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Can't Hurt Me: by David Goggins, Review and Discussion

LuckyPup

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did jordan belfort have a sh*t childhood? i couldn't find any info.
Not that I'm aware. But my point wasn't whether childhood trauma did or didn't justify their behavior. Belfort's story popped into my mind because both men did exceptional things (exceptional doesn't mean good), and only after doing a fair amount of damage to themselves or others, do they reach some level of self-awareness, self-actualization or redemption. (Again, I highly doubt Belfort's so-called "redemption.")

My thought is that these stories tend to lose me when, after some pretty anti-heroic behavior, the protagonists "find" redemption, peace, God, or (fill in the blank). But, I guess that's what sells books. I think it's part of the "hero's journey" book writing formula. Personally, I admire more a guy who has balanced success in life - successful biz, good husband, father, etc.

I realize that comparing these two is a stretch, and I was just kinda thinking out loud, which is always dangerous on this forum. :clench:
 
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Primeperiwinkle

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I agree. I think he's certainly uncommon and I do marvel at some of his accomplishments, but there's something "anti-heroic" about him. "The Wolf of Wall Street" came to mind when I read your post. Jordan Belfort only became more self-actualized (seemingly so, but probably not really) after a long journey of being a total a**hole. While Goggins hasn't hurt others in the same way Belfort did, his (seeming) "self actualization" only seems remarkable because it came after a long path of dysfunction. I see a pathology in both characters, but it manifested differently in each.

Ok here’s where I admit that I’ve never watch this Super Important Guy Movie. I have watched all of The Godfather’s, Scarface, the entire Star Wars catastrophe and every single Marvel movie. So.. I’ll just take your word on the whole character comparison thing.

Thinking out loud on a forum isn’t a bad idea as long as you don’t mind being called out for your complete and total idiocy once in a while... I might be speaking from experience.

I’m actually enjoying discussing Goggins as a character in a book more than as a person irl. Its still weird discussing modern books to me. If this book was written a hundred years ago I’d shred it.. but the fact that he’s alive.. I dunno. I’d rather talk about the ideas set forth by the book.

Speaking of which.. I was constantly irritated by his lack of simple planning BUT more often than not people get stuck in analysis paralysis. He, at the very least, got up and did something. Was it stupid? Yea.. could he have died? Yea.. but.. he did do it. What’s that phrase again? Fire, Ready, Aim?
 

MJ DeMarco

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I hope my review doesn't dissuade anyone from posting their review. I know a lot of folks here enjoyed it, and that's perfectly OK, so let 'em roll.

I voted for Atomic Habits and so was disappointed when it didn't win.

Looks like it will win the next round!
 

luniac

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I hope my review doesn't dissuade anyone from posting their review. I know a lot of folks here enjoyed it, and that's perfectly OK, so let 'em roll.



Looks like it will win the next round!

i really like this book review thing.
I've never joined a book club but this looks like a good replacement.
I'll keep participating.
 
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MetalGear

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I am about 33% into the book and admire his mindset for growth
  • There has been a lot of talk about him being so extreme
    • I think that the point is more about seeking growth and stepping out of your comfort zone
    • Much easier to see this when people go to extremes
    • He had to trust the process as he did all of this too
  • So far he seems to be the type that turns off or suppresses his emotions to push forward
    • This can be dangerous for relationships and experiencing the full range of other emotions
    • Pushing forward through pain can be great in a marathon
    • Pushing forward through "pain" and ignoring emotions in a relationship...is not healthy
    • Of course the best way is to be aware and control emotions in "manual" instead of automatic
    • Story for another time and thread...no one is perfect, take the cannoli and leave the gun
Will read the rest of the book to figure out what happens
 

samuraijack

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i really like this book review thing.
I've never joined a book club but this looks like a good replacement.
I'll keep participating.

same...Its often said entrepreneurship is a lonely road. The same seems to aplpy to reading books nowadays.
 

Thoelt53

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Just picked up the book today and I will start reading it just after I make this post.

FWIW, I listened to his most recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience. I am ignorant at this point, having not read the book, but it seems like he covered a lot of the issues with the book people brought up in this thread. Might be worth a listen for anyone interested.

Joe Rogan and Goggins also talked about the audiobook, which has more to offer than the paperback. The book was coauthored with a (professional?) author, who also narrated the audiobook. Goggins gives some sort of podcast-style commentary in the audiobook, digging deeper into things he only touched on in the actual book.
 
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bhunting

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My Rating: 1 star out of 5 stars
upload_2019-1-4_10-26-56.pngupload_2019-1-4_10-27-4.pngupload_2019-1-4_10-27-4.pngupload_2019-1-4_10-27-5.pngupload_2019-1-4_10-27-5.png

Format: Audible

I couldn’t make myself finish this book.

