52 pages • 1 hour read
David GogginsCan't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Key Figures
Themes
Index of Terms
Important Quotes
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BetaEssay Topics
Goggins’s childhood was filled with trauma, loss, and anxiety. How was he able to convert aspects of his suffering into a strong mindset?
What is the Accountability Mirror and how does it work? What is the importance, for Goggins, of ritualizing his “war with himself”? What do you think about his view that it is useful to be cruel to oneself if it is in service of a higher purpose? Why?
Goggins advises people to do things that make them uncomfortable. Why? What is the importance of focusing on weaknesses, not strengths?
What is the 40 percent rule? Assess whether you believe in the 40 percent rule and why.
Amidst his tortuous experiences in Hell Week (during BUD/S training) Goggins asks himself, “Why am I here?” How does he answer this question? What is the value of his answer?
Assess the concept of “taking souls.” What does Goggins mean by the phrase? In what sense is it a purely solitary mind game? What are the desired results? Do you think it is problematic in any way? Why or why not?
What is Goggins’s “cookie jar”? How does he discover the idea and then use it to his advantage? To what end does this kind of self-encouragement lead?
What does it mean to be “uncommon amongst the uncommon?” How does Goggins go about achieving this unique position? What is the value of such a mindset? Does it have drawbacks? If so, explain why with reference to the text.
Appraise the Goggins mindset. What value does it have? Are there any blind spots or fundamental weaknesses? What are they and why?
What is the “can’t hurt me” mentality? Is it a goal worth aiming for? Assess this in relation to the book as a whole. Was this book successful in its aim? Was it a worthy aim? Why?
