In Defense of David Goggins: An Articulate Case For A Not So Articulate Speaker.
"I want to kill that guy!" yelled my brother in law over the phone at the mere reference to Goggins.
We had been calmly speaking about healthy male self-talk when I jokingly asked, "who's gonna carry the boats?" which promptly triggered him to vent all his negative views about the decorated veteran and crass motivational speaker, David Goggins.
Love him or hate him, it's universal knowledge that the dude polarizes, arousing hatred in some who perceive his rhetoric as dangerous, while motivating others who somehow appreciate his brutally self-depricating brand of self-talk.
"I'm the happiest motherfucker alive" is difficult to believe coming from a man who constantly calls himself a "fat piece of shit" and "worthless loser" - but believe it I do.
Why? Because I don't think Goggins is actually saying what he THINKS he's saying. The feeling, the truth, if i may, is living in his soul, but when he tries to share his wisdom with the public, the words come out all wrong, the message grossly misinterpreted.
Years of literary analysis and hours of listening to super nerdy biblical podcasts, has sharpened my scholarly discretion to the point of understanding a peculiar truth about language: what people mean to say is often not what they end up saying.
The same goes for Goggins and his vesuvian spewing of toxic brotivation, that, if phrased differently, might actually appear to contain some useful wisdom. And not just useful, but caring too!
That's right, I unsarcastically believe David cares about us deeply while he tells us we're going nowhere and are good for nothing... it's just the only vocab he's got.
Years of military drilling and daily trips to what he fondly refers to as 'the dungeon', has made him a pro at mastering his mind, making it a razor sharp weapon for focus, motivation, and above all hope.
Goggins wants you to put down the cheetos, get your butt up off the sofa, throw some running shoes on and clock in a couple kilometers. He wants you to take a good look in the mirror, realize your potential, and feel satisfied with your life.
Waking up at 3am to study, tearing tendons apart in ultras, jumping out of planes to fight wildfires - that's his thing - no one said you had to do the same.
But tackling goals with discipline, showing up even on days you feel like quitting, and facing fears head on? That's something we could all use.
Before we start quoting extreme examples, diagnosing him for this or that, let me clearly acknowledge David has paid the price for his fulfilment: a battered body, and a life lacking any semblance of balance. But i'm convinced he'd do it all over again, squeezing out every last drop of sweat, every waking moment.
So is he happy? He doesn't even...(subscribe to read the full article)