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Unleashing Self-Confidence - Lessons From Spartan Warriors And Special Operations Forces For Today'S Elite Mindset
29th March 2025 • Voice over Work - An Audiobook Sampler • Russell Newton
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Hello Listeners!

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Today is March 27th, 2025.

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Join us on Voice Over Work as we delve into an episode where we explore "Self-Confidence: The Spartan And Special Operations Way To Overcoming Fear and Building An Elite Mindset" by Ryan Hunt.

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Dive straight in as the audiobook of this compelling read—available on Amazon, iTunes, and Audible for your convenience—unravels the secrets behind Self-Confidence with insights from elite warriors like Navy SEALS, Force RECON, Marine Raiders, Green Berets, Rangers, Night Stalkers, and members of the British Special Air Service.

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In this episode:

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"The Spartans" – learn how their discipline led to unparalleled confidence on battlefields over two millennia ago;

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“Special Operations Forces”—Understand what these elite soldiers and commandos do, the rigorous training regime they undergo in US military academies like West Point or Navy SEALs bootcamp.

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The episode explores how their self-confidence comes from understanding that it’s not about being fearless; rather realizing you can confront your worst nightmares —

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This podcast is sure to take listeners on a journey through the mindset of elite soldiers, giving insight into building and sustaining confidence in demanding environments.

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One of the most important elements of success is self-

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confidence.

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A lot of studies and research have been done to fully

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understand the concept of believing in oneself and how it can

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lead to a successful life.

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There are many successful individuals

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in your personal life that you can look up to.

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It can be your

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parents who have raised you and your siblings to be good people

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who have stable careers.

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It can be a friend who has overcome alcoholism and has been

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sober for several years now.

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Or it can be an acquaintance

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who runs her own business and travels the world in her free

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time.

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Even when you do not know someone personally, you

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can just look around you and you will see a lot of successful

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individuals—be it a celebrity, a businessman, athlete, an artist,

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a career person, etc.

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Aside from these amazing individuals, two groups of people

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stand out when it comes to being successful in everything that

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they do—the ancient Spartans and the Special Operations Forces.

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They may have come from two very different periods but the

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principles that they adhere to are more or less the same, which

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makes them highly successful groups of people.

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What makes the Spartans and Special Forces so unique?

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They

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are confident in everything that they do, otherwise, they will

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not be able to complete their training but you cannot simply

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lump them together with famous successful individuals such as

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Elon Musk or Peter Thiel.

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Their training is different because it

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encompasses physical, mental, emotional, and even spiritual

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toughness.

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The successful individuals that you see all around

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you are admirable, but what sets the Spartans and the Special

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Operations Forces apart from these groups of people is self-

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confidence which stems from courage.

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Self-confidence is one

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thing, but having courage is a whole different level.

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You will

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learn more about how courage and fearlessness make a person

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more confident in everything that he does that leads to success

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when you start reading this book.

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You can apply the timeless

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principles used by the Spartans and Special Operations Forces

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to gain admiration and respect from your peers.

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In this book, you will learn many different things about self-

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confidence and fearlessness in relation to the training of the

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Spartans and Special Operations Forces.

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Some important points will be discussed in this book, such as:

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• Reasons why some people do not have self-confidence while

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others do not have a hard time believing in themselves

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• Ways on improving physical, emotional, and mental health

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• Techniques on how to take action and not just become a

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passive observer of the lives of successful people

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• Useful tips to overcome adversities in your life

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• Ways to get rid of fear to achieve self-confidence

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• Tips on how to stop doing bad habits and start doing good

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ones

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• Ways to become efficient, effective, and confident even on

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your worst days

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• Methods of defining your goals and objectives and how to

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achieve them the best way possible

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• Ideas on how to focus on your positive traits and assets and

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revealing talents that you do not know you have

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• Important behavior to have to achieve self-love and positive

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self-view

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• How to live a life free from fears and worries

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These are just some of the things that you will learn as you start

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reading this book.

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Start your journey to a more confident life

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right now!

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The Spartans and the Special Operations Forces

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85 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:06,880 SELF-CONFIDENCE

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Who are the Spartans?

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The first thing that you need to do is to learn more about the

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Spartans.

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You have most likely heard of them from books,

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movies, and pop culture.

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The Spartans were known for their self-

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discipline and fearlessness.

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They lived in Sparta, a Greek town

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situated in the southern Peloponnesian region.

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Today, Sparta is

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just like any other modern urban jungle, with concrete blocks of

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apartments and offices.