My thoughts/review:

Too much drama… The guy sure has very interesting life stories, but listening to those stories of all the abuses of his dysfunctional family when he was young just made me feel sad and depressed.

It felt like watching all the murdering news on TV, which did nothing good for me, but this one is 10x.

When I got to the part when he told a story about a boy who got struck by the bus, and he looked underneath the bus, and described it… it was it for me. Had to turn it off and deleted the audible book. Couldn’t find any more reason to torture myself to listen to it anymore.

Zero lesson learned up to that point.
 

Roli

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I hope my review doesn't dissuade anyone from posting their review. I know a lot of folks here enjoyed it, and that's perfectly OK, so let 'em roll.



Looks like it will win the next round!

Awesome! I have just started reading it again taking more comprehensive notes this time.

It's a game changer.
 

Timmy C

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Honestly guys I have stopped listening to it, I will finish it but I don't know when, I'm just not getting alot out of it and I'm not engaged.

When I read unscripted I was heck I have listened to UNSCRIPTED at least 4 times.
 
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jwhanke

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About 30% the way through and probably have it about 3.5 stars right now.

Listened to him on the Joe Rogan Experience in order to screen, enjoyed him there so picked up the book.

Been causally reading the discussion last couple days, love how everyone's perspectives are all over the place.

For me, I have enjoyed reading it on audible because I think his discussions with his ghost writer help elaborate some messages in the book (also I enjoy podcasts a lot, may be biased, so take that with a grain a salt!).

Opposite of some in the discussion, but I enjoyed how he talked about his childhood situation. For me, it puts in perspective to be grateful for my early childhood years. Also, liked how he talked about putting your own insecurities on paper because we all have them (rich, poor, career driven, business owner, etc.) and for yourself to own it. It has helped drive home to me personally to get rid of excuses (always working to catch them when I think them). Going to start implementing the accountability mirror as another system for positive habit reminders and working towards improving.

Also, I am reading Atomic Habits by James Clear and the Law of Human Nature by Robert Green concurrently. I see a lot of cross applications with these books, which could either be effecting my review positively or negatively (not 100% sure)!

Will keep reading and hoping I keep enjoying it! Looking forward to continually reading everyone's comments!
 

G-Man

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Half way through and not sure if I can finish. He’s an impressive human being in many ways and has accomplished things I will never accomplish, so it feels weird to criticize, but here goes.

He has intense almost unstoppable drive, but seems to lack a sense of proportion, and a why that is meaningful. For all of the chest thumping, he strikes me as someone with a sense of inferiority that goes deeper than deep.

Also- and I’m sorry that I can’t think of a non-judge mental way to phrase this, but I have a hard time listening to people that walk out on their families talk about perseverance. In a weird way, abuse aside, he’s probably turned out a lot more like his dad than he realizes. Dudes that hate their dads almost always do.
 

mbRichard

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My Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars
:star::star::star::star: :xx:

Format:
Audible

My thoughts/review:
David G is one of the new blokes I follow, after seeing one of his Videos on YouTube. The book itself was a damn eye opener. This is especially relevant for someone starting their journey in 'self-improvement' and will put into perspective what it really takes to do extra-ordinary things. The key lessons at the end of each chapter can be easily implemented, and I use it personally when doing my own workouts.

Favorite (or least favorite) chapter:
The Chapter in which he runs 100 miles with no training. I loved this chapter because it showed sort of the turning point on how he 'figured out' a new level of Mindset, and how he was only able to do it through pain and suffering. Sacrificing today for a better tomorrow is one of the major keys to Success, and to go through such physical torture and able to complete his goal at the end put into perspective that sometimes, when you feel like giving up, you probably have A LOT more to give before you actually reach your 100%.

Main takeaway:
The main takeaway I got was that it is an absolute MUST to have to go through some sort of pain/suffering - or should I say 'discomfort'. Being Disciplined is probably the most important skill you'll learn and will be able to apply to anything. And in order to be disciplined, is walking into the fire, knowing damn well that it's going to hurt -- yet doing it because you know on the other side you'll come out stronger.
 
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Invictus

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My Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars
:star::star::star::star::star:

Format:
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My thoughts/review:

Disclaimer 1: Before I begin my review, I want to preface it with this. Despite my high rating, I either agree with everything MJ (and many others) say in his review or think it is a fair point.

Going in, I had no experience with David Goggins or his life philosophy. Perhaps if I had seen some of his previous videos or read up on him, I would have found the book a bit more repetitive. Instead, although it seemed to start repeating the deeper I got into the book, it was all still fresh enough to be intriguing.

Damn.

Goggins does not live a life that I want to emulate (for a number of reasons), but that doesn't mean there isn't immense value in his story. And that's why I gave this book such a high rating.

