Sorry in Advance for Making Things Weird.: A Disappointing Affirmations Collection

National bestselling author Dave Tarnowski, the visionary behind the 2.4-million+ follower @DisappointingAffirmations Instagram account, is back with a fresh and funny brace of realistic affirmations that recognize that failure is always an option across the many splendors of our lives.

Life: It's often disappointing!

Whether it's everyday experiences with family, friends, work, love, or the general hell of other people, there's ample opportunity for disillusionment. Hilarious disillusionment. Disappointment guru Dave Tarnowski's second collection features new and exclusive affirmations and dozens of transformed and unpublished fan favorites from his wildly popular Instagram account.

This abundance of wisdom is helpfully organized into eight everyday subjects on which we can all use a little subversive sympathetic enlightenment (including Daily Motivation, Work, Success, and Other People). Dave excavates each subject further in a funny, clear-eyed short essay. All photos are his own. All feelings widely shared.

Like a non-disappointing gift with purchase, the book's jacket folds out into a new motivational poster, suitable for display anywhere disappointment may strike.

IT REALLY IS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY: People say, "It's okay to not be okay," but then it feels like they need you to be okay. This subversively funny book is the perfect way to remind ourselves, or anyone who needs it, that it's better to deal with our feelings honestly than fall into the "positive vibes only" self-help trap.

MORE FEELINGS THAN EVER BEFORE: Tarnowski's pithy photo-illuminated consolations and manifestos are as sharp and relatable as ever. Now paired with observational essays that plumb depths and cast light, it's a whole new ride.

TOXIC POSITIVITY CAN GO TO HELL: Enough, already.

WAIT, THERE'S MORE! See also the original, national bestselling Disappointing Affirmations book and accompanying stationery and gift items, including Disappointing Affirmations Wall Calendar, Disappointing Affirmations Deck, Disappointing AffirmationsPencils, Disappointing Affirmations: 30 Postcards, Disappointing AffirmationsSticker Book, and Disappointing Affirmations: The Game. You won't be disappointed.

Perfect for:

• College grads, people entering the workforce, people who wish they hadn't entered the workforce
• Fans of the @disappointingaffirmations Instagram account
• Anyone who isn't always cheerful and doesn't feel seen
• Fans of satire and sarcastic humor
• Anyone feeling burnout, empathy fatigue, positivity fatigue, or fatigue in general

Author: Dave Tarnowski
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Published: 10/07/2025
Pages: 128
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 7.24h x 5.47w x 0.69d
ISBN: 9781797236902


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/15/2025

About the Author
Dave Tarnowski is the bestselling author of Disappointing Affirmations: Unfollow your dreams! and the creator of hundreds of viral memes over the course of a decade. He lives in New York with his trauma. Follow him on Instagram at @disappointingaffirmations.