A Question of Respect

“Courage is the starting point of everything good. To love another is to automatically feed the fire of courage. We cannot be humiliated when we are fighting for someone or something we love. We will not give up when we are fighting for loved ones. As we evolve, our loved ones extend out from our family to include all of humanity. Courage and confidence will grow over the years with practice and self-awareness. We are never alone. God will help us. Such is the courage which gains respect from others. More importantly, we gain respect for ourselves.”

-- Donna Goddard, author

What is the importance of respecting others regardless of having the desire?

Respect begets respect. How you act has a great bearing on how others act toward you. I can respect an opponent and not like one thing about them. I don’t like most people in Congress, but I respect their ability to con their constituents into believing their BS so they could get elected, and to continue to be reelected even though they have delivered nothing they promised. You can respect someone and still feel free to politely explain your opinion of them. Honesty and respect - a hard pair to come by.

If every decision determines my fate, how do I decide what to pursue if each choice holds a heavyweight?

So, your decision is whether to be brave? This to may determine your fate. You can choose to stand and fight, to seize the day, or you can run and be shot in the back or live knowing you ran. The weight is the difficulty of the challenge, and life is all about confronting challenges and learning from them. You will fail. Know that failure is the best way we learn, providing we get up and try again. How you live life, your choices and decisions, have much do with defining who you are and, more importantly, why.

Seasoned happiness is intangible and immeasurable; prosperity is measurable. How do we relate those two easily, or can’t we?

True happiness is so very measurable and tangible. For those who know it, it is everything from which all else springs. You can choose to relate happiness to prosperity, but being prosperous isn’t necessary to happiness, nor is happiness a necessary element to prosperity.

"Happiness is prosperity combined with virtue"

-- Aristotle (385 BC-322BC), philosopher. polymath

Have we ever truly learned from history?

You’re kidding, right? No matter how many terrorists we kill, they keep on coming. No matter how many leaders we punish for genocide, there is still genocide and insane leadership. Dropping two atomic weapons in WW-II did not stop any country from developing even more destructive weapons. The “war to end all wars” failed miserably. And, many African-Americans belong to the party of the KKK and Jim Crow, the very political party that forced them into slavery. No, we never really learn from history because real history isn’t taught. 

I am lazy and unambitious. Is that a good enough reason for leaving America?

My first blush would be to say, “That works for me. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.” But you are guaranteed by the Constitution to your own pursuit of happiness. If it makes you happy to be lazy and unambitious, so be it. The only thing I would ask is that you don’t use my hard-earned money to do it, as that would be taking away from my pursuit of happiness and you don’t have the right to steal from me, or anyone else who works hard to get ahead in this great country.

A Reader Comment: Unfortunately, that’s not how government money works. Once you pay that money, it’s no longer your money and the cause it goes to (rightfully you should know) but ultimately cannot stop.

My Response: We do tend to forget who our government belongs to. Per Abraham Lincoln, “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” It really doesn’t belong to the politicians, as much as they might like it to.

“Obviously, if politicians believe that voters cannot be trusted with the truth, democracy is seriously at risk. For a democracy to function it is essential that a government respects the people and takes them seriously, not only those that have voted for that government, but all people. Furthermore, in order to exercise their democratic rights properly, people should be informed as fully as possible.”

-- Barend ter Haar, professor, author

What is the most unique way to do something common?

Have you ever seen me golf? A common sport that I make totally unique. An interactive endeavor for those around me: Point out a hazard and, even if it’s behind me, I’ll manage to hit it. 

How do I explain all the what, why, and what, where, and, how, this, that, when, so, and so what of, for and about myself on the inside, outside, inside-out and outside-in with everything, anything, all things, something and whatever else?

You are. Everything else requires introspection, but it's all there except, perhaps the "why" of you.  This, you may never understand.  Few really do.  If you aren’t happy with being, why should anyone else be? And, if they aren’t happy with that, who really and truly gives a fig? 

How do you know if you love someone but are not in love with them?

I dearly love a darling woman I have known for years. She is 25-30 odd years my junior, but I am not “in love” with her. She is more like another daughter to me, or a very dear friend. Being “in love” dictates a desire for a deeper relationship, that of lovers. I have thought about this, but it just isn’t there. If you don’t feel that kind of love, then you answer your own question.

"I love you." That means I'm not just here for the pretty parts. I'm here no matter what.

-- Author Unknown

What’s the best motivational quote you’ve heard?

Lead, follow, or get out of the way!

Do you agree with this statement ‘‘you are a product of your surroundings”?

To a point. Being a “product of your surroundings” is a choice. Every base I was stationed at in the military presented its own unique surroundings. You could stay on base and not become part of the community, or you could get out among them and learn the culture. You begin to become a “local” after a while, a “product” of your surroundings. It is what it is until it isn’t, and it isn’t when you leave. You go to the next base and assimilate all over again.

How have people in your life disappointed you?

Not really. It’s a few people I don’t know, but interact with on my blog, and on this site, that tend to disappoint. They seem to fish for an argument to the answer they asked me for, or they try to start an argument because they read my answer and it isn’t what they believe. Having an opinion seems to be not what people are after. One would almost think they’re really just interested in affirmation of their own issues. I usually refer to this group as the League of the Perpetually Offended, and there is no winning any conversation with them so I try not to. My readers, however, have often stepped in to handle such things for me.

“Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.”

-- Jodi Picoult, writer, author

 

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.