David Goggins knows pain.
He once lost over 100 pounds in three months by running till he collapsed and doing thousands of sit-ups per day. He‘s the only man to complete over 60 ultra marathons, routinely placing in the top five while setting new course records. He went through Navy SEAL Hell Week training three grueling times. He describes suffering major discrimination and abuse for much of his early life.
Clearly, Goggins has endured depths of physical and mental hardship beyond what most could ever imagine. And he credits much of his peerless resilience to an aggressive mindset he calls "taking souls."
In a recent appearance on Joe Rogan‘s podcast, Goggins revealed what this mysterious mentality entails and how he employs it to push past perceived limits.
So what does "taking souls" mean to David Goggins? And how can you adopt this relentless mindset in your own life?
The Making of David Goggins, Ultra-Endurance Machine
To comprehend the hardened psychology that allows Goggins to "take souls," we must first understand his backstory.
Goggins grew up impoverished and frequently abused. He battled racism daily as an African-American minority. Obese and insecure, he endured bullying and discrimination throughout much of his early life.
But a seminal moment inspired him to finally take control of his situation.
At nearly 300 pounds while working as a cockroach exterminator, Goggins saw a television documentary about Navy SEALs undergoing the infamous Hell Week crucible. He became enamored with the SEAL mentality of becoming comfortable in the uncomfortable.
Something clicked internally for Goggins. He explains:
"I got off the couch right then. No days off…I had to get through Hell Week. My life changed at that moment."
Through supreme force of will and an intense training regimen he created for himself, Goggins lost over 100 pounds in only three months to make the Navy weight limits.
But that was just the start of his transformation into one of the world‘s top ultra-endurance athletes.
The Soul-Taking Mentality: Breaking Physical and Mental Barriers
For David Goggins, "taking souls" represents generating unrelenting energy and channeling it to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges:
"I started to devise ways to break a soul of a human being or an object or whatever‘s in front of me. It takes one second of energy to steal everybody‘s souls, and then you have all the energy you need."
He first cultivated this mindset during the torturous crucible of SEAL Hell Week training. When trainees were buckling from cold and exhaustion, Goggins discovered wellsprings of hidden motivation that pushed him forward.
He set out to break others mentally and physically through sheer force of will, all while reinforcing his own confidence and capabilities.
This "taking souls" concept reflects what famed psychologist Maxwell Maltz called "Psycho-Cybernetics." The principle of using intense mental imagery, target-setting, and emotional excitement to overrides discouraging instincts and the body‘s homeostasis.
As Goggins explains, overriding physical limitations starts with expanding our mental perceptions of what‘s possible:
"When the mind believes that it‘s done, you‘re only about 40% done. And the body won‘t move unless the mind has the blueprint already set in place."
He has proven repeatedly that most assumed "limits" are just the protective instincts of our primal reptile brain activating before absolute failure. But we can consciously override these impulses.
How Goggins Employs Soul-Taking to Thrive Under Distress
Channeling extreme energy represents just one piece of Goggins‘ mental warfare arsenal. He also leans heavily on tactical visualization and structured training philosophies.
Here‘s how Goggins describes enacting a soul-taking mindset during the non-stop torture of SEAL Hell Week:
"During Hell Week, when boats are going sideways and guys have their heads down and they‘re puking…that‘s when I figured out every single way that I could steal someone‘s soul."
He tapped into a level of obsession and intensity utterly unparalleled by other trainees.
"And once I accumulated enough energy from everybody, then I gave it back to them and I said let‘s go."
Goggins reveals how the instructors themselves exhibit immense drive, further reinforcing his ruthless mentality:
"The instructors are just drinking coffee, 100% dry and warm. Beating the crap out of you while you‘re suffering."
By channeling extreme energy in bursts, leaning into discomfort, and matching the instructors‘ grit, Goggins discovered immense motivational fuel during the bleakest moments.
This concept of flipping an "intensity switch" and choosing to suffer comes up repeatedly in Goggins‘ extreme event training:
"The ability to suffer gives you the ability to grow and the ability to show people the way."
He structures "soul stealing" mini-moments into this daily routine, using visualization prompts, mantras, and other triggers to activate his intensity when needed.
Mental Toughness Tactics to Start "Taking Souls"
While you likely don‘t need Goggins‘ level of masochistic conditioning, we can all benefit from building more mental calluses. Here are 5 tactics to start taking souls:
1. Recognize Most Barriers Are Mental
Remind yourself that discomfort signals are often just protective impulses, not actual limits. Override them consciously.
2. Adopt a "Choose to Suffer" Mindset
View adversity as an opportunity to grow stronger, not a reason to quit. Leaning into hardship builds grit.
3. Structure Discomfort Into Your Life
Take cold showers. Lift heavy weights. Try intermittent fasting. Disrupt homeostasis so distress feels familiar.
4. Tap Into Intensity Deliberately
When needing an extra push, yell affirmations, play aggressive music, flash extreme images. Spike intensity.
5. Set Aggressive Goals and Get Obsessive
Shoot for tangible, measurable goals that seem just out of reach. Let the difficulty turn into motivation fuel.
As David Goggins shows through his life of endless suffering, we‘re far more capable than "common sense" suggests. We only scratch our true potential once we supersede the reactive instincts holding us back with focused intensity and structured hardship.
That‘s the core tactic behind Goggins‘ notion of "taking souls." See every struggle as a chance to steal energy and motivation when you need it most. Let adversity fuel your internal fire.
Final Thoughts
David Goggins represents the embodiment of ruthless self-interrogation, unmatched intensity, and continual soul-taking to expand perceived boundaries. He lives comfortably in the uncomfortable, thriving where others quickly fold.
While few may ever match his level of savage self-motivation, we can all look to adopt Goggins‘ principles in our own lives:
- Remember most limits are imaginary
- Channel intensity by choice, not necessity
- Embrace hardship as an opportunity to grow
- Set aggressive goals based on possibility, not practicality
Goggins proves that the barriers holding us back from accomplishing incredible things are mostly the self-protective instincts of our own minds. We‘re far more capable than we realize.
By taking souls—finding strength when all seems lost, turning trauma into mental calluses, and learning to activate intensity on-demand—we can push ourselves to new heights.
The only limits are those we impose on ourselves. Everything else is just a souls to be stolen.