More Questions of Humility, Happiness, and Truth

The Paradoxical Commandments

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

Give the world the best you have anyway.”

― Kent M. Keith

How did you become such a humble person?

By coming to the realization that, where those who truly give a damn are concerned, I am no better than anyone else, and no one is any better than me. Each to their abilities. If all you desire is to suck from the public teat of welfare, so be it. You have the right to be nothing, but don’t expect anything else from anyone. You are given the life you desired, so pocket your self-respect as you will have no need of it. Humility, for me, was evidenced once again by watching a legless man in a wheelchair working at Walmart. He qualified for many programs that would help him through life, but he didn’t want welfare, he wanted a job, the satisfaction of work that gave him fulfillment. This is just one story, of many, that keeps me humble. First responders are another. People who risk their lives for others.

Is there anything wrong with enjoying your own company too much?

Not if your own company enjoys the company of others. There is much to be said about not becoming a loner, so much, in fact, that I hesitate to even broach the subject. Suffice to say that we are, for the greater part, social animals. We crave the company of our fellows and, even if we find people to be tedious, we crave the company of our pets. My mother says she never met a cat she didn’t like, but she has met some people she could have done without.

How do unhappy rich people buy happiness?

They don’t. Happiness is not a commodity to be bought or sold. It is a choice each of us must make for our lives. Rich or poor, it makes no difference. Strive to be happy always, and find humility so you can be humble as you face the world. Have a strict code of moral ethics and hold to it. Be kind to those around you. Be selfless in your giving. Have an undying faith. Become rich for all the good you can do with it, and become poor because of all the good you did with it. In this way, you will find the happiness that resides inside of you.

“They say money can’t buy happiness. But it can sure as hell solve a lot of problems!”

-- Robert Rolih

What can you say to Albert Einstein's quote ''Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value''?

He was half right. What good is success without value? Success for the sake of success is a selfish thing, where the value is only to yourself. There must be more to it. There must be some selfless value to others, some usefulness for your success. If your success is to become a teacher, the value is to teach others what you know. If you love teaching, then the value is for the students to love learning. Be a success, but make sure you are also of value.

What can you say about Steve Jobs' quote ''The only way to do great work is to love what you do''?

If you love what you do, then all the work you do is great work. Saint Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” How do you become a saint? You spend your life doing “small things with great love.” I consider this to be “great” work.

What truths stand the test of time?

All real truth will stand the "test of time." It must, for the very reason it is truth. No matter what anyone tries to say about it, if it is, in fact, the truth, it will always be the truth. If it isn’t, then it is just a supposition waiting for proof. If this is the case, then all we can do is have faith, and faith is nothing more than an undying belief in something for which there is little or no proof.

“Being a writer means helping others through your experiences.

It is giving the reader the chance to take in something new, or something they may wish to brave.

It is a loving and hostile touch, a patient and eager ghost, and above all... a test of time.”

-- H.S. Crow

What is the comfort zone? Why should we get out of it?

We don’t truly learn without failure, and we don’t truly grow unless we learn. If we stay in our “comfort zone” without risk, we also risk not growing, moving forward, and succeeding. Sometimes it is worth a risk.

Is it possible to be good at everything you love doing? Or can you only be good at one thing?

If you’re going to do something you should always strive to do it as well as possible, whether you love doing it or not. Strive to be good at all things you take on, even if there are only a few you enjoy.

How do I find the answers to all my questions?

Learn the lessons in this life so you can continue being reborn until all questions are answered. It really isn’t that hard. You have forever to work on it, and this is a good thing because there will always be new questions.

“To seek truth requires one to ask the right questions. Those void of truth never ask about anything because their ego and arrogance prevent them from doing so. Therefore, they will always remain ignorant. Those on the right path to Truth are extremely heart-driven and childlike in their quest, always asking questions, always wanting to understand and know everything — and are not afraid to admit they don't know something. However, every truth seeker does need to break down their ego first to see Truth. If the mind is in the way, the heart won't see anything.”

-- Suzy Kassem

Do you want to understand the real you?

I already do, and I’m still recovering from it.

What one thing would you change in your country to make it better?

The leadership of the League of the Perpetually Offended. Oh, I’m sorry, I meant to say the majority of Congress.

Why can I accept that I fail?

Probably because you have learned the life lesson that failure is the best way we learn. Even some successful people have a problem grasping this concept which is why, when they fail, they fail hard and probably won’t recover. If an employee fails, ask them what they learned. If they shift blame or say nothing, let them seek other employment. If they have critiqued their failure, learned from it, why would you let them work for someone else when your company just trained them through trial and error? The fact that you accept your own failures is a sign that you understand this concept.  Just make certain you learn from what you've done.

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

-- Maya Angelou

What is goodness? Don’t define in terms of natural disposition.

Well, but it is. At least we’re born that way, then our environment steps in to screw things up. Another definition of it is being kind and helping others in selfless terms; expecting nothing for your efforts. Being good is like happiness, as it is a choice each of us must make for our lives or we will be doomed to repeat the lesson until we get it right.

Why are millennials and Gen Z so self-deprecating?

They were taught to be members of the League of the Perpetually Offended, either by their parents, their friends, or their teachers and professors. They have been taught to believe whatever they’ve been told. This works very well, as we’ve seen recently, to help destabilize a nation. Once you become self-deprecating, or offended by yourself, expressing disapproval about everything else is just another door to open. The members of the League are really not very happy people.

Is it true morally upright, righteous, principled, empathic, selfless people tend to live a shorter life and be more likely to suffer from diseases than bad, egoistic, malicious, evil people? Are there studies to support that claim, or is it a myth?

Oh, I certainly hope not! We tend to understand happiness more than others, and happiness tends to extend life, barring diseases no one can sidestep. It may very well be a myth, but, if it isn’t, I leave you with a thought. We might lead shorter lives because we’ve completed learning all we were sent here to learn. We have graduated and moved on to the next grade, the next life, to learn all we can there. I suppose what I’m saying is that a shorter life is not necessarily a bad thing. It simply is what it is. One might ask, why some wise people live to old age? Maybe they’re ahead of the rest of us. So, maybe they stay here to teach.

“These... things, householder, are welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world:

Long life is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.

Beauty is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.

Happiness is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.

Status is welcome, agreeable, pleasant, & hard to obtain in the world.

Now, I tell you, these... things are not to be obtained by reason of prayers or wishes. If they were to be obtained by reason of prayers or wishes, who here would lack them? It's not fitting for the disciple of the noble ones who desires long life to pray for it or to delight in doing so. Instead, the disciple of the noble ones who desires long life should follow the path of practice leading to long life. In so doing, he will attain long life...”

-- Buddha (Ittha Sutta, AN 5.43)

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.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com