Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...and Maybe the World

Explore the contrast between specificity and generalization in McRaven’s writing. Do the illustrative examples he provides clarify the broad aphorisms of his message? Why or why not?

Does McRaven’s advice map easily onto the life of a civilian? Why or why not? What rhetorical techniques does he use to connect his very nonstandard life experience to that of the average reader?

McRaven is a strong proponent of individual responsibility. Is his conviction that no one should ever feel like a victim, and should instead take control of one’s circumstances universally applicable? Why or why not?