John is harsh with his expectations for Kyle because no one ever did it for him.
No one ever prefaced the harsh reality of this job, the things you have to do for the greater good, the blood he would get on his hands.
He had to learn it the hard way. Had to wrestle with himself at every turn, decide if the greater good was really all that great. The nightmares, the doubt, the fear almost did him in.
So if he could help his boys by letting them know what to expect, he would. And if that meant giving it to them plain and simple, that’s fine. Let them hate him, let them think him harsh and insensitive, because if they get to move forward knowing that John told them it’s for the greater good, then they can say the blood ends up back on his hands, and that’s fine with him.
His hands get dirty, and the world stays clean.
