Can't Hurt Me
DAVID GOGGINS
David Goggins is a force of nature. Aside from the lessons that I draw from Mother Nature herself, I know of no other motivating force that is as powerful and effective as David Goggins. Mr. Goggins doesn't write about natural law as I do, but he is living proof of their existence. Natural Law 101 is all about self-mastery. There is no one alive who has worked harder, through physical exertion to improve his mind and body than David Goggins. We were born with a special dispensation to reason and apply logic to reach common sense conclusions - we have also been given higher gifts of optimism and energy, focus, foresight, and insight. But these gifts were meant to be cultivated and nourished. If we don’t use our gifts, we lose our gifts. If that happens, bad things happen to us and our society. David Goggins makes the connection between self-mastery and societal good. He sums up stoic philosophy by example. His physical endurance, work ethic, and tolerance to pain, boggle the brain and make us ask what might we be leaving in the tank. To read about his physical challenges, hell weeks (3 in one year to become a Navy seal) ultra marathons of over 136 miles in 24 hours, 4000 pull-ups in 19 hours (a world record) you don’t think any human being is capable of enduring such pain - But he does.
His capacity to endure and adapt is nothing short of a miracle. His life story is remarkable. His humility is incredible.
His writing is sharp, clever, and highly entertaining. He provides tips on how to do what he does, to “callous his mind” to pain, to “stay ahead of his quitting mind,” to always reach the next higher threshold of pain, to allow his body and mind to adapt to the higher level of achievement. To find the willingness to “scrap our former selves,” stop playing the victim, and “make the extra effort to always find more, to become more.” To “remove our governor” (p215, Cant Hurt Me). He says that “most of us give up when we’ve only given around 40% of our maximum effort, even when we feel like we’ve reached our absolute limit, we still have 60 percent more to give! He pushes beyond limits that are simply unimaginable for ordinary human beings. He is living proof that each of us was meant to move well beyond the ordinary. And he tells us why it’s all worth it. Amazing contribution to mankind. I hope we can get his first book “Can’t Hurt Me” into our public schools in the future.
David Goggins’s autobiography, Can’t Hurt Me, details his journey from an abusive childhood and a life of struggle to becoming one of the toughest endurance athletes and military service members in the world. Goggins, who faced racism and poverty while growing up, initially felt trapped by low self-esteem and unhealthy habits. One turning point came when he saw a documentary about Navy SEAL training, which sparked the idea that he could push himself far beyond his current limits.
Throughout the book, Goggins describes the mental barriers he had to break. He coined the term “the 40% rule,” meaning most people quit or slow down when they’ve only used about 40% of their actual potential. By confronting his fears and doing the things he was most uncomfortable with—like running ultra-marathons or going through extremely tough military training—Goggins gradually proved to himself that the mind can keep going even when the body wants to stop.
A significant aspect of Goggins’s transformation involved developing a “calloused mind.” Just as calluses on your hands protect against blisters, Goggins believes that challenging experiences can toughen the mind, allowing a person to handle more stress and pain in the future. He learned to channel negative emotions—such as anger, frustration, or doubt—into motivation to train harder and keep aiming higher.
While the book highlights extreme physical accomplishments, Goggins emphasizes that his method isn’t just about exercise—it’s about building self-discipline, facing personal weaknesses, and accepting total responsibility for your life. Each chapter includes practical challenges for the reader, like writing down fears or daily excuses, and then confronting them with direct action. Goggins insists that anyone can do this work, although it may feel uncomfortable at first.
At its core, Can’t Hurt Me is a story of overcoming the odds by refusing to be limited by other people’s expectations—or by the limits you impose on yourself. Goggins acknowledges the mental and emotional toll of his approach, but also credits it with freeing him from a life of regret. By consistently seeking out the hardest tasks, he believes people can discover new depths of courage and endurance. His memoir ultimately challenges readers to be brutally honest about their habits and to break free from negative mindsets, proving that real change is possible with relentless effort and the willingness to endure discomfort.
Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
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