His story is one that could serve as guiding light for many people. You don't need to run until your body is literally dying, but you can push yourself so much farther than you currently are. You can be much more ruthless than you're giving yourself credit for.

I was a bit surprised at some reviews remarking that they didn't learn much. I think the book is far stronger if taken as a memoir than as a standard self-help / personal development book. I've underlined the majority of Unscripted , but it's a textbook (for lack of better word). If MJ wrote a memoir, I likely wouldn't underline as much because the medium would be different, but there would still be enormous value in his story.

That said, the marketing of the book may have set it up as a 'How-to". I didn't even notice the subtitle of the book was "Master Your Mind And Defy the Odds" until after I read it! Instead, I was happy just to get the 10% of instruction/challenges.

Goggins is a north star. Almost a mythological figure. I don't want to be him, but I do want to consider him when I work. I want to strive for his determination, his mental fortitude, his perseverance.

The book gets a 5/5 simply because I haven't read anything that conveyed this much sheer willpower. This much acceptance of pain and demanding more.

Everything today is about happiness. And while there's nothing wrong with wanting happiness, we can't always escape discomfort and pain.

We talk too much about work-life balance. About being 'you'. About following passion. But Goggins says f that. Follow the pain. Make yourself stronger.

Everything said about Goggins personally (moving goalposts, letting relationships suffer, focusing too much on the battle) I think is on the money. And if I read the book as a "This is exactly how you should live your life", it would have a much worse rating.

Instead, I read it as a niche subject. "This is my story. This is how I break my mental barriers. You can take what you want out of it." That's what gives it 5/5, because it's not about 'creating your 100% life' it's about destroying your mental limitations. On that front, I think it does amazingly well.

Favorite (or least favorite) chapter
:
The 100 Mile Race, for a few reasons.

1) It really sunk home to me that the human body can do *amazing* things. And can be pushed so much more than I thuoght. I thought this would have been literally impossible, but Goggins did it. As long as you can handle your governor, you can do sooooo much more than what anyone will imagine.

2) It reminded me that Goggins is not someone I want to be. He literally put his life on the line to finish that race. I never want to do that just for athletics.

3) It showed me that Goggins' spirit is something to emulate. I don't want to run 100 miles with no training, but I do want to say "F*ck stopping. I can keep going and conquer this."

In close second for my favorite chapter, is the one where he mentions he compartmentalized or planned out his life. He didn't have time to train constantly, so he woke up early, biked to work, ate at his desk, worked out during lunch, and biked back. It's a reminder about the things we could do if we reorganized our lives.


Main takeaway
:
I don't want to imitate Goggins in a lot of things (hell, probably most) but there are two parts of his story we should take to heart.

1) You are capable of so, so much more than you think you are.

Goggins serves as a physical example of what your body can do if you push past your perceived limits. The man ran a hundred miles with no training for god's sake!

Now, he did almost kill himself doing it (one of the reasons Goggins is not someone to 100% emulate). But that's someone breaking through an extreme barrier through sheer will. Something we can find value from.

If you're running two miles a day for exercise, can you channel some of Goggins? Can you push harder? If Goggins' body is to be believed, you can probably go double without any real issue.

A particularly valuable part of this is the way Goggins (and many military personnel) just shrug off certain 'hurdles'. He mentions that he worked training into his daily routine. Twenty-five miles to work? Screw it, he rode his bike there.

Can you imagine bringing a concept like that to the majority of the population? Even if the scenario was easier?

"Hey, your work is only a few miles. Why not ride your bike there?"

"What? Oh no, I couldn't do that!" And then they complain that they don't have time to bike 30 mins to an hour at the gym.

We set up these mental barriers that, the majority of the time, we don't try to break through at all. Physically, our bodies can do insane things. It's the mental wall that stops us.

The funny thing is, people who have to do these things often do. If someone has to walk miles to work, they'll do it. There simply isn't another option.

But let someone drive to work then take the car away. They'll throw an absolute fit. They couldn't fathom getting to work in a non-motorized way.

Your body can do absolutely insane things. The vast majority of us could run ultramarathons, Iron Man races, and more. All we need to do is break the mental barriers.

This isn't to say you should push your body to its literal limits and cause your kidneys to start failing.

Goggins is an extreme example of pushing limits. But by going to that extreme, he can be a sort of 'North Star' for you. Whether you're working out, working on your Fastlane business, etc, you can ask yourself "Am I only giving this 40%? Could I hit this harder. Could I push through the pain? What would Goggins do?"

If he was more moderate, I don't think he would work as that north star.

Even if his life is not something you want to live, Goggins' ruthless pursuit of pushing his physical limits is a great guiding force for your life.


2) What The HELL Is Your Excuse?

