Questioning What's Good

 

“If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.”

-- Marcus Aurelius

Why do people object to what is good for them?

What’s good for us we, generally, don’t enjoy. This is why sin is so appealing to most people. If it tastes good, made us feel good, and is fun, we’d be all over it.

Can you define happiness (for you) in one sentence?

I woke up on this side of the dirt.

What are examples of when the ‘wisdom of the crowd’ was correct?

Standby, we’re beginning to witness the answer with New York’s Governor Cuomo.

“Groups are only smart when there is a balance between the information that everyone in the group shares and the information that each of the members of the group holds privately. It's the combination of all those pieces of independent information, some of them right, some of the wrong, that keeps the group wise.”

-- James Surowiecki

How can we write a business plan that will save 100 million people from hunger?

Write in a section dealing with policing fraud, waste, and abuse.

How do you see the principle of communication playing a role in academic, professional, personal, and civil aspects of your life?

Good communication is paramount in all aspects of life. It helps to keep issues down to a minimum. Personally, electronic communication is fine to start the process, but if possible and given the option, I would followup with face-to-face communication whenever possible. I like to look at people when I talk, see the body language to understand that they know where I’m coming from and so I understand where they’re coming from. You don’t really get that kind of communicating electronically.

Bob Dylan once said, “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” What do you make of this statement?

Be in the moment and truly experience it. Live life, don’t just walk through it with your head down.  Are we certain this quote was from Dylan, and not Bob Marley?

"God is good for everybody. The sun shines on good people and bad people, and it rains on both, too. God doesn't choose rain only for bad people." 

-- Mariano Rivera

What is your own interpretation of, “To heredity, the child owes his possibilities. However, to the environment, he owes the realization of these possibilities.”

This is one of those quotes where the author can’t go wrong. It deals in “possibilities” and anything is possible, so you just can’t go wrong by saying it. It’s almost like saying, “Life is what you are able to make of it.”

What does it mean psychologically when someone is writing everything in lowercase in chat or emails, except for "I"? It is not related to where the "I" is placed in the sentence.

Is being too lazy, psychological? As far as the “I” is concerned, they don’t have to dot the upper case. Lazy.

"If he had studied, he would have completed his education successfully." Which is the best meaning of the expression., he has not yet completed his education, or has not completed his education due to his laziness?

The way it is written would suggest he never completed his education due to non-existent or poor study habits. If you don’t successfully complete a task, the task is not completed.

"True education is about getting the best out of oneself."

-- Mahatma Gandhi

Do you know what hardtrance is?

If you’re talking about the music genre, it’s two words - hard trance. Hah! Spellcheck is even aware of that!

Contributor's comment:  Indeed I am, just gauging how many people around the globe actually know what it is. Yes, you’re correct but it's not my autocorrect, too many times writing hardstyle and hardtrance fast and now it's just become a habit. Out of interest, how do you know the genre?

My response:  It’s called the internet, silly. I’m 67 years old. I haven’t a clue, but I assumed music so I looked it up.

What does "service is universal" mean?

It had better mean “service is a universal concept” because not everyone is exercising it. I think most of us know what it is, some just prefer not to give it. A reason for shorting on the tip, I think.

You have to send a message to the entire world. What would you say?

Wake up each morning and be thankful for the gift of another day of life and another chance to excel at selflessly making it better for all other living things.

“Always be among those who give something and expect nothing. It’s a lot better than being among those who give nothing and expect something.

-- Nkwachukwu Ogbuagu

What’s an unexpected benefit from struggling with new concepts or tasks?

You tend to learn more than if you hadn’t struggled. You also have a unique view of it you can use if you’re assigned to train others to do the task. They aren’t stupid, they simply come at the task as you did. Mentoring is a wonderful thing.

How do you explain the phrase "everything good always goes away and betrayal is inevitable in any relationship"?

It is hard to explain this as any more than a possibility, not a certainty. Everything good doesn't always go away, and if it does go away it isn’t always viewed as a negative. I have left many of my good and loved friends, and they still are loved… and missed. I have been betrayed in relationships, but it is not always inevitable. These are choices people make in their lives, to see the positive or the negative.  Whoever came up with this quote has issues that need to be addressed. Better if they pay more attention to being happy always, than expecting the worst. When you expect, you are probably the reason it happens. Better to expect the best.

Note to my readers:  I answered this question some time ago, and posted it on this site, but I thought I'd share what I'm up against on the site I frequent to answer these questions.  The original question, as shown above, was changed to read, "What should I do to help a good-hearted girl who always blames others for everything that goes wrong with her life?"  I hate it when they change the original question to one that my answer doesn’t really fit. I referenced the original quote that you can see is no longer part of the new question. I can sound stupid enough on my own without any of their their help.

“Everything will be okay in the end. 

If it's not okay, it's not the end. ”

-- John Lennon

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 volunteered as a chaplain at the regional medical center.