Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins: Book Summary and Review

After hearing a lot of buzz about this book Can’t Hurt Me from young men, I finally gave it a shot after wanting to improve my pull-up count. I usually avoid “tough guy” books in this realm, like Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink, because I have no desire to join the army or put myself in high-pressure, life-or-death situations. The book surprised me because it still delivered a lot of relatable value in terms of positive mindset shifts and how to turn around your inner, dark dialogue and your external, crappy life. If you’re not familiar, Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins covers a man who had a tough childhood and mediocre adulthood until he was fed up with it. He went from being obese and hating his low-paying job to a world record holder in pull-up’s and a 100-mile+ marathon running champion. This article includes my podcast, book notes about what I learned, and my review. Like this show? Please leave a rating here — even one review helps! Book Summary * He grew up in poverty and endured physical and mental abuse hundreds of times from his father. His dad would find any tiny reason to beat him until there were welts on his back, even if it was just for grazing the road after being told not to ride a bike on the road. His father also beat his mother senselessly frequently. * His mother tried to call the police but the police believed dad over mom in those days. Eventually, his mother decided to run away with the children, but she emotionally broke down a couple times during the trip, almost returning because her car broke down on the road and the only hotel around was fully booked. * Most people are dealt a bad hand in life. His first exercise for you is to record your “bad hand” in detail; don’t be too vague or short. Then, realize that your challenges can be turned into great power with the right mindset. Most people get it wrong because they adopt a “woe is me” attitude to the obstacles they receive in life. Instead of saying “I’m screwed because of these things,” you can find a way to turn it into a positive, such as “You can’t hurt me because of these things.” This change in mindset takes time. It even took David years. * He would hide his true self in masks of the exterior. In school, he would adopt the street, black, gang member even though that wasn’t him. When he got older, he would resort to junk food binging until he weighed almost 300 pounds because he wanted to look tough and intimidating as a big person. But deep inside, he knew he was a coward. He chickened out halfway through completing Navy training because it was so scary and difficult. * The second exercise is to have some type of physical accountability mirror so that you can be constantly reminded of what you need to do. It can’t be digital because it won’t work if it’s digital. You have a duty to complete the task you are accountable to. * People will judge you, and it won’t feel good, but then they forget about you. Davids recommends that you try not to judge others because sometimes, you’re wrong or it’s hurtful. * The third challenge is to keep doing something outside of your comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, but it has to be something that is sustainable and that you can increase as you get comfortable with it. Maybe it’s making your bed every morning, doing the dishes, or going for a run in the morning.