If anyone had a pass to just try and coast through life, it would be Goggins. With such a rough start, if he had gotten through his stint in the Air Force and built himself a relatively stable life, I would say he had come far.

Abusive father. Poor. Failing student. Stutterer. Obese. Heart condition.

The same man that, at one point, had those qualities also was also:

Navy Seal. Endurance Athlete. Graduate of Army Ranger School. Public speaker. Record Holder.

Again, if he just secured a 'stable life', I'd say he'd come far. And I don't think I'd be the only person to think that.

He took ownership. Because even if things weren't his fault, it was up to him to change them.

So what's my excuse? What's yours?







P.S. I might write-up something I noticed in my reading. Not sure how many people are Star Wars nerds, but Goggins is essentially a real-life Sith. The way he uses pain and utilizes his emotions as opposed to trying to get 'zen'.
 

daru

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My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
:star::star::star::star::xx:

My thoughts/review

Every now and then I get "high" from a book. Got "high" reading The Millionaire Fastlane , Never Split the Difference, Antifragile, Deep Work and a bunch of other books. So also from this book. While it's starting to wear off now it's still a very inspiring book. But I think inspiration is bullshit for lasting changes in the long run. Still, it can get things started.

First off, hate being a whiner but:
  • Chronic pain from mind-body syndrome called TMS.
  • Stuck in bed while listening because of fever (flu/man-cold).
Went into this book looking for answers to why suffer? And he claims to have the answer: ".. at the other end of that suffering there is a whole other life just waiting for you". That may not even be from the book but from some Podcast he did. Anyway, didn't really get any better answer than that.

But we all know deep down that some suffering is probably good for us. Like exercising, avoid delicious unhealthy food, plan some for the future and transition from SCRIPTED to UNSCRIPTED . So I still think he's on to something. But I'm still haven't wrapped my head around the why of not just seek out the comfortable life. Because a comfortable life really don't exists for the long run?

Another quote that stuck was: "It never ends". It feels wrong but I suspect he is actually right. The suffering, pain and obstacles never ends. Just shifts. So exercise your mind to handle it. I found comfort in that for some weird reason. :smile2:


Favorite (or least favorite) chapter:
I liked the story in the book. Worked through the Challenges and the one about scheduling was the most beneficial (put that inspiration into a routine for lasting results). Have done this before as it's basically the same scheduling thing that Cal Newport recommends in Deep Work.

Main takeaway
Voluntarily take on pain and suffering to exercise your brain. Because one day sooner or later pain and suffering (mental of physical) will find you and you need to be able to handle it. The modern comfortable life will otherwise leave you totally unprepared.
 

MJ DeMarco

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Also- and I’m sorry that I can’t think of a non-judge mental way to phrase this, but I have a hard time listening to people that walk out on their families talk about perseverance. In a weird way, abuse aside, he’s probably turned out a lot more like his dad than he realizes. Dudes that hate their dads almost always do.

Goes to perspective which I mention.

As for some of the reviews which speak positively about breaking mental obstacles and "enduring the pain", that sounds great in a book. But when you apply it, there can be detrimental consequences for life.

I used to visualize myself lifting huge amounts of weight at the gym. I psyched myself up to be superhuman. And you know what? It F*cking worked for a short period of time. I'd be able to do tricep dips with 3 45lb plates strapped to my waist, bench presses that would catch the eye of the meatheads where they'd say "WTF? How's that small dude lifting that much?" At the end of the day, my muscles got bigger but at a tremendous cost. My joints, tendons and other soft tissue could not handle the load. (I have a small frame) so I ended up on an orthopedic surgeon's table multiple times with multiple surgeries to correct the stress I put them under.

Now I can't lift shit without stress pain in all of these areas that had to have surgery.

The muscle atrophied and now a gym visit is simply to fight the sands of time which wants to erase more muscle.

These pains come compliment of a strong mental attitude as Goggins professes: "Stop being a pussy, fight through it -- you can do anything!"

Yea, I did it.

And now I can't.

And no mental attitude will change that, but the mental attitude put me there.

Health is not like money, you can't buy more. Treating your health so callously is, well, callous.
 
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Timmy C

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Goes to perspective which I mention.

As for some of the reviews which speak positively about breaking mental obstacles and "enduring the pain", that sounds great in a book. But when you apply it, there can be detrimental consequences for life.

I used to visualize myself lifting huge amounts of weight at the gym. I psyched myself up to be superhuman. And you know what? It f*cking worked for a short period of time. I'd be able to do tricep dips with 3 45lb plates strapped to my waist, bench presses that would catch the eye of the meatheads where they'd say "WTF? How's that small dude lifting that much?" At the end of the day, my muscles got bigger but at a tremendous cost. My joints, tendons and other soft tissue could not handle the load. (I have a small frame) so I ended up on an orthopedic surgeon's table multiple times with multiple surgeries to correct the stress I put them under.

