Some Questions of Values

"Values are like fingerprints.  Nobody's are the same, but you leave 'em all over everything you do."

-- Elvis Presley

What is the first thing you think when you notice someone has done something wrong and it impacts your life?

I need to pull them to the side and ask, just when it was they lost their little mind, and how they’re going to make this right before I publicly humiliate them by kicking their stupid hind parts down the road.

What is some advice that you think someone should give at the age of 20?

Don’t give any advice until you’re 30.

If I don't owe anything to anybody or nobody owes me anything, then why do I still owe my partner loyalty?

Loyalty is a choice, not a debt. You don’t owe loyalty, but someone might have earned it. Loyalty should be part of your personal code of moral ethics. This code is what defines you. Guard it well.

“Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour ... If at my convenience I might break them, what would be their worth?”

-- Charlotte Brontë

Do you think that happy people end to be non-judgmental?

Yep! I strive to be happy always and tend to be non-judgmental… unless you’re a member of the League of the Perpetually Offended and, then, you’re just asking for it.

Why does my face seem to have no definitions when I look too close in a mirror?

When you get too close it starts to pixelate and lose definition. The software can't handle it.  Probably the same reason my optic nerve vibrates when my teeth are x-rayed. Falls under the heading of “WTF?”

Comment:  She's talking about a mirror so in real life, not a camera.

My reply:  And I’m talking about the computer program we’re all a part of.

Comment:  LOL ok I got it. I just read it again and noticed I read it too quick to make this assumption. Good stuff, sir.

My reply:  No problem. I assumed everyone would get the Matrix connection. My bad. 

If you get to choose to live only in the past, the present, or the future, which timeline do you want to live in? If so, why have you picked such a timeline?

The future. I know the past, the present is fairly predictable, moment to moment, but the future holds the key to the unknown, the next great adventures. All we need do is wait for a second and… viola! Here we are!

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

-- Søren Kierkegaard

What is the difference between any two types of nonverbal communication? What is the importance of them in communication?

Body language and voice inflection. Body language can tell you if they’re really interested, lying, or in la-la land, and voice inflection can tell you their state of mind. I used to screw with my supervisor who was the VP of the company and the retired assistant chief of the state patrol. I was retired intelligence and I would do everything I could, when he would “interrogate” me about projects and such, to keep him guessing. Body language, voice, eye movement, nervous ticks, he would finally laugh and demand I take him for martinis. He knew everything was fine with the projects, or I wouldn't have messed with his head.

If someone hears your opinion on a topic that they saw or heard before, should they repeat the point you made as a reference or experience it for themselves to have more knowledge?

I wouldn’t use an opinion from someone as a reference to something I know nothing about. Due diligence is the responsibility of everyone. I hate it when I hear someone that listen’s to only one news station and doesn’t get the entire story. I watch several just to ensure they aren’t covering anything of importance. It’s like presenting news out of context, which media is famous for nowadays… if they present news at all. Research what you hear for yourself, and then make it your own informed opinion.

What makes it difficult to connect old and new learnings?

When “new learnings” require totally new ways of looking at things. When you not only have to wrap your mind around a new concept, but you also have to embrace the new process required to get there. 2+2=4 and, now, quantum theory. It would be like seeing fire for the first time and then seeing a nuclear explosion.

“Do stuff. be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration's shove or society's kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It's all about paying attention. attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. stay eager.”

-- Susan Sontag

Are hand gestures a form of creative expression?

Yes! My creative expression of flipping you the finger is a hand gesture pretty much recognized around the world for what it means.

Is "I'm sorry I made you feel that way" a better apology than "I'm sorry you feel that way"?

If you’re the one who made them feel that way, it is taking ownership of what you did. In this way, I’d have to agree that it is a better apology.

Would you agree that it's not always what you know, it's who you know in certain situations?

Yes, but if they don’t also take into account what I know, they are utilizing an unknown and introducing possible failure into the equation. I wouldn’t do this, and anyone that does shows a lack of good sense.

"It's not what you know, but who knows you."

-- Unknown

What do you understand about 'learning with understanding'?

If there is no understanding, there is no learning. If one doesn’t teach to understand, what is the point? We are failing students in the United States by teaching them propaganda for indoctrination instead of ensuring they understand the truth so they can learn from the past to help salvage the future. If you only see one side of a triangle, how do you know for sure what shape it is?

Why do people refuse to do research and blindly believe the media?

People are basically stupid and blindly loyal to what they think is true. The media expects you to believe what they say is true, and socialism uses this to great effect until the truth wins out. The truth always wins out, which is why socialism always fails in the end.

What does the saying 'respect is earned' mean since it sounds like it is unfair or pushing it some?

Respect must be earned, or it isn’t truly respect. You say you respect a man who has "morally ethical values," but you really don’t know this is true until he does something to show who he really is. The more he demonstrates those values he claims, the more respect he earns from those around him. He truly becomes, more and more, a man of his word.

“Respect isn't automatically earned. You have to first position yourself with a level of mannerism that's worth emulating before others could see a strong reason to respect you.”

-- Edmond Mbiaka

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.