From Trophies to Wokeness: How ‘Feel-Good’ Culture Created a Monster and What we Can Learn from the U.S. Military

Alright SOFREP crew, buckle up as we look at the absurdities of modern culture that has America in decline.

There’s still hope for Lady Liberty if we look to the military but I’ll get to that in a military minute.

If you thought the everyone gets a trophy mantra was the peak of societal coddling, think again. We’ve now evolved—or perhaps devolved—into the realm of “woke culture,” and accepted it as a societal norm. Schools and businesses celebrate moral grandstanding as an Olympic sport and the only medals handed out are for who can cry foul the loudest.

Participation trophies were just the opening act, the teaser trailer for today’s main feature: The Woke Wars.

Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away (aka the 1990s and early 2000s), parents, educators, and little league coaches across America hatched a plan: make every kid feel like a winner. Losing? What’s that? Timmy, who couldn’t kick a soccer ball if his life depended on it, here’s your participation trophy. You’re special, Timmy. Just like everyone else. This bright idea, ostensibly crafted to bolster self-esteem, essentially lowered the bar so far that you could trip over it.

A generation was set up to fail and the wake up call came to most after finishing college and getting smacked in the face by the cold hand of reality.

But wait, if we didn’t do enough damage to the millennials, there’s more!

Enter woke culture.

We’ve graduated from the kiddie pool of participation awards to the high dive of hypersensitivity. This new cultural beast operates on a similar premise: everyone’s feelings matter more than actual outcomes or objective reality. Except now, it’s not just about making everyone feel included; it’s about punishing anyone who dares step out of line with the ever-shifting moral orthodoxy.

Have an original opinion? Better look out for the internet version of being burned at the stake by an angry mob.

And it’s both sides that participate.

I still remember a crowd of conservatives coming after SOFREP for publishing the Niger ambush article. 50,000 people signed a petition to get us to take the news down! Are you kidding me?

No, it’s a true story and hopefully we gained some readership in the long run for at least respecting that we don’t bend the knee to news by popular opinion. While it’s tough to look at US troops in this way, it’s a painful reminder that the lambs in DC are putting Americas Lions in harms way in some places that don’t make much sense.

But back to my core point…

Did you think you could speak your mind these days?

Wrong.

You’ll be crucified on the cross of cancel culture before you can say “freedom of speech.” Got a differing opinion? Shame on you. No room for debate here, only the echo chamber of approved thoughts once you pick your side of the political fence.

Imagine a world where Timmy doesn’t just get a trophy for trying; he gets to lead the team, regardless of his skill, and anyone questioning his position is immediately labeled a “-phobe” or an “-ist.”

And this isn’t just limited to our personal interactions. Corporations, universities, and even governments are falling over themselves to be more “inclusive” and “diverse.”

I sent my kids to the UK for college because my son (4.3GPA IB classes, Academic All American for Debate and a near perfect ACT score) was penalized for the color of his skin and because I had a good salary.

“He’ll never get into to his top choice schools. He’s not what they are looking for.”, the private college counselor said to me in a hushed voice. I tried to wake up from the bad dream only to find out I was still awake.

It’s become a race to see who can be the most offended, who can virtue signal the hardest, and who can cancel whom the fastest. When did being “woke” become the new gold standard?

Hunter graduated last week from the University of St. Andrew’s in Scotland with full honors.

Here’s a revolutionary thought we can all learn from the US military: merit.

Yes, good old-fashioned meritocracy. A system where you earn your place through ability and hard work rather than a badge for your victim status. It’s a concept that the military, particularly Special Operations units like the Rangers, Delta, SF, AFSCO, MARSOC, and the Navy SEALs, understand all too well.

You think SEAL training is handing out ribbons for showing up? Uh…Hell no. They’ve got something called Hell Week for a reason. Only the best survive—not because they’re special snowflakes, but because they’ve proven they can fucking cut it.

The military operates on a clear, unambiguous standard: you meet the criteria, or you’re out. No whining, no excuses. You don’t hear SEALs crying about how they should get a gold trident because they showed up and tried really hard. It’s about results, capability, and excellence.

Maybe, just maybe, society could learn a thing or two from this approach. Instead of coddling every fragile ego and catering to every offended sensibility, let’s set real standards, hold people accountable, and reward genuine achievement.

I’d dare to say our own political system could use a merit based system of accountability. A system that would hold someone accountable for the disastrous end to our over stay in Afghanistan for an appetizer.

Our political system is broken, delivering bad choices every four years. Healthcare is nonexistent for most, education is absurdly expensive, and our food supply is barely prison-grade.

America is still an incredible country but we need to tear down the house to the studs and rebuild folks.

Time to put down the tissues and pick up our bootstraps.

Life isn’t about woke virtue points. It’s about getting out there, earning your spot, enjoying candor and rising to the challenge.

Because in the end, it’s not the trophy or the hashtag that defines you—it’s what you’ve accomplished when the rubber meets the road.