And just kind of went back to work, and then realized what direction we wanted to go in.
Went and did some real estate, invested our money into some properties.
And now I’m a stay at home dad.
And I’m just enjoying life.
And you’ve got the option to’t fight them.
The sooner you accept them, the sooner you get happier with your life.
But stuff sticks with us.
And when the bad stuff sticks, you have a tendency to kind of fall into a hole.
And so, I’m more positive now.
I attempt to stay more positive, and thinking about the brighter things in life.
And it’s just a blessing that I was able to show that and help so many people.
You’re not sleeping, you’re not eating, you’re getting rained on, stuff like that.
That’s whatSurvivordoes to you.
It’s breaks you down.
It’s like going to bootcamp, they break you down, and they build you up.
And that’s exactly whatSurvivordoes out here.
We’re starving, we’re hungry, people are lying, and scheming, and plotting behind you.
How have I screwed up in life?
How can I make those screw ups right again?
And you’ve got nothing but time to think about who you’re voting out, out here.
And living in the past, I said, it will kill you.
But the future will save you.
And so, I fully expect to have a breakdown out here, and it’s all right.
And so, it’s all good, it’s all good.
It’s all out of fun, it’s all out of positivity.
And I get emotional sometimes when I think about them, and that’s okay.
I think it’s that openness that people respond to.
And people like the fact that you’re so open about that.
But why come back and do this again?
You won the money!
You won the game!
Why are you here again?First off, I want to be the champion of champions.
If it is what it is, I want to be the champion, the king of the kings.
I want that title.
And it just excites me to be out here, and see all these winners out here.
Also, I have something to prove.
Season 35, final seven, I kind of was on my own.
And from then on, I did the whole game by myself, and that was not fun.
But it wasn’t fun.
I was having fun, but I was having fun by myself.
And I did on season 35, and then at seven, I caught them at the well.
That being said, I still want to win.
And if I have to bull in a China shop through the final seven again, I will.
I don’t want to.
I want to build those relationships.
But I want to prove to everybody that I can do this another way.
I want to prove to myself that I have what it takes to be here.
I may be lacking a little self-confidence around all these huge, big names.
You got Tony, you got Yul, you got Boston Rob, you got Sandra.
You’re looking up atSurvivorGods.
And it’s like, “What am I doing here?
How do you feel when you see people say, “He was saved by this twist”?
There are people that say, “That was put in last minute, because they liked Ben.”
And you’re like, “I’m kind of a dick, or a jerk.”
And then, all that hoopla about putting idols where I sleep?
That’s unreal, no one did that.
So, it takes away from my game.
It takes away from the fact that I was out working.
While they were sleeping, I was out looking for idols.
And it takes away from how I played the game.
And then, all of the hate of, “I hope you die from PTSD.
I hope your family gets bombed.”
And all this other stuff.
That after you’ve just played this amazing game that you love, and then you actually win.
But then, there’s so much BS around it, and it just kind of knocks you down.
It is social media, it is what it is.
But you’re sitting here, looking like, “Yeah, I just wonSurvivor.”
And someone else is like, “Yeah, he was given it.
He’s the worst winner ever.”
And it’s just like, I’m glad I got the money.
I’m glad my family has security now.
And so, do these guys believe it?
I don’t know, I don’t think so.
But they are seeing it.
It’s coming across their timeline.
I know this is going to be a battle, I know this is going to be a war.
But I want to go through it in a more tactful way, and maneuver my way through it.
It’s a remarkable accomplishment, and a very small club of people that have won this game.
And no matter how it happens, it’s an incredible achievement.
Does that mean that we’re not going to see any Ben Bombs in season 40?
Is that what you’re saying?Yeah, well… maybe, no sound effects.
Maybe I’ll just say, “Ben Bomb!”
And that’s the thing about season 35 is, I never planned anything.
This whole pandering to the jury deal?
I didn’t know I was doing that at the time.
I didn’t know that was a thing.
And so, it was fun.
They were messing with me, I was messing with them back.
And so, it’s a game.
But isn’t that part of the game?
I was just going out and having fun.
I knew I was going to go home next Tribal.
You outworked people in terms of looking for those idols.
That I’m constantly in a group.
If I’m going to get wood, I’m going to get wood with somebody.
If I’m going to get water, I’m going to go get with somebody.
I don’t want to be out scurrying around, while everyone is awake.
I’ll do it at night.
But I don’t want to be Tony on aGame Changersand run out in the woods.
Instead of going alone.
Because I had to go get wood, and no one else would get wood last time.
No one else would come with me.
Let’s go get water.
Let’s go get this stuff.”
They didn’t even want to be seen with me last time.
So hopefully we can dial that in, and people will hang out with me.
You’re here with nine other men.
You probably have your guesses and theories as to who else you may be playing with.
Man in the cowboy hat: Why would you be considered a hero?"
And I was just like, “No, no, no.”
And I was like, “Well, I’m a dad.”
And I was like, “Well, I guess, I’m a Marine too.”
And so, that’s one thing aboutSurvivor.
And so, I think I can align personally.
And that’s the world that I don’t understand.
And I think like yin and yang.
I like Tony too, because he’s a big threat.
I like Boston Rob because he’s a big threat.
Nick’s a smart man.
But everybody here got jury votes, and that’s what it comes down to in the end.
You play the game as hard as you might, and beat it.
So, it’s unfortunate that one of us is going to go home.
And it’s just exciting that a winner will go home first.
A winner will win twice, maybe three times.
It’s just unreal.
And so my doors are open.
I’m not going to go in with a target on anyone’s back.
And just know that everybody has a target on their back though.
You just talked about how you see the other players.
How do you think they see you?I don’t know.
A happy man, maybe.
A happy man, with some demons, I guess.
I got the tattoos, I got the gap teeth.
I’m not a model.
I don’t know what they see of me.
And that’s what day one is about, is being able to meet someone.
And not see them on TV, but actually meet them in person.
And I’m excited to do that with everybody here.
I’m a fan, I’m a fanboy.
And I will be getting everybody’s autograph by the time we’re done with this.
This is a big one.
What’s your biggest weakness, Ben?
What’s the biggest thing you’re gonna wanna work on?Social game.
Got to work on my social game.
That’s a fact.
At the beginning last time, I had my social game.
I had my alliances at the beginning.
And then, I had the merge, I had great alliances.
We were going good, everything was good.
And then, at the seven, I caught them at the well.
And so, that’s a stab in the back.
I literally caught them talking about, “You’re going to go home.”
And then, I did do the thing with Chrissy and Ryan and kind of burnt my bridges there.
But I was the threat, I was a target, and I didn’t know why.
I thought we were moving along, chugging along.
And so, I need to find out why I became the target at seven.
I need to figure that out.
So, maybe a little brake.
And then, if I got to gas it, I’ll gas it again.
That’s what I’m really trying to go through, this time.
