Here's the Gen Z Version of Navy SEALs 🤯
A Naval Special Warfare commanding officer shares an anecdote about a Gen Z sailor who appeared before a disciplinary board, using the encounter to illustrate what he sees as defining traits of the generation. The young sailor calmly stood his ground under pressure, defended his decisions respectfully, and told the CO he did not fear him but respected him. The officer views this response as emblematic of Gen Z's high emotional intelligence and comfort challenging authority.
Summary
In this short clip, a Naval Special Warfare commanding officer (CO) reflects on his experience working with Gen Z personnel in the SEAL community. He opens by characterizing the generation as having very high emotional intelligence (EQ) and a notably low tolerance for the abuse of authority — a trait he frames as a strength rather than a weakness, noting they show more courage to stand up to authority than previous generations did.
To illustrate his point, he recounts a specific disciplinary incident. A young sailor had made a mistake off-base and was brought before the CO for a board review, where his fate in the program — continuing toward becoming a Navy SEAL or being removed — would be decided. During the board, the Command Master Chief (CMC) was aggressively dressing the sailor down. Rather than crumbling under the pressure, the young man sat calmly, bit his lip, and maintained composure as if in a normal conversation.
When given the chance to speak, the sailor did not grovel or capitulate. Instead, he clearly and confidently stated that he did not believe he had made a mistake, laid out the facts of his case, expressed regret that the situation had escalated to a formal board, but firmly stood by his decisions and choices.
The CO then asked him a pointed final question: knowing that the CO had full authority to either advance or end the sailor's career on the spot, did he fear him? Without hesitation, the sailor leaned forward and replied, 'No, sir, but I respect you.' The CO concludes by saying this moment captures Gen Z in a nutshell — a generation that distinguishes between fear and respect, holds its ground under pressure, and is deeply secure in its own identity.
Key Insights
- The CO characterizes Gen Z Naval Special Warfare candidates as having very high emotional intelligence and a low tolerance for abuse of authority, framing these as genuine strengths in a special operations context.
- The CO observes that Gen Z personnel demonstrate more courage to stand up to authority than any previous generation he has worked with in Naval Special Warfare.
- Rather than backing down when aggressively confronted by the Command Master Chief during a disciplinary board, the young Gen Z sailor remained calm and composed, which the CO interprets as deep personal security.
- The sailor explicitly told the CO that he did not believe he had made a mistake, presented the facts of his case, and stood by his decisions — refusing to capitulate even with his SEAL career on the line.
- When directly asked by the CO whether he feared him — a man with total authority over his military future — the sailor responded without hesitation: 'No, sir, but I respect you,' which the CO identifies as the defining characteristic of Gen Z.
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] How is Gen Z in Naval Special Warfare? Very high EQ, very impressive. They have a low tolerance for abuse of authority. [music] They've got a lot more courage to stand up to authority than any of us ever did. Let me give you an example. We had this young guy, he had a mistake [music] out on town, and so he was going to come before me as the CO board, and I was going to determine whether he was going to stay or go in our system. Dude comes in, sits down, and my CMC is just letting him have it. And I'm watching, this guy's biting his lip the whole time, just like you and I…
Full transcript available for MurmurCast members
Sign Up to AccessMore from Shawn Ryan Show
Jesus Called His Apostle Satan?! 😳
A religious educator explains how Jesus selected his apostles for their diverse gifts and potential, illustrating how Jesus corrected Peter's misunderstanding about his impending suffering by calling him Satan for thinking like humans rather than God. After the Resurrection and Pentecost, these apostles became the foundation of the Church's sacramental and teaching authority.
He Warned America Months Before 9/11 😳
A speaker discusses the assassination of their father on September 9th, two days before 9/11, claiming he had warned the United States months prior that the Afghanistan conflict would reach American soil with catastrophic consequences. The speaker asserts that the assassination and 9/11 were interconnected operations planned by the same Al-Qaeda team.
NYPD Commissioner Lost 23 Cops on 9/11.
An NYPD Commissioner describes the harrowing reality of recovering remains of 23 police officers killed on 9/11, emphasizing the devastating extent of physical destruction where most remains were fragmented beyond recognition and only personal metal items remained identifiable.
Cardinal Says Jesus Went to Hell and Brought Adam and Eve Out 😳
A cardinal explains the Catholic theological doctrine that Jesus descended into hell after his crucifixion to rescue righteous Old Testament figures, including Adam and Eve, and bring them to heaven. This event is supported by scripture references to graves opening at the moment of Jesus's death.
A Cardinal Gave Shawn Ryan a Protector for His Studio 😳
A cardinal presents Shawn Ryan with a religious artifact—an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe—while recounting the miraculous 1531 apparition to Juan Diego and explaining the supernatural preservation of the sacred mantle bearing her image.