Being an Author Was Harder Than Being an Sniper - HERE'S Why!

About this video

A former Army Ranger and sniper discusses the maintenance he performed on his rifle overseas, cleaning it after nearly every mission out of fear it would jam. He reflects that being an author has been harder than being a Ranger because of the mental pressure, vulnerability to criticism, and dealing with negative reviews. The conversation also covers the lack of accountability on social media, stereotypes about special operations personnel, and how some people have treated him differently since becoming successful.

Key takeaways

• The guest maintained his sniper rifle meticulously, cleaning it after almost every mission because he feared it would jam and he would let people down.
• The guest argues that being an author is harder than being a Ranger because the mental pressure of writing and dealing with negative reviews is more challenging than physical obstacles.
• The guest and host discuss how social media enables criticism without accountability, unlike face-to-face military culture where there is respect and potential consequences.
• The guest attributes negative reactions to his success to people’s unhappiness with their own lives, noting they don’t see the hard work and struggles behind his perceived success.

Episode details: published September 5, 2025 · 3.1K views · 11:28 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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