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Thousands of years ago, just hearing the

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name Sparta sparked fear, admiration, and reverence because

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the place was home to the most powerful warriors in ancient

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Greece, the Spartans.

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Countless stories have been written about

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them because their training is something to be admired.

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They

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became successful warriors and beat even the most powerful of

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rivals because of the kind of discipline they had.

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Aside from self-discipline and fearlessness, the Spartans are

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also known for their humble society.

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Ancient Greece back

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then, especially in major places like Athens, favored creating

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sophisticated structures made of marble.

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Sparta, on the other

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hand, maintained its cultural values of simplicity and austerity,

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with most of its structures built from wood and other simple

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yet sturdy materials.

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They focused mostly on military training

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and did not bother with frivolous and luxurious things.

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Their

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life revolved around being a successful warrior society—from

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the time a Spartan baby was born up to his death.

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This is

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probably one of the things that made them extremely successful

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warriors—their goal was clear and straightforward and every

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little thing that they did was geared towards achieving this goal.

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Their education system called the agoge was all about training

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the little boys to become exceptional soldiers.

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It is like a boot

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camp from daycare to college.

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They were also taught basic

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arithmetic, reading, and writing because a great warrior must

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also have basic knowledge of things but the education system

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was mostly about building physical and mental toughness by

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undergoing intensive training and dangerous exercises.

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In today’s world, the kind of training that the Spartans had to go

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through may not be applicable but you can learn a lot of things

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from these extraordinary people.

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How did the Spartans train?

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Human rights are not a common topic back in the day and you

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will see a lot of violations in how the Spartans trained.

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However,

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you can still learn a lot from these ancient warriors in terms of

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the kind of mindset that you should have to be self-confident.

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So what kind of training did the Spartans undergo?

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• Training started from infancy

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When a Spartan baby was born, he had to be inspected by a

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council to see if the baby was fit to become a soldier in the future.

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If physical defects were observed, the baby would be left to die

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or thrown at the foot of the mountain, although the latter was

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considered a myth by most historians.

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If the child was lucky, he

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would be rescued by strangers.

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If not, he would either die from

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animal attacks, exposure to the elements, or hunger and thirst.

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The lives of those babies who were considered fit to become

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soldiers in the future were not a walk in the park, either.

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When

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they started crying, the mothers would not pick them up.

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They

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would just leave them until they stop.

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The babies were also left

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in the dark by themselves to train to be fearless and were bathed

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in wine instead of plain water.

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This was considered ‘tough love’

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and it was so popular in ancient Greece even in neighboring

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states that Spartan women were highly regarded as excellent

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mothers and nurses.

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• The Agoge education system

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The state-sponsored education system in Sparta, called the

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Agoge, started when the boys turned 7.

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They had to be separated

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from their families to begin the difficult training regimen.

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Although the Agoge system was designed to train them to

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become exceptional soldiers and exemplary citizens when they

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grow up, the boys were still taught academics, the arts, and

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other subjects that are more or less military-related such as

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hunting, stealth, warfare, and sports.

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Older students aged 12

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were forced to sleep outside with nothing to wear but a red cloak.

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Stealing food from others or scavenging was encouraged but

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anyone who got caught would be punished, usually by flogging.

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These exercises taught them how to be resilient against the

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elements, resourceful despite having limited materials on hand,

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and stealthy especially when they had to cross over enemy lines.

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• Physical punishments and brawls

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In modern days, hazing is still being practiced by certain orga-

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nizations such as fraternities; it is not encouraged.

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In Sparta,

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hazing and fighting were encouraged to build tough men out of

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the Spartan boys.

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Adults and teachers would encourage fighting

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among younger boys and physical punishment was practiced

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because it made the boys tougher and entirely removed any form

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of timidity or cowardice.

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Physical punishments made it easier

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for them to endure hardships such as pain and hunger.

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Teasing

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and ridicule that often led to brawls also made the boys mentally

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stronger.

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There was even a religious ritual that involved flogging of

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the Spartan boys that sometimes led to death called the “dia-

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mastigosis”.

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This was done at the sanctuary Artemis Orthia in

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front of an altar.

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This also served as a physical test for courage

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and pain endurance.

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As time went by and Sparta was no longer

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considered a military powerhouse, this practice became a blood

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sport done in amphitheaters where spectators watched and

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cheered.

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• The Spartan diet

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At age 21, a student of the agoge would be allowed to eat at

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a military-style mess called the “syssitia”.

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This was where

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citizens ate their meals.