Now I can't lift sh*t without stress pain in all of these areas that had to have surgery.

The muscle atrophied and now a gym visit is simply to fight the sands of time which wants to erase more muscle.

These pains come compliment of a strong mental attitude as Goggins professes: "Stop being a pussy, fight through it -- you can do anything!"

Yea, I did it.

And now I can't.

And no mental attitude will change that, but the mental attitude put me there.

Health is not like money, you can't buy more. Treating your health so callously is, well, callous.

I find this really interesting MJ as I'm not a small guy per say not large either but I can lift a very respectable amount of weight.

Did you train for strength. low rep ranges and high sets with long rest intervals?

I tend to try not push it but make some progress when I go in be it one more rep or set or up the weight ever so slightly.
 

G-Man

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And no mental attitude will change that, but the mental attitude put me there.

Health is not like money, you can't buy more. Treating your health so callously is, well, callous.
I got to the part where he's basically in a cold shower showing symptoms of renal failure.... and glorifying sticking through the pain.... it's all glorious until you end up on dialysis at 40
 

Invictus

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Goes to perspective which I mention.

As for some of the reviews which speak positively about breaking mental obstacles and "enduring the pain", that sounds great in a book. But when you apply it, there can be detrimental consequences for life.

I used to visualize myself lifting huge amounts of weight at the gym. I psyched myself up to be superhuman. And you know what? It f*cking worked for a short period of time. I'd be able to do tricep dips with 3 45lb plates strapped to my waist, bench presses that would catch the eye of the meatheads where they'd say "WTF? How's that small dude lifting that much?" At the end of the day, my muscles got bigger but at a tremendous cost. My joints, tendons and other soft tissue could not handle the load. (I have a small frame) so I ended up on an orthopedic surgeon's table multiple times with multiple surgeries to correct the stress I put them under.

Now I can't lift sh*t without stress pain in all of these areas that had to have surgery.

The muscle atrophied and now a gym visit is simply to fight the sands of time which wants to erase more muscle.

These pains come compliment of a strong mental attitude as Goggins professes: "Stop being a pussy, fight through it -- you can do anything!"

Yea, I did it.

And now I can't.

And no mental attitude will change that, but the mental attitude put me there.

Health is not like money, you can't buy more. Treating your health so callously is, well, callous.

I think one major aspect of our reviews is where you are at with your life / mindset.

Do you have any issues pushing yourself? Do you stop your workout at the first sign of pain (not sharp, serious pain, just general fatigue)? Or do you get a good workout in every time?

If you’re the type to push yourself, this book is NOT going to be a wake-up call for you. Except maybe as a “Holy shit, maybe I need to moderate so I don’t end up pissing blood.”

But if you don’t push, it’s a sign that you’re missing out. That your body could be doing amazing things. There will be a time to pump the brakes, but don’t put the cart before the horse.

I found enormous value in the book, and gave it 5 stars, but still take a lot with a grain of salt. I can fold a portion of his philosophy into my life, as long as I’m mindful that his philosophy comes with its own (severe) issues if followed 100%.

P.S. I also spoke with my fiancé and she made a great observation about me. I tend to like stories of people who are almost caricatures, especially athletes. If I can ‘channel’ someone and achieve only 30% of what they’ve done, I’d rather channel the extreme.

I thought it was an interesting observation that I never considered about myself.



EDIT TO AVOID DOUBLE POST:
I got to the part where he's basically in a cold shower showing symptoms of renal failure.... and glorifying sticking through the pain.... it's all glorious until you end up on dialysis at 40

Yea, that was the moment I was 100% onboard with “This is not someone to model your entire life around.”

Goggins strikes me as the type of person that wouldn’t be satisfied unless he was risking his life like that. For most of us, our bodies falling apart from extreme use is bad. For him, it may be a sign of victory. Hell, he may not be happy unless he dies mid-workout.

To some, dying content would be failure. Dying mid action is the only way to prove to themselves they’ve done right.

I can’t say it’s wrong if that’s what makes him satisfied. Although I do think that perhaps the obsession could be channeled a bit more productively, but that’s not for me to say. It absolutely is not for me, however.
 
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Samix

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My Rating: 2 stars out of 5 stars
:star::star::xx::xx::xx:

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My thoughts/review:
I bought this book mainly because we'd be discussing it, but also because it had shown up in multiple places to me and seemed like it was up my alley. It started off well enough, but I reached the point where he's trying to do ultra ironman and it's become so tedious that I have to force myself to continue (which is very unlike me).

