Adm. McRaven Urges Graduates to Find Courage to Change the World

Soldiers = heroes, or "just honest hardworking people doing a dangerous job", is political in itself. It's pro army, for one. Some people for some reason only consider anti-war statements to be political, while statements like the ones in the article pass for some kind of unchallenged truth.

(If you mean "partisan", sure, it's not. But I don't care about that, and my point was not about "democrats" vs "republicans". Don't care about either of them).

Leaving aside the uncomfortable notion that it is all for killing people, here is another question I wonder about: what are the survival rates for Navy Seals? Are they better/worse/the same as for normal soldiers? Does all the training help with survival? It would be a shame to go through all this and then be killed in the first hour of war by some stray bullet?

I don't mean to offend, I am genuinely interested. It seems fascinating if for example people are motivated to invest so much in training if the chance to die afterwards is high. Of course if it would reduce the risk it would also be a good motivator.

Discipline, consistency, reliability, tenacity, teamwork, attention to detail are all valuable habits..... In an assistant.

If you develop these qualities you might help someone who questions paradigms, thinks deeply about implications and connections between events, has an innate ability for strategy with broad vision and big dreams change the world.

A. For SEALs, there is a process to get through (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Navy_SEAL_select...). For entrepreneurs, there are many ways. This distinction matters: there are only so many slots for SEALs. There is no such limit for new products or services.

B. In some ways, there are gatekeepers for both. SEALs have obvious gatekeepers that set the bar. SEALs have to pass their tests as defined by their superiors. Entrepreneurs have less obvious gatekeepers. By this I mean that an entrepreneur chooses their gatekeepers when deciding to select a particular business plan. Whatever they choose, they have to find a business model that works somehow for their customers and investors.

C. For a SEAL, never quitting makes sense if your final goal is to be a SEAL. What if you break an ankle? Is it smarter (probably mandatory!) to ring the bell? (Do you try again later?) For an entrepreneur, never quitting means finding a way to succeed -- a way not tied to any particular business plan or technology.

D. As a SEAL, if you ring the bell, how does that feel? As an entrepreneur, how does it feel to run out of money before you find a business model that works? I would guess that it matters quite a bit on why didn't make it. Did you make obvious mistakes? Did you do your best?

E. If, during SEAL training, you decide that it isn't for you, is there any shame in quitting? I'm not talking about quitting simply due to exertion or pain -- I'm talking about quitting because you thought about all the implications. I've never been sleep deprived for days while also physically exhausted. What about an entrepreneur that gives it all but doesn't make it? I think there are some similarities here. One key difference is that entrepreneurs have more flexibility and control over pacing yourself than SEALs. (One can earn income while testing your business ideas, for example.)

F. This speech raises some big questions. What is quitting? What is failure? (A) If a SEAL washes out, there are other ways to do public service. Adjust your goals, as needed, and try again. (B) If an entrepreneur tests a business plan and it doesn't measure up, then perhaps you pivot or walk away. In my opinion, neither is "quitting" because you are still setting goals and working hard.