Book SummaryUnbeatable Mind, by Mark Divine

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Unbeatable Mind

In Unbeatable Mind, Mark Divine offers a guide for developing a warrior mindset that allows you to reach your full potential as a person and then apply that to improving your life and the lives of others. Divine writes that developing the mental toughness of an unbeatable mind means mastering five levels of personal development by cultivating character traits that maximize your personal and interpersonal abilities, focusing your mind on your true purpose as a human and then working toward that purpose, and training your body and mind through breathing exercises and...

Unbeatable Mind Summary Five Levels of Personal Development

According to Divine, you can cultivate an unbeatable mind by learning to navigate five levels of personal development, which he refers to as plateaus. He links each level to one of five different intelligences characterized by a specific type of human functioning: Physical intelligence relates to surviving, emotional intelligence relates to protecting, mental intelligence relates to achieving, intuitive intelligence relates to equalizing, and holistic intelligence relates to integrating.

(Shortform note: There are other theories of multiple intelligences, most of which derive from the eight intelligences described by John Gardner. Gardner’s theory includes things like bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, which could be linked to Divine’s description of physical intelligence, and interpersonal intelligence, which could relate to Divine’s emotional intelligence, but Gardner describes several others that don’t fit into Divine’s framework, such as musical intelligence and linguistic intelligence. Gardner also rejected the...

Unbeatable Mind Summary Awareness

You may feel ready to dive right into working your way through the five levels, but more than likely you’ll need help figuring out where to start. To enact meaningful change within yourself and be able to navigate the five levels of development, Divine says you must learn to be constantly aware of what’s going on inside you and around you. This involves understanding how your brain functions and how best to control it.

(Shortform note: You can also use knowledge about how the brain functions to enhance your learning, as research shows that understanding how the brain learns and adopting a growth mindset improves learning outcomes in children.)

Animal Brains

Awareness starts by understanding your mind, and that includes your physical brain and its different functions. Divine explains that the human brain evolved over millennia, building up from lower levels of...

Unbeatable Mind Summary How to Use Your Awareness to Fulfill Your Purpose

Divine says that achieving awareness and putting your mind in charge of your neocortex allows you to identify and follow your purpose. To identify your purpose, ask yourself how you can pursue your passions, how you can embody the traits you feel are important to your character, and what you exist to do. Once you’ve answered these questions, you can focus on the steps you need to take to fulfill your purpose: building emotional strength, building mental strength, and establishing and following through on goals.

The Purpose of Your Purpose

Many authors have written about the importance of finding your purpose in life and using it to guide your actions and thoughts.

For example, in The Success Principles, Jack Canfield echoes Divine’s sentiment that your purpose is essential to your success and happiness. To find your purpose, he recommends reflecting on what makes you happy, noticing your interests and skills, and envisioning what you want the world to be like. He also recommends meditation and a few questionnaires to help you...

Unbeatable Mind Summary How to Train Your Mind

To navigate the five levels of development, cultivate awareness, and apply that awareness to your own growth, you must train both your mind and body. Divine shares a number of meditation and concentration techniques that he has learned or developed through studying such systems as Ashtanga yoga, Seido karate, and other eastern practices.

Practice these skills while keeping your mind focused on your purpose. This will give you the ability to turn your concentration on and off on command. These techniques include developing a mantra and practicing breathwork, meditation, and journaling.

(Shortform note: In addition to helping with concentration and awareness, meditation can also help with mental health issues such as anxiety and panic attacks, as it helps...

Shortform Exercise: Move to the Next Level

Right now in your life, you are primarily operating at one of Divine’s five levels of development (surviving, protecting, achieving, equalizing, or integrating). In this exercise, you’ll assess where you are now and see what it would take to push you into the next level.

First, ask yourself which level you’re at right now. What are you focused on in life? Who is included in that focus? What are you striving for the most? Which level do your focus and aim correspond to?