Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds Hardcover – December 2, 2018

This book should be assigned reading in high school. Mr. Goggins’ story of not only overcoming hardships but of surpassing them is so very inspiring. It teaches you how to live a better, more productive lifestyle and how not to get bogged down by bad circumstances. This man’s story is an inspiration to all who read it!

This book kept me completely focused and I wanted to keep reading! Never reading a book until the age of 40, I took the 75hard mental toughness challenage. With it you must read 10 pages daily, for me that was a big struggle, but the way this book is written it was no problem. Thank you David Goggins for writing such a masterpeice. Forever grateful.

"An eye-opener! This transformational book challenged my perceptions and spurred deep introspection. It illuminated my laziness, motivating me to embrace change and strive for more. A must-read for anyone seeking profound personal growth and a fresh perspective on life."

Despite his upbringing, shortcomings and that little voice in his head that told him to quit. It’s both astounding and profound to actually read that story of Mr.Goggins. I had only seen the videos and his first time on the Joe Rogan Podcast but that didn’t do it justice to what kind of special individual Mr.Goggins is, truly uncommon amongst some of the most uncommon. I would say simply by reading or listening to this book and doing the challenges that he gives to the reader at the end of the each chapter could truly change anyone’s life and show them how truly powerful we all are.

I see no reason to write an overly detailed review of this book. Others have beaten me to the punch. So I'll give you a quick overview and then add my reasons for why I think many people need to read this, and why even those who don't might find it quite useful in their own lives.David Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL who is legendary for his determination, will-power and ability to edure pain. Now, before you throw up your hands, adopt an English accent, and exclaim, "Och, not another bloody book by a bloody SEAL!" let me assure you that CAN'T HURT ME is most definitely n o t like all the others you may have read. The Chris Kyles and Marcus Lattrells and what-not were telling war stories and to some extent, making extended commercials for their own branch of the military. Goggins is not. In fact, when it comes to his deployed-in-a-war-zone days, he doesn't write enough to fill out a paragraph, much less a page. He talks about his military training extensively, but only with the larger focus of the book in mind. Which is as follows.Goggins grew up in an abusive family. His dad was a physically and emotionally abusive hustler who treated him like a slave. He ended up living with his mom and taking comfort in food -- lots of food, so that he eventually became grossly and immensely fat. As one of the only blacks in an all-white school, he was also subjected to terrible racism. By the time he was in his late teens, early 20s, his life was a kind of morbid joke, with his job being to empty traps left in restaurants which were full of dead rats. He had no self-respect and no future. To compress a very complicated story into a few sentences, Goggins eventually came to the conclusion that he must stop seeking out the easy path in life, must "find comfort in being uncomfortable," and constantly seek to challenge himself in every aspect of life. This led him to the SEALs, whose training he had to go through several times due to injuries and illness -- a remarkable feat in itself given the mental and physical brutality of the training. Once a SEAL, however, Goggins continued to find ways to become uncomfortable