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You might think that there was a

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buffet and the food was a feast but this was far from what they

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served at the syssitia.

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The main purpose of the mess was to

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prepare soldiers for war when food was scarce, which is why

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they served bland, unflavored, and insufficient meals.

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They

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also discouraged being overweight and unfit, so overeating was

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highly discouraged.

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The Spartans were well known for their

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strict diet and exercise regiment which made them physically

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fit.

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People who were overweight were loathed and ridiculed and

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were also at risk of being permanently banished from Sparta.

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When it comes to drinking, Spartans loved drinking wine but

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drunkenness was frowned upon.

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In fact, they would make Helots

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drunk and allowed them to act wildly, which they would then

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show to their children as an example of why getting drunk was

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not a good thing.

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• The Spartan women

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While boys were trained to become skilled warriors, the Spartan

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girls were trained to become mothers and wives of Spartan

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soldiers.

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They did not have to leave their homes and stayed with

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their parents but their education and training system were just

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as intensive and rigorous.

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Spartan women should bear children

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and should train to become strong and tough mothers.

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Their

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subjects include physical activities such as discus throwing,

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javelin, gymnastics, and dancing.

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The girls would ridicule and

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shame trainees who were lagging while performing a song in

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front of the Spartan dignitaries.

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• The different classes in the Spartan society

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Since the society was all about the military and producing elite

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soldiers, it is not surprising that the highest class in Sparta

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was the military class called the “Homoioi”.

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If a man wanted to

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become an equal citizen, the only option was to become a soldier.

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Being in the military was not only a career but it was also a way

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of life and it dictated a man’s place in society.

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It was a lifelong

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commitment because a soldier could remain on duty until they

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reached 60.

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You might ask, how could this type of society survive if the

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only thing that mattered for them was the military?

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They also

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had trades and manufacturing but the people who worked in

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these areas were considered inferior as compared to the military

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men.

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People who were not in the military and instead worked

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as laborers, craftsmen, and traders belonged to the lower class

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in the Spartan society called the “Perioeci”.

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They were free but

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were considered as non-citizens and they lived in Laconia.

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Meanwhile, the “Helots” or the slaves who worked in agriculture

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and were generally responsible for the food production were the

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lowest class.

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It is interesting to note that the Spartans focused

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so much on building a strong military because there was always

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a threat of the Helots, which comprised the majority of the

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Spartan population, revolting against the state.

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• Marriage was encouraged

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The Spartans were not discouraged to have relationships and get

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married but the main reason for getting married was to conceive

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more Spartan soldiers.

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Because of this, citizens of the state

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were encouraged to choose partners who were physically fit and

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healthy so that they would produce babies who had a higher

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chance of becoming excellent soldiers.

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Men were supposed

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to stay inside the military barracks until they reached the age

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of 30, which means that they would be separated from their

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wives if they married young.

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Marriage, giving birth, and child-

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rearing were strictly monitored by the Spartan government.

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If

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a male Spartan could not make his wife pregnant, he had to

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allow his wife to be impregnated by a virile male so that they

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would have children.

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Male Spartans who were at the right age

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to get married but had not yet tied the knot would be subject to

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mockery and ridicule because it was seen as shirking from their

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responsibilities.

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• Surrendering was not an option

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Surrendering to their enemies was considered cowardice.

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It was

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seen as a disgrace, and soldiers who surrendered despite putting

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up a good fight were shamed by their peers that most of them just

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ended up killing themselves.

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Spartan soldiers were expected to

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fight to the death.

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It was either winning or die fighting.

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Soldiers

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who surrendered could only redeem themselves by later on dying

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in battle, if they did not commit suicide first.

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If you think their wives or mothers would take their husbands’

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or sons’ sides, you are wrong because Spartan women also had

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a do-or-die approach when it came to wars or battles.

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It was

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said that they would tell the line “return with your shield or on

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it” to their husbands or sons when sending them to war, which

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means that they should only come back home as a successful

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combatant or a dead soldier who dies fighting.

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Both of these

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scenarios were considered as soldiers fulfilling their duties to

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the state.

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In Sparta, only soldiers who died fighting in war and

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women who died in childbirth were the only ones who could

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have their names on their tombstones.

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Who Are The Special Operations Forces?

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The Special Operations Forces are probably the closest counter-

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part of the Spartans in modern times.

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They are military units

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that conduct special operations such as anti-terrorism activities,

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sabotage, hostage rescue, counter-insurgency, unconventional

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warfare, and scouting or reconnaissance.