Favorite (or least favorite) chapter:
Favorite: Taking Souls. The idea and the way it was presented took something that I knew (living inside someone's head) and presented it in a new light with some nuanced points that could help me use the strategy going forward.

Least favorite: Him acting like all of his challenges were for charity when they clearly were so he could best himself and prove that he's a somebody. Maybe I'm taking this a little too personally, but faux charity always bugs me.

Main takeaway:
For a book that seemed like a biography, it was filled with too many tangential stories and flowery descriptions that made the book entirely too long. The challenges were shallow and seemed like an afterthought. The entire book was focused on his punishment and skipped over years of his life a few times, which leads to believe that this is just his highlight reel and is basically a written version of an Instagram page. I'm still not sure if it was a self help book, a biography, or another money grab on the Navy SEALS go write books craze.
 

biophase

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My Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars
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My thoughts/review:
Finished it yesterday. Many things have already been discussed so I'm just going to give you my perspective on his mindset.

I already knew most of his life story from podcasts and other books. I'm a fan of his and this book is basically what I thought it would be. I actually liked the back half more than the front half.

Maybe I like him more than others here because I mountain bike and am often wanting to rest and give up on a long climb. Maybe that's why I especially liked the ultra endurance chapters. I've been where he was and pushed through it and thought "damn" I thought I was done 30 minutes ago. I've been at the point where walking 60 feet to go to the bathroom was a huge ordeal.

I totally can relate to his inner talk. A few years ago while climbing Kilimanjaro, during a really tough time, I leaned over to another forum member and said, this makes starting a business feel easy. Again, it's all mindset, we know both are hard, but when you accomplish something hard, the next challenge feels a little bit easier or more attainable.

Interesting note is that he believes in strengthening your mind through experiencing pain and toughness. Jordan Peterson believes that going through diversity unlocks your potential. Both believe that pain and failure make you better, but Goggin's is saying you are at level 0 going to level 100, whereas Peterson says level 100 is in you, but your mind is locked at level 0.

I think the audible part added alot to this book. For those who read the book, you didn't get the background information on some of the chapters and the stories that made the chapters make more sense. I'd recommend going that route vs. reading it.

What I got out of this book...

There is a bike trail that is 10 miles from my condo in Colorado. We've always driven the 10 miles and started from the trailhead. The locals ride from town to the trail and back, about 25 miles round trip. This is a ride that my friends and I have always thought impossible for us. But after reading this book, I've challenged my friends to do this, this summer. We are calling it the Goggin's challenge. It's something I cringe at just thinking about it. But I think we are ready, we just have to start early in the morning!

My recommendation for those that have read this book, whether they liked it or not is to find something that you don't think you can do and really think about doing it. Think about why you don't think you can do it. Is it a mindset issue, physical issue, etc... Then figure out how you can accomplish it. I'll post back on this thread when I've completed my Goggin's challenge.
 

rogue synthetic

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As for some of the reviews which speak positively about breaking mental obstacles and "enduring the pain", that sounds great in a book. But when you apply it, there can be detrimental consequences for life.

I used to visualize myself lifting huge amounts of weight at the gym. I psyched myself up to be superhuman. And you know what? It f*cking worked for a short period of time. I'd be able to do tricep dips with 3 45lb plates strapped to my waist, bench presses that would catch the eye of the meatheads where they'd say "WTF? How's that small dude lifting that much?" At the end of the day, my muscles got bigger but at a tremendous cost. My joints, tendons and other soft tissue could not handle the load. (I have a small frame) so I ended up on an orthopedic surgeon's table multiple times with multiple surgeries to correct the stress I put them under.

I think one major aspect of our reviews is where you are at with your life / mindset.

Do you have any issues pushing yourself? Do you stop your workout at the first sign of pain (not sharp, serious pain, just general fatigue)? Or do you get a good workout in every time?

If you’re the type to push yourself, this book is NOT going to be a wake-up call for you. Except maybe as a “Holy sh*t, maybe I need to moderate so I don’t end up pissing blood.”

But if you don’t push, it’s a sign that you’re missing out. That your body could be doing amazing things. There will be a time to pump the brakes, but don’t put the cart before the horse.

Back in my personal-trainer days, I spent some time coaching women's figure and natural bodybuilding competitors.

If you'd let them, these girls would be hitting the pavement 3 hours a day, every day, while eating 1000 calories of chicken and broccoli and lifting 6 days a week. I've never seen anything like it. Most of my job was reigning them in.

They don't need to hear "you can do infinity workouts if you just love the pain".

The pendulum swings the other way with guys who start to enjoy lifting. They don't want to do anything BUT lift weights for 3-5 hours a week. This got really bad awhile back when the Starting Strength 5x5 was all the rage. Kids were eating themselves obese, allergic to any activity that got their heart rate over 120, and didn't even get all that strong for it.

