The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one's negative experience is itself a positive experience.
-- Mark Manson (Chapter 1)

Importance: This quote demonstrates how Manson's work is both counterintuitive and in sharp contrast to conventional self-help advice. The first half of this quote breaks down the contemporary emphasis on happiness and positivity at all costs. According to Manson, that misguided belief is ultimately a negative experience because it encourages people to focus on what they lack instead of what they have, and sets up happiness as a reward for achieving a goal. Instead, he encourages the acceptance of negative experiences as a path to happiness. This is because the acceptance of negative experiences such as failure, pain, or suffering ultimately teaches us the important lessons we need to grow, problem-solve, and be happier. This second half of this quote is the foundation of Mark's belief that...