25/10/2026
Book review of Can’t Hurt Me: David Goggins
I found out about David Goggins several years ago through an interview that he did. I was very impressed with his mindset and attitude toward life. All of my life, I have been attracted towards our elite military personnels mindset and persona. I never served but developed similar thoughts and feelings as I progressed as a wrestler both in high school and in college. The mental approach to training and competition are very similar. There is a close comparison to wrestlers and our elite fighting soldiers. Pushing your body to the limits of physical conditioning Never being satisfied with your current level of strength and conditioning. Having no off button! Always rising to any presented challenge.
In this book, David takes you through his darkest days in life and how he through his own thoughts and actions pulled himself out of his current situation. He changed the narrative. Through trial and error David kept enduring. Little victories turned into bigger ones. With each no accomplishment came a new challenge both physical but more so mental. David was fighting years of physical and mental abuse at the hands of his father. He held it all in like a raging fire. Burning and growing in him forming his new personality. It was this fire that pushed him beyond ordinary. Like many others in the special operations community as well as elite athletes: stress, suffering, extreme discipline, and dedication are required day in and day out in order to become “uncommon” as David likes to say. It was in BUD/S that he developed the “Taking Souls” mentality. The “Breaking of the Will of others”, by not backing down and keep going came from. This is where “He can’t break me mentality,” all great performers have.
When I was younger and running through my neighborhood I was always trying to run faster and faster. I didn’t like to pace myself. When I entered track I ran similarly I didn’t like people in front of me so I would pick up the pace. My coach would tell me to slow down or I’ll burn out at the end but I didn’t care. I felt that if I pushed the pace my opponents would have to keep up with me and they wouldn’t be able to sustain it. That it would be a battle of Wills at the end. This was way before I learned of the famous runner Steve Prefontaine had the similar belief.
I embraced this characteristic of “just go!” David, like many other elite athletes strive for this mentality. A higher level of existence is all they think about. It is this internal competition with themselves, this internal fight between their internal demons, their mindset that has to be created in order to drive them towards their goals.
Since the beginning of time Humans have thrived off conflict and competition. The existence of chaos in our lives transforms us and sharpens are minds and bodies to adapt and improve. If not we perish and die mentally well before physically.
David’s take home message is that the mind and body can endure and overcome great physical odds. That our mind can push our bodies further than we ever thought possible. Never to give up in the beginning of starting anything it is always the hardest in the beginning but with each progressive step, rep, and set whether it is performing pull ups, conquering a difficult work assignment, or raising a family. You will find your groove and it will get better as long as you don’t give up. I didn’t say easier just better.
When you challenge yourself with physically demanding things often you callus your mind and body to handle other unplanned stressful situations.
I enjoyed this book and will implement many things from this book into my daily life. I need to push myself more and to awaken my inner competitive juices and find a challenge that pushes me physically and mentally.
