You’ve seen the video. It’s grainy, loud, and usually features a shirtless man screaming into a camera while the sun hasn't even thought about coming up yet. David Goggins is running, or he’s on a bike, or he’s just finished some Herculean feat of endurance that would make most of us need a week-long nap. He looks at the lens and barks, "Who’s gonna carry the boats?" It isn't just a meme. It’s a psychological trigger that has spawned an entire subculture of "hard" living.
Goggins isn't literally asking about naval logistics, though the origin of the phrase is deeply rooted in the brutal reality of Navy SEAL training. He’s talking about the mental weight. He’s talking about that specific moment when everyone else quits because it’s cold, or it’s raining, or their hamstrings feel like they’re about to snap like dry twigs. Most people stop. They find a logical reason to go back inside. Goggins wants to know who stays.
The Brutal Origin of the Boats and Logs
To understand why this phrase stuck, you have to look at BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training. This isn't some corporate team-building retreat. It’s a 24-week meat grinder designed to find the breaking point of every man who enters. One of the most iconic—and soul-crushing—parts of this training involves "Boat Crew Training."
Candidates are assigned to seven-man crews. They have to carry a massive, 200-plus pound rubber raiding craft (the IBS, or Inflatable Boat, Small) on their heads. Everywhere. They run with it. They eat with it nearby. They take it into the surf. When Goggins yells about who's gonna carry the boats, he’s referencing the physical agony of that rubber hull digging into your scalp, the saltwater stinging your eyes, and the sheer, unadulterated weight that doesn't go away just because you’re tired.
In his memoir, Can't Hurt Me, Goggins describes his time in Class 231. He wasn't just a participant; he was a man who had already failed out of training twice before due to medical issues. He was on his last strike. He had to be the one carrying the boat. If he didn't, he was going back to spraying for cockroaches in Indianapolis for 1,000 bucks a month. That desperation is what fuels the phrase. It’s not about the boat; it’s about the alternative to carrying it.
Why This Became a Viral Philosophy
Social media loves a good drill sergeant. But Goggins is different because he isn't selling a "get rich quick" scheme or a 30-day ab challenge. He’s selling suffering. It sounds weird, right? Why would millions of people want to watch a guy talk about how much life sucks?
It's because we're living in an era of extreme comfort. We have apps that bring us tacos in twenty minutes and climate-controlled everything. Deep down, a lot of people feel soft. They feel like they’ve lost their edge. When the question of who’s gonna carry the boats pops up on a TikTok feed at 11:30 PM while someone is doomscrolling, it acts as a slap in the face. It’s a call to the "uncommon amongst the uncommon."
The psychology here is called "voluntary hardship." Researchers like Dr. Andrew Huberman have discussed how leaning into friction—doing things that are difficult and that you specifically don't want to do—actually builds the anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC) in the brain. This part of the brain is larger in athletes and people who challenge themselves. It shrinks when you give up. Goggins is basically a walking, talking advertisement for aMCC growth.
The "Stay Hard" Mentality vs. Burnout
There is a flip side. You can't carry the boats 24/7 without breaking your back. Even Goggins has faced severe health issues, including heart surgery and various stress-related injuries that nearly sidelined him for good. Critics of the "Who's gonna carry the boats" lifestyle argue that it promotes a toxic disregard for physical limits.
Honestly, they have a point. If you try to run 40 miles on a broken foot because you want to be "hard," you’re not a hero; you’re just going to be a person with a permanent limp. The nuance that often gets lost in the 15-second clips is that Goggins isn't telling you to destroy yourself for no reason. He’s telling you to stop negotiating with your own weakness.
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- The "Bitch Voice": This is Goggins' term for the internal monologue that says, "It's too cold today."
- The 40% Rule: The idea that when your mind tells you you’re done, you’re actually only at 40% of your capacity.
- Taking Souls: Finding the person who is supposed to be the "leader" or the "alpha" and outworking them until they lose their spirit.
Real World Application: It’s Not Just for Marathoners
Most of us aren't trying to become Navy SEALs. We have jobs, kids, mortgage payments, and bad backs. So, what does it mean for a schoolteacher or a software engineer to carry the boats?