Those guys, they need to hear that some extra activity is okay.

But we're talking about two different physical qualities now. What a body can endure in terms of total work output is different, and has a different impact, than high-intensity work, like lifting weights or sprinting.

Me, I've torn a lot of muscles and injured a lot of joints lifting weights. Funny enough, one of the things that saved me was discovering the Bulgarian method -- literally squatting to a max every day of the week. I did this for awhile. It sounds like it would do even more damage. It ended up teaching me how to pace myself, how to get in a better frame of mind when handling heavy weights, how to relax so that stress wouldn't wipe me out. My joints never felt better. Even the aches from old muscle tears stopped bugging me.

This was nowhere near as extreme as Goggins, but a lot of his story and his coping mechanisms sounded very familiar to me.

In my review I said that people would need to be in the right frame of mind to absorb this lesson. I don't think everyone needs to fall in love with pain. I've known people who have destroyed their ankles, knees, and hips from excessive running. They don't need to hear "do more". The guys who push themselves to lift max show-off weights don't need to hear "just push through it".

There are real limitations.

But I do think the message is a good one. What most people take as the limitations are nowhere near the real boundaries.
 
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biophase

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Back in my personal-trainer days, I spent some time coaching women's figure and natural bodybuilding competitors.

If you'd let them, these girls would be hitting the pavement 3 hours a day, every day, while eating 1000 calories of chicken and broccoli and lifting 6 days a week. I've never seen anything like it. Most of my job was reigning them in.

They don't need to hear "you can do infinity workouts if you just love the pain".

The pendulum swings the other way with guys who start to enjoy lifting. They don't want to do anything BUT lift weights for 3-5 hours a week. This got really bad awhile back when the Starting Strength 5x5 was all the rage. Kids were eating themselves obese, allergic to any activity that got their heart rate over 120, and didn't even get all that strong for it.

Those guys, they need to hear that some extra activity is okay.

But we're talking about two different physical qualities now. What a body can endure in terms of total work output is different, and has a different impact, than high-intensity work, like lifting weights or sprinting.

Me, I've torn a lot of muscles and injured a lot of joints lifting weights. Funny enough, one of the things that saved me was discovering the Bulgarian method -- literally squatting to a max every day of the week. I did this for awhile. It sounds like it would do even more damage. It ended up teaching me how to pace myself, how to get in a better frame of mind when handling heavy weights, how to relax so that stress wouldn't wipe me out. My joints never felt better. Even the aches from old muscle tears stopped bugging me.

This was nowhere near as extreme as Goggins, but a lot of his story and his coping mechanisms sounded very familiar to me.

In my review I said that people would need to be in the right frame of mind to absorb this lesson. I don't think everyone needs to fall in love with pain. I've known people who have destroyed their ankles, knees, and hips from excessive running. They don't need to hear "do more". The guys who push themselves to lift max show-off weights don't need to hear "just push through it".

There are real limitations.

But I do think the message is a good one. What most people take as the limitations are nowhere near the real boundaries.

I don't think this was given enough context in the book.

BTW, just a side note about working out. My personal trainer is an ex-Ranger. If I didn't have alot of respect for him before, I have alot more after I read Goggin's description about Ranger school.

I've been going to my trainer for 4 years now. I've recommend him to many friends and alot of them come back and tell me that his workouts are too easy. I've given him that feedback and he tells me, I can train them harder but they will eventually get hurt. better to train more often at lighter intensity and be able to train 200 days a year, than to train hard, be sore or hurt and get in 150 days. This sounds like some scam to get more $$, because 200 days of PT vs 150 cost 33% more! Alot of guys like to get home and feel super sore the next day and then skip workouts because they can't move their arms. To them, this is progress.
 

rogue synthetic

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Alot of guys like to get home and feel super sore the next day and then skip workouts because they can't move their arms. To them, this is progress.

Oh I would get this all the time. Inexperienced people need to "feel something" or they don't think it's working. Your trainer has it right -- I never cared to wipe people out, any idiot with a polo shirt and a clipboard can do that. What matters is whether they're still exercising in 6 months, a year, 10 years.

Next time you're browsing supplements, notice how many things have caffeine in them. Supplement companies drop caffeine into things that don't really need it because it gives you a buzz. No buzz, no effect.
 

JunkBoxJoey_JBJ

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My Rating:
:star::star::star: :xx::xx:

Format:
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My thoughts/review:

This was not a "note taking" adventure for business.

A journey of a man who at least "put it out there". Kudos.

His “how to" mentality on certain things, was interesting to say the least.

I was surprised at some of his lack of preparation/familiarization with hydration, etc.

His relationships he has/had good or bad, lots could be delved into there and I’m no psychiatrist.

I appreciate his service and donations to raise money.

