Questioning Decisions and Choices

 

“It's not about making the right choice.
It's about making a choice and making it right.”

-- J.R. Rim

What is a picture of you that would make everyone go “No!”?

Oh, hands down, me naked striking a pose!

What is the difference between mindfulness and carefulness?

You must be “mindful” about being careful, or bad things might occur. 

Do you typically make decisions quickly and confidently, or is some type of soul-searching a must?

Almost 23 years in the military taught me the confidence in a “quick” decision is never as confident as it could be given time to think. You can mitigate this questionable confidence through knowledge and experience, but a decision based on a “knee-jerk” reaction has the very real possibility of bringing with it other unforeseen consequences. 

“On an important decision, one rarely has 100% of the information needed for a good decision no matter how much one spends or how long one waits. And, if one waits too long, he has a different problem and has to start all over. This is the terrible dilemma of the hesitant decision maker.”

-- Robert K. Greenleaf

What are the differences between life and money? Is money everything?

Life should be all about attaining real happiness. Money is about material needs and wants, but has little to do with attaining real happiness. Happiness is a choice each of us must make for our life. One can have real happiness without money, but money cannot buy real happiness.

What is the difference between an individual’s core values and opinions?

There should be no difference. If there is, it doesn’t say much about that person’s belief in their “core” values. Your values should be reflected in your opinions, or why have any values, to begin with?

What is an insight of the phrase, "I will catch a bullet. Is that is what it takes to defend my beloved"?

You are willing to give everything, including your life, in defense of the one you love.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

-- John 15:13

"What consumes your mind controls your life" Do you agree?

Indeed.  

Why can't I get all of what I want by forcing myself?

I have to refer to Taoist teaching for this: “Nothing in the world is weaker than water, But it has no better in overcoming the hard.” Perhaps you try too hard, or perhaps you want too much. What we want can be emotional or material. Emotional can be sustained, but the material comes and goes. Would you rather have true happiness for a lifetime or a car for the life of the engine? You don’t have to work for happiness. Happiness is a simple choice you must make for your life. You either are or you aren’t. Truth be known, you already have what you need. What you want is really just greed getting in the way of living a happy life.

What is so mind-blowing about the following quote, "'Proper' Logic changes depending on external conditions."?

Nothing. It is logical. It might blow the minds of those who have no grasp of reality, but this quote makes perfect sense.

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity.”

-- Dale Carnegie

Why do some people answer questions they know nothing about?

Delusions of intelligence. If I know very little about a subject, I always try to preface my answer with the fact that this is just the opinion of a person with no real knowledge. I find the people who answer questions they’re really ignorant about are usually those members of the League of the Perpetually Offended. Hell, they can’t even tell you why they’re offended most of the time, and even that offends them.

Is it true that there can never truly be peace without conflict?

As long as greed is infecting the world, there will be discord.

Why do people think school is not the key to success, but school is one of the paths to success?

It seems most teachers aren’t teaching students to succeed. They seem more interested in indoctrinating them into the teacher union’s version of socialism. This isn’t new, as they’ve been pushing this agenda for some time, thinking nobody was noticing.

Many students are now taking the path of “trade” schools and actually making a pretty good living. After a fairly decent basic education, early on, I gave up my “liberal” college education in California for a military career and never looked back. This was back in the day when early education was all about teaching subjects you could use in life, like math, reading, real history, science, and the like.

We didn’t pay attention to race because we were all too busy trying to learn. Now, we seem hellbent on setting racism and equality back 60 years under the guise of democratic socialism. We should get back to teaching real, useful, subjects, and expecting all students to learn. What a concept!

“Ideally, what should be said to every child, repeatedly, throughout his or her school life is something like this: 'You are in the process of being indoctrinated. We have not yet evolved a system of education that is not a system of indoctrination. We are sorry, but it is the best we can do. What you are being taught here is an amalgam of current prejudice and the choices of this particular culture. The slightest look at history will show how impermanent these must be. You are being taught by people who have been able to accommodate themselves to a regime of thought laid down by their predecessors. It is a self-perpetuating system. Those of you who are more robust and individual than others will be encouraged to leave and find ways of educating yourself — educating your own judgments. Those that stay must remember, always, and all the time, that they are being molded and patterned to fit into the narrow and particular needs of this particular society.”

-- Doris Lessing

Is it true that no good deed goes unseen by God? Why?

If we’re discussing the “deed” being seen by the “ultimate power in the universe”, then any deed doesn’t go unseen. This is evidenced by karma, which can be either good or a real bitch, depending on the deed in question.

What we do in this life or any life, creates ripples in the communal pond. These ripples have an effect on those around us. When all of our ripples are aligned and cascade into more of a wave, more people are affected and the shoreline begins to erode in one area or buildup in another. 

Change is the only constant in the universe and humans, good and bad, make significant use of this truth. The fact that “God” is watching, and karma is coming, seems to make little difference to them.wa

What is an alarming statistic that most people don’t know?

The true percentage of legal voters in the last U.S. Presidential election, and the true number of votes cast for each candidate. 

What would you say are the essentials of a good person?

Morally ethical conduct. A “good person” will research this concept. For those too busy to care or who already know, it can be simplified into, do no harm and selflessly help those around you.

“One goal of the daily time of contemplation is to become aware of the essential in life, to become aware of that, which does not change upon death. If you can find that which is eternal in yourselves, suddenly your lives will have attained much significance and meaning.”

-- Laurence Galian

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