Haters 2025 Edition

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Recently received an email from another reader asking about haters:

"Do you get many online haters? I see many in gun forums and social media and [onling] with other schools and classes and stuff. Wondered if you saw them too. What makes people do that? " 
(Author's note - I read that to mean "online.") 

Good question, and one that has been dealt with before on this blog. 
Now, for Patriot Training? We have a place where screen shots make history in the Alumni chat. 

For this blog?

It started with an observation in 2012. That is 13 years ago. The observation is still 100% true. 

I've dealt with passive-aggressive tactics from some. 

We even reviewed the same thing three years later. 

This direct discussion on the Critic was also blogged about. 


WHY
Now, as for why? There are several theories... 

1. Projection (noticeably not participation). Folks who actually train know how hard it is, how humbling it is, and how much work goes into even attending a class. They don’t waste energy sniping at someone else’s body type. They’re too busy improving their own performance to care what someone else looks like.

2. Keyboard courage. Internet critics thrive on tearing down others from a distance. It’s low cost ego payoff. Showing up to a live-fire class means accountability, safety checks, and having your own performance put under scrutiny. And scrutiny is something they usually avoid.

3. Lack of experience. Students who’ve taken classes understand that training ≠ perfection. They know you can learn a lot from someone who doesn’t “look the part.” Dismissing an instructor because of their build or past experiences is the mindset of a complete novice.

4. Tribal signaling. A lot of online criticism is about virtue signaling to their chosen tribe: “Look at me, I’m smarter than that guy, I know better than those who attended.” It’s a cheap way to claim credibility without ever proving it on the range, or anywhere for that matter.

5. Plain pure jealousy. Deep down, they want to take a class, but feel they cannot for whatever reason. Maybe they don't have the funds. Maybe they feel they are too overweight. In a rare case, there might be a legit reason they cannot take a class. 

ANECDOTE
When this author was young, I went to White Water amusement park with my church youth group. A guy I knew (would not necessarily call him a friend - and you will see why shortly) called the house while I was gone and spoke with my mom. Note: this guy was raised in a family that would not have been able to pay for him to go to such a place. Naturally the guy gets jealous. So what does he do? He says to my mom that he heard the water park tested positive for AIDS. Anybody with a lick of sense realizes how asinine that is. This is the mindset of the person who is jealous. Now we just arm them with keyboards, not just a telephone. 


SUMMARY
Yes, we get our share of haters. Why wouldn't we? Difference is, I am not afraid to make their idiocy public. 

Why do we get haters? I'd say anyone fighting the good fight will always get haters. Keyboard warriors combined with jealousy and you have a recipe for it. 

What do we do because of it? Not much. Keep fighting the good fight. 

One thing is for certain, my focus has always been on delivering value to actual students; the opinions of online skeptics (who are not students and will never be students) does not impact the way I run my classes. Feedback from experienced firearms instructors, however, is something I take seriously and always record.

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