I appreciated his Recruitment tour, time and efforts and stats.

War is ugly, but we need warriors.

We are softer, agree (now how we change that mindset is up to you).

Regardless of my own beliefs on taking care of your body or how to mentally get through things - even if some of his were self-inflicted - that sh*t was intense

Favorite (or least favorite) chapter:
Favorite = Chapter 1 - It set up many of the psychological factors he faced and is still perhaps facing.

Reflection: How f*cking important parenting, self-esteem/self-belief and kindness are.

Main takeaway:
Regardless of methods and mentality, regardless the book could have been shorter, regardless of some of the negatives, my main takeaway was:

How much do "I" really have in the tank when it counts.

Looking forward to the next book.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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I think one major aspect of our reviews is where you are at with your life / mindset.

Yes, this definitely matters.

It matters to everyone.

We process information through our frame of life experience. This is why my 1 star review is no better (or worse) than your 5-star review.

unny enough, one of the things that saved me was discovering the Bulgarian method -- literally squatting to a max every day of the week

Holy shit, that's how I ramped up my strength, the Bulgarian method.

It worked, but it also F*cked me up pretty good.
 

rogue synthetic

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Holy sh*t, that's how I ramped up my strength, the Bulgarian method.

It worked, but it also f*cked me up pretty good.

Yeah, it turned out there was a whole head-game behind it which I never realized until I started doing it.

The thing I had to get across to people (myself included) is that "max" is a confusing word.

There's max as in, I've just snorted a line of coke and I've got a few hundred people watching me about to hit this PR squat.

Then there's "max" as in, this is the best I'm good for right now, relaxed, no pressure.

The first one will mess you up fast if you try to do it more than every blue moon.

The second one, you can knock that out multiple times a week.

The thing is, if you don't know this and don't learn how to read your own mental and physical responses, you'll gravitate to the competition max just out of instinct.

I was only able to make it work because of all the work I put in to make sure to keep effort in the tank. I wrote a book about this awhile back which summed up my process. I won't post it here but I'll PM you if you want a copy.
 

brianF16

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The book is brilliant.

Key learnings:
- always hold myself at my level best and always work towards achieving the next level.
- When visualising desired outcomes you must also visualise each key step of the process. Go through in detail how you will overcome the challenges that lie ahead.
- slow down your thinking when running/challenged.
- when faced with adversity remind yourself of your WHY.
- there is always another level.
 
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G-Man

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My Rating:
:star::star::xx::xx::xx:

Favorite Part:
His talking about how doing things that are hard is good for you because it makes you mentally stronger is great, and made me think back on some of the hard things I've done that have made me harder. Example: I deal with utter assholes all day. I used to have social anxiety. It wasn't therapy or a pill that fixed my social anxiety, it was forcing myself to suck on the turd and deal with assholes.

Also love that he dropped 100lbs in 3 months.

Least Favorite Part:
This probably comes down to worldview, but I don't understand the way he looks at suffering as a form of self actualization. Example: He talks about his service in the military and all the hard shit he had to do from the perspective of becoming a hard mofo, but doesn't have the "I'm a hard mofo because.....".

We all put ourselves through hard stuff becuase there's a ________ right? I mean, I see my aptitude for dealing with assholes as positive because the world is full of them, and by being good at it, I'm in a better position to help and take care of my friends and loved ones. In other words, I suck the turd and get thick skin so that other people won't have to take as much shit hopefully. Goggins seems to view becoming hard almost as an end in itself. I respect everything he's done, but I can't say I understand him, other than that the whole shtick strikes me as someone who's insecurity runs so deep that he has to constantly out-do himself to make it stop nagging him.

Two stars because the guy has done some awesome shit, but I don't see him as an inspiring person to emulate.
 

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My thoughts/review: I had heard of the dude from "living with a seal" a few years back and had heard talks of his on youtube. He's absolutely crazy. And absolutely right. What I absolutely love about what he's saying is the amount of suffering that all of us can endure and that we have to endure to grow and get anywhere. But beyond that, the fact that all of it is in your mind. As he says, whatever sucks, it'll end. So why focus on that? Looking at the past 10 years, I realize that I was far too comfortable, far too weak. I think in recent years, Goggins was more an inspiration to me than anyone else.

Favorite (or least favorite) chapter:
Chapter 7. Gold: 40% He's so right. I actually managed 100 pushups with this, taking breaks and keeping at it until i had 100 down. My arms were burning.

Main takeaway:
It's the title. Can't hurt me. Whatever is f*cked up, whatever sucks, whatever hurts... maybe I'm still at 40% and can push more. As long as I convince myself that it's all in my head. The act of deciding that I don't want to be that guy anymore. That age, family, etc are all just excuses to stop at mediocrity. Those are my takeaways.
 

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