So many of life’s universal problems can be addressed, according to extremely popular author Mark Manson, using just five universal laws. It sounds simple, and yet when one breaks it down in the way Manson does, it becomes a helpful tool in at least reframing how life works.

Manson hasn’t been the only thought leader/writer to share these useful ideas. (Author Daniel Pink also shared the list on his LinkedIn page, as did many others in blogs posted to Medium and the like.) But no matter the source, the universal laws seem to hold true…at least in terms of centering one’s self in the middle of life’s issues.

In an online clip making the rounds on social media, Manson leans over a microphone and shares, “There are five universal laws of life. And once you understand them, chances are they will solve at least 90 percent of your problems.”

“First law,” Manson explains, “is Murphy’s Law. (This) law explains that anything that can go wrong eventually will go wrong. This sounds like pessimism, but it’s also just reality.”

Writer Ed Cumming further explains the principle. “As with anything sufficiently universal, the origins of Murphy’s Law—which broadly states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong—are disputed. No doubt people have been expressing........

© Upworthy