by seeking out the toughest trainings he could sign up for, including the Rangers and the Delta Force, and by entering marathons and later, the masochistic enterprise known as the ultra-marathon. Eventually he competed in even more punishing activities such as trying to become the Guinness Book of World Records holder in the category of chin-ups (which sounds like my idea of hell.) But the thing which distinguishes him from everyone else is the fact that he did most of this with some severe congenital defects he didn't even know he had at the time. This discovery truly blew his mind and got him asking, "What if -- ?" He began to realize that we are largely prisoners of our own perceptions, and are capable of so much more than we think, but we habitually underestimate our potential and settle for what he calls "the 40%." His goal for himself, and his goal for you, is to reach 100%. The fact that this may not be possible is irrelevant to him. It's the striving, the discomfort, the pain that he seeks, not because it will get him to the goal but because it is the goal. Seeing what one can endure expands what one can achieve. As writers from Marcus Aurelius to Ernst Jünger have noted, "the obstacle is the way."CAN'T HURT ME is important not for its recitation of all the blisters and sweat and torn ligaments Goggins has endured, or for his achievements as a sailor or an athlete, but for the way he approaches the central questions regarding the difficulties we all face in life. Goggins has plenty of reason to play the vicitim, but chose another path, the path of self-ownership. It really is very simple. For example, when he discusses his obesity, he does not blame his father, racism or society: he blames himself. His mantra in every aspect of his life is that we own our own skin and our own decisions and too often, we use our traumas to justify things like laziness, apathy, cowardice, drug abuse, and alcoholism. Overcoming this self-sabotage requires being brutally honest with oneself. "Don't call yourself overweight," he all but shouts at the reader. "Say what you really are -- a fat f***!"" Carl von Clausewitz called this, "The appreciation of the situation." Goggins calls it a self-audit. He audits himself regularly, especially when he fails at something, but also when he is successful, too. He encourages a mind-set of brutal honesty with an emphasis on the brutal. He is very frank that he "gets his strength from a very dark place," and his ethos illustrates that, as does this book. He isn't a shiny, happy person. He isn't interested in fame. He doesn't have many friends. Even when he writes about the SEALs, he offers criticism -- something you won't see much if any of in other books by former members. Some readers may be offput by this very darkness, especially in an era in which whining and entitlement (something he especially despises) are now rampant everywhere. But that is why I consider this book important. It comes at a time when many are beginning to suspect that the victim mentality they've been told to sharpen their entire lives is actually an albatross, weighing them down, stranding them in weakness, unhappiness, and failure.CAN'T HURT ME is a fast and brutal read. It's inspiring, but it's not a feel-good memoir, and one can't help but wonder if Goggins takes any real pleasure out of life. He's sort of the Mace Windu of inspirational writers, a grim-faced warrior monk who is going to poke you in your love-handle and ask if you think that is the best you can do. But should you sweat it off, don't look to him for a pat on the back. Look to him to ask if you couldn't have done it more efficiently...and then to ask you what's next on your list of challenges. And why you aren't working on them yet.

