Can't Hurt Me, David Goggins

2020-03-12

Notes

• Most people are only operating at 40% capacity.
• Limits are only limits if you believe they are.
• You can “change” superficially without improving in any meaningful way.

Thoughts & Questions

• David begins his transformation by being brutally honest with himself, and by building a habit of setting small goals to build up to larger ones.
  • Essentially basic goal-setting / self-improvement advice, but unlike most Goggins seems to live it rather than just preach it.
  • David Goggins is a real person. Of course he is, I just read his book, but humans seem to have a natural inclination to de-humanize high achievers into something more abstract - “superhuman”, “machine”, “freak”.
    • When most people are operating at 40%, and then someone comes shooting past at 80% or 90%, it might be stranger if there was a lack of perception of the massive output delta between the groups - but why is this delta attributed to talent or otherwise abstracted away as inhuman rather than acknowledged as the product of hard work?
      • Perhaps this is a product of our current cultural climate, with the widespread tightening of feedback-reward loops drawing focus to the present and what can be done “now”, at the expense of longer-term views.
      • Or perhaps this is a more individual perception. Coming up against someone performing at over twice your capacity could be confronting for some, and instead of accepting this and looking to improve, it may be easier to write off these high capacities as impossible for “regular” people to reach.
        • there are no “regular” people, only regular performers.
• David harnesses the demons of his past to fuel his drive. What other aspects of life are effective to draw on to develop a relentless drive?
  • Ambition? Fear?
• Goggins’ habit of seeking discomfort is only briefly mentioned but may be one of the most critical steps he took on his journey.
  • If people unconsciously gravitate towards a state of content, comfort and mediocrity, can explicitly seeking discomfort stop this pull and instead promote structural change in your life?
    • Essentially embedding a system of seeking discomfort into your life, so it becomes your natural inclination.
    • Between this search for discomfort and his concept of the “accountability mirror”, are these the keystone habits that David’s achievements rest on?
• It seems as though a rare few who experience severe hardship - Goggins and his abusive father, Elon Musk with a similarly tough childhood, Steve Jobs and his turmoil over being adopted - can harness their emotions and draw on them as a force for motivation and action.
  • What is it about these people and/or their circumstances that have pushed them to perform when others in similarly horrible situations would struggle and get stuck?
    • These people stand out as incredibly driven. Is there some link between the struggles of their past and their drive?
      • Can they lean on their struggles as a source of motivation? Almost like a reverse “cookie jar”?
      • Do their childhood struggles serve as some sort of cruel lesson/trail by fire in pushing on?
        • Then perhaps this incredible drive is an example of survivorship bias?
      • Other highly successful people have lived comfortable lives, yet still stand out as achieving great things - Bill & Melinda Gates, Patrick & John Collison etc.
        • How do these 2 groups of people differ?
          • For one, it seems as though the drive of the individuals in group 1 - is - specifically - celebrated - whereas it is the output of group 2 that is celebrated.
• On his own, Goggins seems to have internalized the growing understanding of human performance and habits. By focussing on a few keystone habits - relentlessly challenging himself, seeking out discomfort, striving to be “uncommon amongst uncommon” - and pushing himself to take a small step towards his larger goal, Goggins has achieved remarkable things.
  • This book feels more real and inspiring than other personal development books, likely due to the harsh reality backing up Goggins’ messages. In a similar vein to “Educated”, Can’t Hurt Me stands out, as Goggins isn’t simply presenting a theory or idea, but rather showing us how internalizing these strategies he discusses can be transformative.
• After his body starts giving up due to his incredibly high-intensity lifestyle (and lack of stretching), Goggins has a moment of clarity where he realizes that despite only having lived for 38 years, his life has been richer and fuller than that of most 80+ year olds.
  • How strong and transformative is the personal understanding that the work you have done has been meaningful?
  • On the flip side, could the increasing global prevalence of depression be linked to a diminishing perception that one’s work is “meaningful”?

Closing

• Overall, this book is stunning. I feel less like I have read it, and more like I have lived through it. Can’t Hurt Me shows how greatness can come from nothing, and how by rejecting mediocrity we can push ourselves far beyond the limits we place on ourselves. This book makes it very clear that anyone is capable of what Goggins has achieved, if only they have the strength of will to accept themselves, and the commitment to push themselves long after everyone else has given up.