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These operations

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require speed, stealth, special tactics, and quick thinking which

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is why people who belong to the Special Operations Forces

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require intensive training of the body and mind.

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Some of the most famous Special Operations Forces in the

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United States are the Navy SEALS, Force RECON, Marine Raiders,

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Green Berets, Rangers, Night Stalkers, and Air Force Special

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Tactics, to name a few.

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These are groups inside the Army,

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Navy,Marines and Air Force but they undergo more advanced

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and rigorous to be able to perform Special Operations tasks.

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Other countries also have their elite forces such as SAS or

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the British Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service which

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is the Navy SEAL counterpart in the U.K., SayeretMatkal in

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Israel, National Gendarmerie Intervention Group in France, the

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Russian Alpha Group, and the Unidad de OperacionesEspeciales

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in Spain.

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How do the Special Operations Forces train?

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The training of these groups of soldiers is different from the

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training of the Spartans but the principle is more or less the

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same—developing stamina, fearlessness, and mental strength

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to be able to succeed in military activities.

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• Physical training

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1.

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One of the most important skills to master as a Special

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Operations soldier is running.

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You should run at least 25 to

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30 miles per week if you want to avoid injuries such as knee

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tendonitis or shin splints.

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You will not only be running

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fast but you will be running with a heavy load on your back.

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Your lungs and legs must be always prepared to run.

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2.

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A Special Operations soldier will be carrying heavy loads

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on his back such as backpacks with all his supplies, logs,

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or even an injured comrade.

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It is important to main-

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tain a strong lower back.

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There are special exercises to

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strengthen the lower back such as body drags, dead lift,

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fireman carries, farmer walks, and hang clean.

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If you are

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not carrying a heavy load on your back while walking, you

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will be standing all day, which also puts a strain on the

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back.

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3.

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You might be required to swim in a body of water as part

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of the Special Operations that you have to participate in.

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Normal swimming activity is a great aerobic exercise but

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you should also practice survival swimming, wherein you

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have to swim in the water with your full military uniform

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and combat boots on.

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While in battle or doing some other

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Special Operations tasks, you will not have the luxury to

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change to proper swimming attire.

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You have to swim in the

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water with your clothes and boots on.

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You might want to

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improve your swimming skills first by doing regular lapses

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in the pool before training for survival swimming.

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These are just some examples of physical training that an elite

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soldier has to undergo.

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There are many more types of exercises

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that focus on different parts of the body and are more difficult

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to execute but these are better left explained at the boot camp,

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if you ever decide to become a Special Operations soldier.

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• Land navigation

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Being able to read the map and the compass is a must if you want

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to pass the Special Operations training with flying colors.

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You

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will not always be assigned to a familiar location.

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More often

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than not, Special Operations soldiers are sent overseas or to

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an unfamiliar territory, and they must know how to go to their

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intended destination or to lead their troops back to their camp.

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• Combatives

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The Elite Forces also have to train different forms of hand-to-

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hand combat such as Jiujitsu.

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This teaches soldiers how to

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fight without using advanced weapons and at the same time

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the training instills in them the values of a great warrior and the

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confidence of knowing that their own body is enough to win a

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fight against the enemy.

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• Sniper training

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This is not just about hitting your target from afar.

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Sniper train-

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ing also involves surveillance and the use of ballistic computers.

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Digital photography is also taught because some situations

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require taking photos of subjects or areas.

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This may sound

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morbid but they are also taught the proper use of a semi-

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automatic rifle to hollow out the skull of the target.

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The main

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purpose of learning how to shoot is to ensure that you do it

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properly.

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If the command is to shoot to kill, then the enemy has

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to be killed in one shot.

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There is another form of sniper shooting called aerial platform

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support where the sniper has to shoot the target while in a

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moving helicopter.

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This is a more advanced sniper skill because

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the shooter is moving and the target can be either stationary or

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in motion.

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• Explosive breaching

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This is when they have to enter an enemy structure or compound

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by destroying an entrance.

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You have probably seen this done

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in movies where the soldiers blow down a metal door or other

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blockages to enter an enemy building.

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Doing this is not only a

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quick and efficient way to gain entry but it also adds an element

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of shock and surprise to the bad guys.

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This is a lot more than

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bombing a door because it requires technical skill when it comes

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to deciding the kind of explosive to use.

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Moreover, they are not

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allowed to fail the first attempt because it gives the enemy a

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warning that someone is trying to break in.

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• Helocasting and fast-roping

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This is another infiltration technique that the elite forces have

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to train for before they go to their mission.