I have never in my life found so much motivation to better myself and “callous my mind” than after reading this book. The stories David tells are incredible demonstrations in how hard work really pays off, and I can’t wait to apply the challenges he offers on my life and the way I tackle shortcomings and obstacles. This book inspires you to be better.

David Goggins' "You Can't Hurt Me" is a gripping tale of resilience that reshaped my mindset. Now, when difficult situations arise, I find myself recalling his lessons and actively looking for ways to test my limits. This book has inspired me to embrace challenges and pursue growth relentlessly.

His no-excuses mentality and brutal honesty about his struggles and triumphs are incredibly motivating.

Gostei da história do autor, por isso comprei o livro. Ele foi me apresentado pelo meu amigo. Recomendo lerem. Diria que é para ajudar a sair da mediocridade. Se você é brasileiro, compre também para treinar o inglês.

Amazing story. David Goggins shares his story of a personal transformation that is very powerful ( providing you can get beyond the many cursings he has to offer.) This man stumbled upon the very powerful laws of success, and used it to change his life and destiny within this world. I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia with delusions of grandeur, and for 7 years I was in and out hospitals: medicated, electroshocked and had no lasting improvement. The doctor later deemed me affected with "treatment resistant schizophrenia," and recommended my mom transfer me to a long-term care facility (she became my legal guardian as I was deemed a danger to myself.)This took a turn for the worse and I almost offed myself after realizing the "reality" I believed and lived in for 7 years was a lie. The shock broke me, and my whole being called for death shortly after. But there in the process of committing my final act within this world, lighting struck and I came to myself. I saw this as the act of a coward, because I feared living in this world, hated and laughed at by everyone and everything. "Am I going to let them bully me to end myself? Not a chance. If they want me to go then let them do it with their own two hands. I will no longer run nor hide away in isolation." From that moment on I chose to take back my life from schizophrenia. I faced down every giant it sent to crush me with an unshakable resolve: the giant of extreme anxiety, the giants of fear, paranoia, delusion, the giant of intrusive and blasphemous thoughts, the giants of hallucinations (auditoy and visual,) the giants of insecurity, hate, resentment, persecutory delusions (the world was in me and every where I went people would reaď my mind commenting on my thoughts mostly laughing at the torment i was experiencing,) giant of distrust, the giant of loneliness (there was not a person in the world who i felt I could talk with and pain of that loneliness was unbearable.) I hid away in my room because it was "safe," but in this form of safety there was no freedom, there couldn't be any. But where the "pain" was, in the middle of that fire, the last place I wanted to be, was exactly where I needed to be: I had to willingly choose to make myself uncomfortable. Everyday from that moment of revelation, I left my room and talked with my mother and sisters, whom I thought were witches trying to kill me through witchcraft. I no longer waited for them to come into my room and greet me, instead when they got home, I went out and greeted them. I didn't do it because I felt like it, I did it because I didn't feel like it. I hated them for what I thought they did to me, and because I hated them I chose to embrace them. One inch at a time, one day at a time, I was able to move forward until today, I'm 100% free from all schizophrenia symptoms. I've been off meds for nearly 15 years now. I became an electrician and even passed my red seal and have been working full time in the trade. I just had my one year anniversary that I celebrated with a nurse that I married.A co-worker loan me "Can't hurt me" because my story of recovering from schizophrenia, more specifically, how I did it reminded him of Goggins own mentality to get beyond his own insecurities, etc. I’ve never even heard the name Goggins until that point. But reading his story resonated with me because I too lived with that defeated self. I too held that "woe is me" victim mentality. I'd ask myself, "why me? What did I do to deserve this?" And I still suffered nonetheless. But when I shifted the question to, "WHY NOT ME?!" Again, the heavens opened up and a light came shining down touching my soul deep within (metaphorically speaking of course:) THAT'S THE QUESTION! It hit me so hard. For so long I couldn't see it. Why not me? Why do I deserve to be excluded from suffering? Babies are born into the world with all sorts of sickness and diseases and suffering, and here I'm crying, why me? I felt so ashamed I could barely lift my head. Nevertheless, this energized me to take on the entire world, and I did, and I won. I managed to accomplish what the doctors said to be impossible for someone who had schizophrenia as entrenched as i did: I overcame schizophrenia.Reading this book made me realize why my co-worker asked me about Goggins. Many times it was as if I was hearing myself talk, word for word. It was incredible. It's a great book for the person who's tired to living defeated, whose back is against the wall and you've no way out. Within your darkest hour also lays your moment of opportunity to turn the tides of your struggle. Goggins tells us his story. I just shared a part of mine, and you've got your own to write with your life as you face down each obstacle trying to drag you under, and put them under your feet. It's our story, we determine the how it's told.

Genial

Proof of what one can accomplish if they put their mind to it. Great book and a great life. A must read book.

I recently finished reading “Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds” and it’s had a profound impact on me. David Goggins’ story is nothing short of extraordinary, and his approach to mental toughness is both eye-opening and motivating.What sets this book apart is its raw honesty. Goggins doesn’t sugarcoat his struggles; instead, he confronts them head-on, sharing powerful lessons learned through adversity. His philosophy on embracing discomfort as a path to growth resonated deeply with me.The practical strategies and challenges presented throughout the book are actionable and effective. They’ve already helped me push through mental barriers I once thought insurmountable.While the book is intense and at times confronting, Goggins’ no-nonsense style is refreshing. His journey from Navy SEAL to ultramarathon runner is a testament to the power of relentless determination and self-discipline.Overall, “Can’t Hurt Me” is a must-read for anyone looking to cultivate resilience and achieve their full potential. It’s not just a book; it’s a blueprint for mastering your mind and embracing life’s challenges.