It means doing the deep work when you’d rather check your email. It means staying calm when your toddler is having a meltdown in the middle of Target. It means being the person in the office who doesn't join in on the gossip and instead focuses on the project that actually matters.
Basically, carrying the boat is about accountability. In a boat crew, if one guy slacks off, the other six have to take his weight. Their necks compress further. Their legs shake more. When you "carry the boat" in your own life, you’re deciding that you won't be the person adding weight to everyone else's shoulders. You’re the one providing the lift.
The Meme Culture and the Logs
"And the logs!" is the inevitable follow-up. During Hell Week, if you aren't carrying a boat, you're likely carrying a telephone-pole-sized log. The meme has evolved. You see it in gym edits, study-motivation videos, and even in parody. There are videos of people "carrying the boats" by taking out the trash in the rain or doing the dishes when they’re tired.
Humor is how we process the intensity of Goggins’ message. It’s a lot to take in. The guy is intense. He doesn't blink much. He talks about "callousing the mind" like he’s talking about sanding down a piece of wood. But the core question—who is going to do the hard work—remains valid.
How to Actually "Carry the Boat" Without Ending Up in the ER
If you want to adopt this mindset, you don't start by running an ultramarathon in Death Valley. That’s a one-way ticket to a hospital bed.
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- Identify your "Boat": What is the one thing in your life that you keep putting off because it’s "too hard" or "uncomfortable"? Maybe it’s a difficult conversation, or finally starting that fitness routine, or cleaning out the garage that looks like a crime scene.
- Stop the Negotiation: The moment you think about doing the thing, your brain will start listing reasons why tomorrow is better. "I didn't sleep well." "I have a slight headache." Carrying the boat means moving while those thoughts are still happening.
- Physicality Matters: You can't have a hard mind with a soft body. It doesn't mean you need to be a bodybuilder. It means you need to move. Sweat is the best way to prove to your brain that you are in charge, not your comfort.
- Find Your Crew: Even Goggins had his boat crew. Surround yourself with people who don't let you off the hook. If your friends' only hobby is complaining, you’re going to find it very hard to carry any weight.
The Evolutionary Need for Hardship
Biologically, we are wired to seek comfort. Our ancestors wanted to save calories because they didn't know when the next meal was coming. They wanted to stay warm because freezing meant death. But in 2026, we’ve won that war. We have too many calories and too much warmth.
This creates a weird psychological vacuum. Without external pressure, we start to rot from the inside out. Anxiety and depression often spike when we have no purpose and no "load" to carry. When David Goggins asks who’s gonna carry the boats, he’s tapping into an ancient, primal need to be tested.
We need to feel the weight on our shoulders to know we’re alive. We need to feel the burn in our lungs to appreciate the air. It’s a paradox: the more we seek comfort, the more miserable we become. The more we seek the "boat," the more capable and fulfilled we feel.
Final Actionable Insights
If you’re ready to stop watching the videos and start living the ethos, here is how you handle the next 24 hours:
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- The "One More" Rule: When you finish a task, do one more small thing. One more rep, one more email, one more chore.
- Cold Exposure: It’s a cliché for a reason. Taking a cold shower is a literal way to practice doing something that sucks every single day. It’s a mini-boat you carry every morning.
- Write Your Own "After-Action Report": At the end of the day, look at where you folded. Where did you let the boat drop? Don't beat yourself up, just acknowledge it and plan for how you'll hold it higher tomorrow.
The boats aren't going anywhere. The logs are still heavy. The only variable in the equation is you. You can either be the person watching the video, or you can be the person people are looking at when they wonder how the hell the work is still getting done. Stay hard.
Next Steps for Implementation:
Start by auditing your daily friction. Identify the exact moment you usually quit—whether it's at the 20-minute mark of a workout or the second hour of a deep work session. For the next three days, push exactly five minutes past that "quit point." This builds the mental callus necessary to handle larger "boats" in your career and personal life. Record the results to see the psychological shift in real-time.