Marc F Dawson
asked:
I understand his drive and callousing of his mind but is there anything he does that makes him happy? It seems as though he is obsessed with proving everyone including himself wrong. Does he do anything for the love of it? Because it makes him feel good? If like to be able to relate to that side of him since I'm not going to become a seal.
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Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds,
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Larry
I think the moral of the story is he doesn't want to live a happy life but a fulfilled one. This reminds me of Aristotle's view on living a virtuous life in order to be happy.
Tom Smith
I think he finds happiness in pushing his limits and this does make him feel good. It might not be the hedonistic pleasure that we typically associate with happiness, but it seems to give him a deep sense of purpose and satisfaction.
JBZ
I think Goggins would answer this question by telling you to shut the F up and go put in some work son!
Kelly
I didn't get "unhappy" from this book, I got "driven to excel beyond all expectations." Chief Goggins "feels good" mentally, emotionally and spiritually when he pushes himself beyond the limits of his own mind. You don't have to become a Seal. Your goal might be to walk around the block, learn Spanish, or read 52 books in a year. His challenges work for anyone and everyone. Read his book. Try it. It works.
Bibliovoracious
That is an excellent question. I read the whole book looking for this answer, the why? No, but WHY? Most everyone else answered this question with "for the results- his achievements make him happy". But he expressly says that's not the case. He's never done, and at the end of every accomplishment, he's looking for the next one. I have to say, I didn't find that "happiness" is even on his list. Not a factor. He doesn't want happiness, he wants to know and prove where his 100% limit is, and that gives him peace and satisfaction.
M.K. Chester
Absolutely. The last chapter puts all of his history, his actions, into perspective. Very genuine.
Leah
He's working through his childhood trauma. He is repeatedly putting himself back into abusive situations but has agency and control. His pain becomes the bitter medicine that allows for his healing and inner peace.
Lisa
No, I don't think he ever felt happiness or joy about anything. Which is why I ultimately didn't like this book. He's like a hamster spinning on the wheel forever, without ever taking time to enjoy it. (Somehow, legends like Tom Brady can enjoy their Super Bowl championships, but Goggins never seems to be happy about anything.) He also never seemed to spend any time with his child, and had multiple divorces and a crummy family life for much of the book. Ultimately, when it comes to self-help books, you have to ask yourself if you admire or would want that person's life. Who would want to be Goggins? Not me.
Kelly
May I suggest the latest podcast from Rich Roll in which he interviews David Goggins.
Julianne Lynch
I wanted to read this book because I was given the impression that it was a self help book. I get that to a lot of people maybe it is, but certainly not to me. There is no way that I would aspire to having this life. After reading a good deal of this book, I am curious as to how David Goggins' own children would describe their childhood. Did they spend a lot of quality time with a happy, involved parent?? For me, finding extra above the 40% if just not worth it, if the trade off is losing quality family time with the people I love. I did not like this book, because ultimately I just could not relate at all to the author.
Anna Victoria
He is a motivational speaker, so he encourages people of hard backgrounds to take responsibility for their lives. I think this is a profoundly meaningful thing to do, and I would venture to say it is a source of eudemonia, a deeper sort of happiness. (This aside from his ability to strive for excellence).
Aletka
I think Goggins story is one of self-actualization. In the conclusion, he tells that he found "enlightenment" while near what he thought to be his death. He then proceeds to share that after all his trials and tribulations he is finally content and learns to love himself- including that depressed young man he so loathed when he looked in the mirror. He becomes more holistically invested in his quest for "success" by realizing he is, and always has been, succesful and worthy.
Turok Tucker
He loves to run. He loves to compete. He loved the military. He lives life on his own terms and does the things that make him happy - it just so happens pushing physical limits is one of those things.
Matthew J. Pallett
If you had a reasonably safe and unthreatening childhood with minimal trauma and free from too much emotional hurt, what he speaks of may simply go over your head. Talking therapy, as someone suggested as a possible solution here, is not always the answer. This can (and does) help a lot of people, but it is not a magic bullet.
We must understand that our definitions (and presentations) of the word "happy" can drastically alter from one person to another. Giving his absolute all to something and pushing himself to the limit of his physical and mental endurance does seem to nourish his happy.
I can completely identify with the fact there is a certain satisfaction in knowing that you have given your all all to something and, with that effort comes a similar depth of reward.
Reaching that place of maximal effort ultimately cultivates a certain sense of peace and contentment, but you must first earn it.
He is always looking to improve and, by his own admission, is "never satisfied". He does, however, consider himself happy. Maybe not your happy, maybe not 99% of people's happy, but his.
When you have adopted such a position and are introspective enough to have established why you have done that, you touch the flame of intention. As a writer myself, I have found this is something that is very hard be sufficiently recorded in words.
What I have read thus far is far more powerful than any book I've ever read. It fires me up so much, in fact, that I haven't been able to make it past the first few pages. 🙏 ❤️
We must understand that our definitions (and presentations) of the word "happy" can drastically alter from one person to another. Giving his absolute all to something and pushing himself to the limit of his physical and mental endurance does seem to nourish his happy.
I can completely identify with the fact there is a certain satisfaction in knowing that you have given your all all to something and, with that effort comes a similar depth of reward.
Reaching that place of maximal effort ultimately cultivates a certain sense of peace and contentment, but you must first earn it.
He is always looking to improve and, by his own admission, is "never satisfied". He does, however, consider himself happy. Maybe not your happy, maybe not 99% of people's happy, but his.
