A Question of Greed

“I find it odd - the greed of mankind. People only like you for as long as they perceive they can get what they want from you. Or for as long as they perceive you are who they want you to be. But I like people for all of their changing surprises, the thoughts in their heads, the warmth that changes to cold and the cold that changes to warmth... for being human. The rawness of being human delights me.”

-- C. JoyBell C.

When did things start to get so horrible?

When Adam and Eve ate the “forbidden fruit.” When we became greedy.

Is it good to marry a wife with a higher [paying] profession than yours?

What difference does it make if you love each other? What if she loses her job? What if you’re both fired and broke? The question is a bit shallow for anyone who considers it as appropriate to marriage. First, above all else, love one another, “till death do you part.”

Why is it hard to love someone who tends to love you first?

Why is it hard to pledge allegiance to a country you never had to fight for? We are all about working for something. If you work your tail off to purchase a very expensive car, you take care of it. If someone were to just give it to you, the responsibility to care for it isn’t there. We see this with any welfare state, as there is little respect for all the hard work that goes into doing for those who refuse to do for themselves. If someone just gives you their love without you working to obtain it, what would be the difference?

"And we can celebrate when we have a government that has earned back the trust of the people it serves... when we have a government that honors our Constitution and stands up for the values that have made America, America: economic freedom, individual liberty, and personal responsibility." 

-- John Boehner

I’m confused between two men. One is rich and well settled and the other is not rich but allowing me to work. What should I do?

Start by asking yourself, “Who do I truly love?” Everything else will shake itself out, but only if you both love each other.

In what order would you prioritize money, love, and career happiness?

Happiness, love, and money. Once I learn to be happy I can begin looking for a life partner to love who shares this value. If I’m happy always and have a partner who shares my values, my career will also benefit. Yeah, I wish I’d known this 45 years ago.

I've asked people who didn't like me to do me a small favor so they would like me, but it didn't work. Is this a useless hack?

Sounds pretty useless to me. Why in the world would you ask, much less expect, people who didn’t like you to do you any favor? And if they don’t like you, doing you a small favor will surely not endear you to them. How about just being nice and asking them why they don’t like you?

"Don't worry if people don't like you. Most people are struggling to like themselves."

-- Anonymous

What innocent-seeming picture is actually heartbreaking?

I don’t think it needs an explanation, for those who respect history.

What, what, what, what?

Wrong question. Better to ask, “Why?”

Daoism or “the art of passivity “or “letting go” simply implies that you should not give your one-hundred percent on everything. Do you think we will live a meaningful life if we follow the philosophy of Lao -Tzu? Why?

First of all, it is Tao, not Dao. It implies, and yet the Tao that can be described is not the eternal Tao. This makes Tao a difficult philosophy to understand, much less follow. If you feel your life to be meaningful by following this philosophy, then you are ahead of many who follow other philosophies and feel no meaning. Life has meaning when you determine what that meaning is and, more importantly, why that meaning is. Make good choices, allow life to happen around you, be at peace, and be happy always. Tao will find a way, sooner or later.

If 'you are the company you keep', would it come as a surprise to you that the company that you keep includes some corrupt and wicked people? Or is it they who insist on being in your company?

You are so not the company you keep. Others may see you like this, but who really cares what others think? I have many friends, and not all of them are “perfect” in the eyes of those around them. I try not to judge them as this is not my place, nor is it anyone else's. Having said this, I have friends I will give the shirt off my back to, and I have a few I’d have to consider if the shirt is worth the trouble. I do not hide this fact. I will let them know my issue. They need to know their friendship could be much dearer to me… if they care. Since I don’t, this would, then, be entirely up to them. We’ll still be friends.

“As your life evolves, so should your circle.”

-- Izey Victoria Odiase, author, self-care/personal development advocate 

How can you apply the message of the quotation “see the false as false the true as true follow your nature” in your life?

It is actually, “See the false as false. The true as true. Follow your nature.” I think Buddha was guiding us to see everything as it is, and try not to make it something you know it isn’t. We all know what is right and wrong. It is better we should follow what we know to be right, our nature, than to follow anything else.

Elucidate: "Sometimes all a person wants is an empathetic ear; all he or she needs is to talk it out. Just offering a listening ear and an understanding heart for his or her suffering can be a big comfort."

I’d say this is true more times than not if we care enough to get involved and find out. I think many people don’t even bother to ask for help. The trick for people around them is to recognize they might have a possible problem. Many times I’ve asked people how they’re doing, noting they look distressed, and they have opened up, grateful for the chance to talk it out. I have encountered this as a chaplain and as a manager in the military. You don’t have to offer suggestions. Just lending an ear is oftentimes all that is required. If they want a “sounding board” they will ask for your thoughts.

Who do you want to take away everything good from?

Why would you want to do this? If someone is evil it is this “good” that offers them a chance for change. To desire to take away this good would make you as evil as the person you desire to take it from.

“Good begets good; evil begets evil; and even if the good you give is met by evil, you have no choice but to go on giving better than you get. Otherwise-and these were Willy's exact words-why bother to go on living?”

-- Paul Auster, writer, author, film director

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as a chaplain at the regional medical center.