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This is when the

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helicopter flies low over a body of water and the soldier is

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expected to jump and swim to shore.

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This is of course done

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when the place being infiltrated is surrounded by a body of water.

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These days, this is not commonly being used because most of the

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operations and missions are done in the desert or mountains.

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Another similar technique is fast-roping where the soldiers have

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to slide down or climb up a braided rope attached to a moving

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helicopter for insertion or extraction purposes.

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This can be

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tricky because soldiers usually carry heavy combat equipment

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which is why proper training is necessary.

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• Mobility

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Soldiers have to drive different kinds of special operation ve-

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hicles such as armored gun trucks, ATVs, and dirt bikes.

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The

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last two are highly utilized in Afghanistan because of the kind

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of terrain in the area.

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Another type of vehicle is a tactical

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vehicle that looks normal from the outside but carries combat

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equipment such as rocket launchers, hand grenades, and bullets.

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Special Operations soldiers are also taught how to shoot while

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driving at the same time.

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• Combat diving

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Maritime special operations require proper training which

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includes aquatic and subsurface infiltration.

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Special scuba

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diving equipment and re-breathers are used so that the soldiers

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underwater will not produce bubbles or other indications that

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someone is underwater just waiting to resurface.

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The kind of

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training that they have to go through is now only about diving

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but also about drown-proofing, physics, navigation underwater,

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physiology, operation of small boats, use of kayak and inflatable

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boats, and many more.

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• Military free-fall

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You have seen in the movies how elite soldiers jump off an

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airplane with their parachutes on.

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This is a real-life skill

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that special operations soldiers have to learn.

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There are two

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types of parachuting—high-altitude high-opening and high-

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altitude low-opening.

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The high altitude makes it difficult for the

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jumpers to breathe, that is why they have to be on oxygen during

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the process.

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The difference between the two is the distance of

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the soldier from the ground before deploying the parachute.

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The

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first type is when the parachute is deployed at 30,000 feet above

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ground or immediately after jumping off the plane while the

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second type is when the parachute is deployed at only 4,000 feet

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above ground.

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This is difficult because the soldiers have to wear

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full combat uniform and are expected to fight almost as soon as

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they touch the ground.

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• Rapport-building

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So what is rapport-building exactly?

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Are the Special Operations

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Forces expected to be friends with their enemies?

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This is about

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building a strong relationship with an ally—this could be a host

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country or a counterpart unit whom you have to work with side

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by side.

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It is important that you get along with these people and

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you have trust and good communication if you want your special

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operation mission to succeed.

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You might have excellent combat

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skills, technical know-how, and advanced military equipment

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but knowing how to handle people, especially potential allies is

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equally, if not more important.

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These are the things that the Spartans of old, and modern Special

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Operations Forces have to go through to complete their training.

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The difficulty of these training exercises and completing them

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are a huge factor in the self-confidence of these warriors and

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soldiers.

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This does not mean, however, that you need to undergo the

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same training.

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What is important is that you focus on the things

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that made the Spartans and Special Operations Forces confident

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in what they do.

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And the major common factor is courage or

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fearlessness.

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But first, you have to understand the psychology of confidence

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by reading the next few chapters.

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Welcome back listeners!

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Thank you so much for tuning into Voice Over Work.

:

Today we had an incredible discussion diving deep into Ryan Hunt’s book, 'Self-Confidence: The Spartan and Special Operations Way to Overcoming Fear & Building An Elite Mindset.'

:

Today's conversation focused mainly around building self-confidence, courage, fearlessness and understanding how these traits were ingrained in ancient Spartan warriors as well as modern Special Operations Forces (SOF).

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We explored that the key to unlocking our inner strength lies not just within us but also through embracing challenges head on.

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Throughout this journey, we have discussed essential factors for building self-confidence and resilience in high-stress situations without having undergone any similar training as Spartans or SOF members did – though I'm not saying it isn’t beneficial to learn from their mindset.

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It is quite evident that these warriors possess a unique sense of confidence, which they have cultivated through constant hardship and challenges over the years - something we can all aspire towards in our own lives!

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Now it's time to take action and implement these valuable lessons in your life!

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Start by picking up a copy of Ryan Hunt’s book, 'Self-Confidence: The Spartan And Special Operations Way To Overcoming Fear & Building An Elite Mindset.'

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Then challenge yourself today with something uncomfortable – maybe public speaking or trying out that new exercise routine - and remember to listen back on previous episodes of Voice over Work for further inspiration.

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Until next time, stay courageous!

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