When you have adopted such a position and are introspective enough to have established why you have done that, you touch the flame of intention. As a writer myself, I have found this is something that is very hard be sufficiently recorded in words.
What I have read thus far is far more powerful than any book I've ever read. It fires me up so much, in fact, that I haven't been able to make it past the first few pages. 🙏 ❤️
Positive Mark
I don't think it's a good idea to peddle life threatening exercise excursions as a way to help people find their mojo. The guy said he was being a "p----" because his body was flailing him because he was physically dehydrated and injured. Who, other than a navy SEAL, would benefit from that type of masturbating self abuse?
David Howell
It seems to me that his father ruined him mentally so badly that he is continually trying to prove his father wrong and prove to himself that he is worth more than how his father made him feel. This probably drives him more than anything else, even if only subconsciously. The early chapters about his life growing up with that monster of a man were hard to read. Reminds me of Tiger Woods (see the book by Jeff Benedict: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... ). What's the matter with these men?
Stormfather Shreesh
You completely missed the point of the story. He did all that to find happiness and satisfaction because he was unhappy, insecure and felt weak. He has addressed this misconception that he is not happy in multiple podcasts and interviews. The end results of the extremely hard journeys he has taken in his life brings him the happiness. Training every day, stretching for 2 hours ever day, taking up difficult jobs make him happy because they enable him to achieve spectacular results. He is doing all those things for the love of it. He loves to train and break physical barriers. But he loves sports for example and usually watches that on TV for a couple of hours while stretching every night.
Cesar Heras
I think that´s exactly what makes him happy. There will be always people who dont understand this because not everyone shares the will and purpose to improve yourself despite the circunstances.
Tommy Tutone
You can make the same argument for many elite performers. Musk, olympic athletes, ect. He seems happy when he's with his gf on his instagram. Let's not forget the many people who seem happy who take their own lives. Goggins mentions that you don't have to copy him, but he gives you the tools to find your own path. Not being happy doesn't invalidate everything else. Would the book only be useful if he were happy?
Laurens
To answer this question, we must first ask ourselves, "What do we mean with the word happiness?" The use of this word in our modern culture is very shallow, more of a synonym for a transient pleasurable emotional state. But maybe the most important aspects of life are not part of a constant pleasurable emotional state that comes and goes. We need something more deep and robust than that. Yet, we do have the chance to transform our way of living and thinking, and changing how we look at and deal with obstacles, hardships, responsibilities, and "positive" and "negative" mental states. Happiness may be just a byproduct of being driven and adapting a deeper and more robust way of living and dealing with life. I think Goggins is a good example of someone who flourishes in life in different ways, even though I do also think he gets a bit selfdestructive at times, but he shows us what's possible. The possibilities of our dormant potential.
Edit: If anyone wants to hear him talk about his happiness, listen or watch the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Episode #1080, around the time: 01:36:00
Edit: If anyone wants to hear him talk about his happiness, listen or watch the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Episode #1080, around the time: 01:36:00
Thanh Long
He defines his own definition of happiness. Remember he is a depressed, overweight young man with no future. His childhood was a nightmare — poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse. Therefore he doesn't have the luxury to afford normal people's definition of happiness.
Adam Zomparelli
Hes a happy individual. He finds growth and fulfillment through hard work and pain and uses the stuff he has been through in his life to fuel him. And he chooses to put himself through things he doesn't enjoy to become fulfilled and successful towards things he loves I.E being in shape and becoming an ultra runner. He hates stretching and not a fan of running all the time but he does it to be the best. His main point is anything you love, you really enjoy, you are going to have to do things you hate to become great at that thing you love. Set your feelings aside from how you feel about wanting to do something, like if you are lazy or your scared, and just do what's required. your feelings dont matter only results do. And once you push through the pain and do the things you hate you gain progress, and once you progress you become happy because out of growth is happiness. And eventually, this leads you to be fulfilled with respect to whatever you deem that to be.
Jonathan Metze
I think he has satisfaction and purpose. I'd take that over " happiness".
Rezavoirdog
He goes into detail about living his life to the fullest and not leaving anything on the table. He has in his head, that the day he meets his maker, that he has lived up to the expectations of God on what God had intended David to be and live. Toward the end of the book he also talks about finally appreciating what he had accomplished.
Allan
He mentioned in the book that he leaves the weekend off so that he could spend the much-needed time with family and friends. I am guessing that he just leaves that part unmentioned in this book. Suffering can also be the happiness he is looking for as well.
Arnab Mondal
I think it is not about becoming a SEAL. I think the book is about overcoming your obstacles, the inner demons, and the seemingly impossible stuff. For me it is writing and finishing my thesis work. I don't have to become a SEAL, but the challenges are relatable. I am only 35% in but I am loving it.
It is about the content you get once you overcome those hurdles and prove everyone including myself wrong. I am getting there, slowly but surely.
It is about the content you get once you overcome those hurdles and prove everyone including myself wrong. I am getting there, slowly but surely.
ying
Happiness is momentary, while fulfillment is another story.
April
I think its like some people are happy knowing they have $X amount of money in their bank account, while others are happy spending it.
Different strokes
Different strokes
Allison
The point of the story isn't the pursuit of happiness. When you get to the end, Goggins talks about thinking that he is dying (he actually just needs to stretch more) and feeling a deep sense of satisfaction with his life. The journey is important, happiness only comes at the end when the journey is done. Sort of like when you climb a mountain, the view only comes at the end.
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Dec 11, 2019 08:18AM · flag