HOW AN OCTOPUS CAN PROVIDE INSIGHT TO SPECIAL FORCES OPERATORS

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Stories of Special Forces Operators Podcast. Listen to
some of the bravest and toughest people on the planet
share their stories. Have you ever wondered back and enjoy.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
My new book, Dog Psychology by doctor Carlos Vasquez. As
a psychology professor with over ten years experience, I've unlocked
the secrets of.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
The canine psyche.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
I will teach you how to understand your dog's body language,
to code their barks and wines, solved behavioral puzzles, and
strengthen your pond like never before. With Dog Psychology, you'll
see the world through your dog's eyes. Don't just be
a dog owner, become a dog whisperer. So go get
Dog Psychology by doctor Carlos Vasquez, available now on kindle

(00:49):
or paperback on Amazon. I'm gonna actually be looking at
a movie that was recommended to me by a CIA
operative called My Octopus Teacher.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
It chronicles the story of Craig Foster's year long bond
with a wild octopus. So what does this have anything
to do with the CIA or even Special Forces. Well,
you'd be surprised. The first thing we'll learn from the
film is that Foster meticulously observes the octopus's behavior, environment

(01:24):
and survival strategies over months, gaining a deep understanding of
its world without interfering. For CIA operatives, they rely on
human human intelligence and open source intelligence, which demand acute
observation of people, cultures, and environments. Remember, my job as
a psychologist is to understand how our brain operates. We

(01:45):
continue on with the story, So how's it relevant to
a seal or a Green Beret? Well, special Forces operators
conduct recon and correct and direct action missions. We're noticing
minute details such as enemy movements or terrain changes can
mean the difference between success and failure. Green Berets in particular,
use observation to understand tribal dynamics during unconventional warfare. Both

(02:11):
roles benefit from a discipline prolonged observation to build a
comprehensive picture of their operational environment. Another lesson is adaptivity, adaptability,
and creative problem solving. So adaptability and creative problem solving
in our world, we call it cognitive flexibility, and this
is something this is something I've noticed a lot in

(02:32):
CIA operatives as well as recruiters as well as special forces.
The octopus adapts to threats using camouflage, tool use such
as shells for armor, and innovative tactics to outsmart predators
like the Shark. You'll see this in the movie It's
Really Fascinating. Operatives like cioperatives must improvise an unpredictable setting,

(02:53):
such as evading surveillance or adapting to shifting political landscapes.
The octopus's resourcefulness mirrors the need for creative solutions and
covert operations. Seals and Green Berets operate in austere environment environments,
often with limited resources. For example, and AVCAL might need
to repurpose equipment during a maritime mission, while a Green

(03:14):
Beret might devise unconventional tactics to train foreign forces. The
octopus's ingenuity aligns with their need to think on their
feet again, both embracing cognitive flexibility, whether intelligence gathering or
kinetic operations. Another lesson that can be learned is trust.
In emotional intelligence. Foster earns the octopus trust through non

(03:36):
intrusive and paphitic engagement and pathic engagement depth, deepening his
understanding of its world. As a CIA operative, building rapport
with assets, informants, or local leaders is critical for intelligence collection.
Emotional intelligence helps operatives navigate cultural nuances and foster cooperation,
reducing mistrust and sensitive operations. Green Berets, who specialize in

(04:03):
foreign internal defense and unconventional warfare, rely on trust building
to train and collaborate with local forces. Seals, while often
focused on direct action, may need to gain the confidence
of a partner forces during joint missions. Empathy, as Foster
demonstrates in the movie, aids and cross cultural interactions. So again,

(04:25):
both roles require emotional intelligence to build alliances and operate
effectively in diverse environments. Another one is resilience under pressure.
A lesson we learned from the movie is the octopus
survives repeated threats through persistence and recovery. Foster finds personal
resilience by immersing himself in nature overcoming burnout. Operatives face

(04:47):
psychological stress from cover admissions, isolation, or ethical dilemmas. Like octopuses,
endurance reflects the mental fortitude needed to persist in high
stakes intelligence work seals in Green Berets and during extreme physics,
go and mental demands, grueling training, combat, and prolonged deployments.
The octopus's recovery from step back parallels their need to

(05:08):
bounce back from injuries or mission failures. Another one is
stealth and complex environments. Foster learns to help forests interconnected,
I'm sorry. Foster learns the Kelp forest interconnected ecosystem, recognizing
how the octopus's survival depends on its environment. How does that?
How is that important to a cioperative well. Operatives must

(05:31):
grasp the ecosystem of their area of operation, political, cultural,
and social to anticipate the impact of their actions, such
as recruiting an asset and how that might shift local allegiances.
Green Berets need to analyze tribal or regional dynamics to
align operations with local realities, while seals assess terrain and

(05:51):
enemy patterns from mission planning. Both need a holistic view
to avoid unintended consequences such as escalating conflicts and last,
but not least, stealth and low profile operations the octoput use.
The octopus uses camouflage and stealth to evade predators moving
undetected in its environment. Relevance to CIA operatives. Covert operations

(06:15):
demand blending into environments, avoiding surveillance, and maintaining operational security.
For the green Berets and the Seals, of course, rely
on stealth during reconnaissance, infiltrations or direct action missions. For example,
Seals may use underwater approaches to remain undetected, while the
Green Berets blend into local populations for covert operations. So,

(06:39):
in conclusion of this whole thing, as we see that
My Octopus Teacher offers profound lessons for CIA operatives and
Special Forces operators through its portrayal of observation at ap, adaptability, adaptability.
I don't know why I can't say that word press building, resilience,
environmental awareness, and stealth. For CIA operatives, the film underscore

(07:02):
skills like cultural engagement and coverd trade craft, while for
Special Forces highlights a lot of the recon tactical ingenuity
and cross cultural collaboration that's more commonly seen with the
Green Berets and Navy Seals. By drawing on the Octopus
survival strategies and Foster's patient approach, both can enhance their
ability to navigate complex and high state missions. So hopefully

(07:24):
the film's insights can inspire training, mindset shifts, or operational
strategies in your life, whether you're trying to be a
CIA operative or Special Forces, or a military individual or
even law enforcement. Just watching that

Speaker 2 (07:37):
Movie will give you a lot of clues of how
to be a better individual in learning about your environment
and others