The Art Of Non-Conformity Book Summary - The Art Of Non-Conformity Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

The Art Of Non-Conformity summary

Chris Guillebeau

Set your own rules, live the life you want and change the world

4 (125 ratings)
18 mins

What is The Art Of Non-Conformity about?

Based on the author’s blog and online manifesto, “A Brief Guide to World Domination,” The Art of Non-Conformity (2010) deals with ways of pursuing unconventional living and offers tools for setting your own rules, succeeding with your passions and leaving a legacy.

Table of Contents

    The Art Of Non-Conformity
    summarized in 8 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 8

    You break free from an unfulfilled existence when you find out exactly what you want to get out of life.

    It’s an unfortunate fact: most people don’t know what they want from life. Instead they amble around without a larger life goal or a clear sense of purpose.

    Sadly, not having a clear idea of what you want from life holds you back from greatness and often leads to an unremarkably average life where you do the same as everyone else because that’s what everyone else is doing.

    There are many ways to be unremarkably average, but a typical example is sitting at a desk for 40 hours a week, for an average of ten hours of productive work, while getting the largest mortgage you qualify for and spending 30 years paying it off.

    Such a life insulates you from challenge and risk. Common ways to ensure we avoid risky and uncomfortable encounters are by traveling to only English-speaking countries, or thinking vaguely about starting a business but never actually doing it. Playing it safe like this holds us back from achieving greatness in our lives.

    On the other hand, deciding what you want from life – and taking this decision seriously – can change your life for the better, increasing your commitment to living a fulfilled life.

    Consider Bernard Lopez, a former cubicle-dweller who quit his comfortable job to ride his bike across the United States. He’d realized that, regardless of the skepticism and discouragement around him, he needed to commit to his adventurous dream and act on it. The result? An unmissable adventure and a subsequent feeling of invincibility that encouraged him to begin a rewarding new career and experience the exciting possibility of traveling every summer. In short: a fulfilled life.

    The nagging question, “Is this all there is?” is an indication that you are insulating yourself from greatness. So if you often catch yourself wondering if there’s more to life, you might start to think hard about what it is you want to get out of it.

    Want to see all full key ideas from The Art Of Non-Conformity?

    Key ideas in The Art Of Non-Conformity

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    About the Author

    Chris Guillebeau is an expert on creative self-employment and international travel who recently accomplished his goal of visiting every country in the world. He is also the author of the New York Times’ bestseller The $100 Startup and a regular contributor to CNN.com, Business Week, the Huffington Post and other outlets.

    Who should read The Art Of Non-Conformity?

    • Anyone who wants to lead a more unconventional and fulfilling life
    • Anyone who is interested in creative self-employment

    Categories with The Art Of Non-Conformity

    Books like The Art Of Non-Conformity

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    26 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial