologist or counsellor. You should make the assumption that his self-development courses have not been scientifically evaluated. This doesn’t mean they aren’t useful, just that they haven’t undergone scientific evaluation.

But many of the things that have moved or affected me over my lifetime were not scientifically evaluated: movies, quotes, autobiographies, friendships.

Hence I share this with you, not as a health professional, but as a fellow human being who sometimes finds cool stuff and likes to tell others about it.