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Who is the author of Can’t Hurt Me?

The author of Can’t Hurt Me is David Goggins.

Personal Development

Can’t Hurt Me Book Summary - Can’t Hurt Me Book explained in key points

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Can’t Hurt Me summary

Name: Can’t Hurt Me
Rating: 4.2 (1102 reviews)
Author: David Goggins

David Goggins

Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds

4.2 (1102 ratings)

18 mins

Brief summary

Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins is a memoir that tells the story of a man who overcame immense adversity to become a Navy SEAL and ultra-endurance athlete. It offers insights into the power of mental toughness and how we can all push past our limits.

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Memoirs Mental Health

Table of Contents

Can’t Hurt Me
Summary of 6 key ideas

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What’s in it for me? Meet the world’s most determined man.

So many of us struggle with even the most basic fitness regimen. Somehow we always find an excuse not to head to the gym after work or to skip that weekend run. But what would it be like to live your life with no excuses for not giving 100 percent? Well, in these blinks you’ll find out because that’s exactly how the author, David Goggins, lives.

We’ll go on a journey and discover this incredible man’s extraordinary life story. From his traumatic childhood and overweight twenties to his amazing transformation into one of the world’s fittest soldiers, we’ll learn what it takes to become one of the fittest people on the planet. Through searing honesty and unbelievable anecdotes, we’ll find out just how Goggins turned his life around to achieve the near-impossible – and how you can emulate his success.

Read on to discover

how Goggins’ childhood shaped him;
why he almost dropped out of the military altogether; and
what awaits you in Badwater 135.

David Goggins’ early life was blighted by his violent, demanding father.

For many American children, childhood is a carefree time full of play, security and parental love. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way for David Goggins.

Born in New York in 1975, Goggins never knew the simple joys of childhood. Instead, from the tender age of six, Goggins, along with his mother and older brother, was a slave to his tyrannical father, Trunnis. A self-made businessman, Trunnis owned a roller-disco rink, and his workforce was none other than his young family.

Almost every night of the week, Goggins’ father took his wife and kids out to his skating rink, where he made them work tirelessly until midnight. Between the ages of six and eight, David’s job was to look after the skating shoes. His mother would cook their dinner over a hot plate in the rink’s office, and after the children had finally finished work at around midnight, she would put them to bed in the office too. Unfortunately, the thumping music from the dance floor made sleep almost impossible, and Goggins regularly fell asleep in school, unable to concentrate on his lessons.

While this grueling routine of school and late-night work would have been intolerable for any young child, the sickening brutality of Goggin’s father made life all but unbearable. David often witnessed his father beating his mother with a belt when she dared to disobey him. Once, when David contracted a bad ear infection, she dared to take him to the hospital. Trunnis hated spending money on his family, even when his children’s health was at risk. When his mother returned from the hospital, Trunnis beat her senseless. Whenever David tried to intervene to protect his mother, he was belted too. He often had to hide the bruises and angry red welts his father’s belt had given him.

Thankfully, when David was eight years old, he and his mother escaped from their tormentor. His mother sweet-talked his father into letting her get a credit card in her name, and with the help of a sympathetic neighbor, she planned her escape. After hurriedly leaving Trunnis’s house, David and his mother drove to the small town of Brazil, Indiana, where they started a new life free from Trunnis. But their newfound freedom was bittersweet. Why? Because David’s older brother decided to stay with their father, despite his cruelty, meaning that David saw him little after they left.

Unfortunately, David’s life in Indiana wouldn’t be free from hardship either.

Goggins escaped his father, but couldn’t outrun his past suffering at his hands.

David Goggins may have escaped his abusive father, but that didn’t mean the rest of his childhood was any easier. In small-town Indiana, he would spend the rest of his formative years grappling with poverty and the demons of his past.

As soon as the initial euphoria of fleeing from Trunnis wore off, David and his mother had a new and harsh reality to face: they were suddenly dirt poor. Trunnis refused to give his wife and child more than a pittance to support themselves in their new life. David and his mother lived in a public housing block where they paid seven dollars a month in rent and eked out an existence on her part-time job and a $123 monthly welfare check.

Fear and disappointment held Goggins back from reaching his full potential as a young man.

As a teenager, David still struggled with school and literacy. But in his late teens, he finally locked on to something concrete to do with his life: join the United States Air Force. Buoyed by hopes of becoming a military man, he buckled down, learned to read and was accepted into Air Force training. Unfortunately, his path to success wouldn’t be a smooth one.

David’s dream was to become an Air Force pararescue, a special type of soldier who specializes in parachuting into war zones and rescuing injured pilots. To complete his training, David would have to face his toughest test yet: swimming.

Goggins changed his life and his body in a quest to become a Navy SEAL.

One morning, after binging on another massive breakfast, Goggins saw something on television that would change his life forever: a documentary about Navy SEALS in training. SEALS are widely regarded as the most elite fighting force in the world, and SEAL training is the toughest in the world – only the best make it through.

Watching SEAL recruits struggling through mud, sweat and tears, Goggins was transfixed by their mental toughness, their determination to fight through suffering and their peak physical conditioning.

Goggins’ most impressive credentials are for ultra running.

Goggins had achieved his ambition to become a Navy SEAL, but after a few years, he found himself hungry for new challenges. What would test his physical capabilities to the limit, the way SEAL training once had? In 2005 he found the answer: extreme long-distance running, or ultra running.

Goggins began ultra running to contribute to a good cause. When several of his fellow Navy SEALS were killed in a military operation in Afghanistan, Goggins decided to raise money for the families they left behind. This way he could combine charity with his quest to complete the toughest foot race on earth.

With a lot of hard work, anyone can emulate Goggins’ success.

Because Goggins is one of the United States’ only African-American SEALS and a prolific ultra runner, people often ask him how they can become as successful as him. His first piece of advice comes down to one thing: work ethic.

It’s a sad fact that our society has become addicted to quick fixes. But Goggins believes that if you want to master yourself and harness your true potential, there’s no quick fix – only hard work. You may have tons of talent and passion, but without a work ethic to match, you’re a bird without wings – you’ll never fly.

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What is Can’t Hurt Me about?

Can’t Hurt Me (2018) is the inspirational true-life story of David Goggins, one of the world’s fittest men. The blinks explore the key life events of this inspirational athlete and military man and provide a fascinating insight into a truly focused and unbreakable mind.

Can’t Hurt Me Review

Can't Hurt Me (2018) by David Goggins is an extraordinary memoir that pushes us to overcome our limits and tap into our untapped potential. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Packed with relentless determination and resilience, it shows how Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man into a Navy SEAL and ultra-endurance athlete.
Combining raw honesty, reflection, and practical advice, the book provides a roadmap for breaking through self-imposed barriers and achieving greatness in all areas of life.
With its unflinching portrayal of Goggins' physical and mental challenges, the book is a gripping and inspiring account that proves the power of the human spirit.

Best quote from Can’t Hurt Me

I became just the thirty-sixth African American to successfully graduate from Navy Seal training.

—David Goggins

Who should read Can’t Hurt Me?

Fitness freaks looking for fresh insights
Those wanting tips on how to triumph over adversity
Anyone interested in inspirational life stories

About the Author

David Goggins is an ultramarathon runner and the former world record holder for the greatest number of pull-ups completed in 24 hours. Goggins is also a former US Navy SEAL who saw active duty in both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

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