Questioning "This or That"

 

"If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin, and in the end, despair."

-- C. S. Lewis

What is something you probably should do, but never will?

Make a semblance of peace with my ex-wife. I have always asked my children to wish her well, she has never responded. No big surprise there, so this will probably never happen. For my part, I have forgiven myself and her for what happened, and I have accepted the apology I was never going to get from her.

What does “I am not capable of giving you what you seek” mean?

Look elsewhere for what you want.

What the universe is telling you?

“Be happy always!”

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”

-- Albert Einstein

What does it mean to delineate between two things when you're drawing?

Make sure they look like two separate things, or some people might take them as one and wonder what you were thinking. However, I’ve found this to not be a hard and fast rule. There is art genre that might require melding two images into one, to get an abstract idea across, or to make the observer think.

Author comment:  I'm drawing Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, and I want to delineate between their ears and the top of their heads. Does that seem necessary?

My response:  They aren’t drawn, that I’ve ever seen, with the ears delineated from the head. I think most people get the intent. It is hard to meaningfully delineate black from black.

Author comment:  Thank you!

My response:  You are so very welcome! As an artist, myself, I also run across things that make me go, “Hmmmm…”

Do you do something "well" or "good"?

It depends. If I do something nice for someone, then my intent is to have done something good for them. If I’m doing a task, on the other hand, I strive to do it well.

What is the difference between an "intentional life" and a "meaningful life"? What exactly do you imagine a "Meaningful" and an "Intentional" life to be? How would you personally describe these lives and people living this kind of life?

So many questions… makes my head hurt. All life is going to be meaningful, the difference will be if it’s good or bad. The good life I intend might not end up being meaningfully good. It might end up being miserable. What we intend is our desired outcome. How meaningful it ends up being is what it is. It is hard to describe these people until they reach that point in life when they can say if it has been as meaningful as they intended.

“The greatest challenge in life is to be our own person and accept that being different is a blessing and not a curse. A person who knows who they are lives a simple life by eliminating from their orbit anything that does not align with his or her overriding purpose and values. A person must be selective with their time and energy because both elements of life are limited.”

-- Kilroy J. Oldster

Have you ever "done the right thing" yet regretted it for years afterward?

Nope. Right is right. If the situation goes south, you gave it your best shot by doing the right thing. Regret is for those who do the wrong thing, or do nothing. Not my circus, not my monkey.  I have too much life to live... still.

Reader's comment:  Is that phrase “not my circus” your own phrase? Haven’t heard that one before.

My response:  “Not my circus, not my monkey” has some history.

Reader's comment:  Found it, it’s apparently of Polish origin.  I like it.  "Not my circus, not my monkey".  Polish Translation: Nie mój cyrk, nie moje malpy. Meaning: Not my problem.

What are the major obstacles to finding contentment?

This is the same thing as finding happiness. It is a conscious choice each of us has to make, to be happy or content. Make the choice first, then go about getting shed of anything that stands in the way of you being happily content. Debt, bad friends, bad job, wrong house, wrong mate, whatever it is that is an obstacle, get rid of it. Strive to be happy always!

What was something that happened to make you open your eyes and then see your life differently?

Again, we’re back to a messy divorce where you lose everything. It is an eye-opener as to what is really precious.

“In life, there are as many critical stages as there are stars, most of the time we cannot see them. They are hidden by storm clouds or bright light. However, there are certain crucial junctures in life; even the blind can easily witness with a little soulful reflection. These moments, lived and experienced properly, bring beauty and grace into the life of every human willing to see.”

-- RJ Blizzard

What type of philosophy believes that we are nothing in this life but mere living beings without purpose? A story ends, "And saw she was nothing and rested in peace." I want to say that she acquired a type of philosophy (it's reading comprehension).

I believe atheists say when we’re dead, that's it. We live, we die.  No afterlife.  No omnipotent God.  Nothing to look forward to.  Very fatalistic, in my view. 

I admire writers a lot and really want to be one someday, but I don't have the confidence to start writing. How do I handle this so as to become addicted to writing?

Start. If you want to write, do so. I retired to Mexico for two years, and I became bored at the end of year one. I decided to write a novel, so I did. I wrote a 400-page novel in a couple of months. Is it good? Don’t know, but I sure enjoyed writing it. The best way to start writing is to sit down at your keyboard and begin.

When we teach our children ethics and morality, are we helping them to live better lives, or are we potentially hindering their chances of success in our society?

Would you rather they be rioting, burning down cities, and destroying our Constitution as they support anarchy, domestic terrorism, and racism? Teach them ethics and morality, what they do with what they’re taught will define who they are. Hopefully, they will choose to be a productive member of society.

“The animals themselves are incapable of demanding their own liberation, or of protesting against their condition with votes, demonstrations, or bombs. Human beings have the power to continue to oppress other species forever, or until we make this planet unsuitable for living beings. Will our tyranny continue, proving that we really are the selfish tyrants that the most cynical of poets and philosophers have always said we are? Or will we rise to the challenge and prove our capacity for genuine altruism by ending our ruthless exploitation of the species in our power, not because we are forced to do so by rebels or terrorists, but because we recognize that our position is morally indefensible? The way in which we answer this question depends on the way in which each one of us, individually, answers it.”

-- Peter Singer

Do you think it is important to be balanced with thinking and feeling?

Absolutely. There must be a balance between emotion and critical thought. Emotionally we jump into situations before we think the action through. This can get us into bad situations. If we temper our emotions with some critical thought concerning the who, what, when, why, and how of the situation, we would be so much better for the time taken.

How are you doing?

I woke up on this side of the dirt. I thanked God for the gift of another glorious day in paradise, and another chance to excel in it.

What did Seneca mean when he said, all cruelty springs from weakness? Can you give an example?

We read constantly of revolutions to end an overpowering government, just to have the government replaced by socialist tyranny or a military dictatorship, both of which are worse than the government that was overthrown. Cruelty springs from being weakness wanting to be stronger and not having the moral ethics to do it selflessly. When power is thrust upon the weak, the lust of greed and power follow like rabid dogs.

"Bullies are people who are weak and try to make up for it by intimidating others. They may be physically powerful, but that means their weakness may be a lack of confidence.

Whatever the weakness may be, bullies and other cruel or savage people are doing it because of their weakness. How well do you think things will go if you walked up to a bully and tried to interest them in a discussion about your thoughts on their weakness in self-confidence?

You will need to exercise tact if you are going to engage them directly, right? Another approach is to demonstrate your strength by helping the person to whom they are being mean. That may also cause a bit of a confrontation, but (hopefully) your showing strength will encourage others to join you."

-- Philosiblog

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.