Questioning Thoughts and Questioning

“In all affairs, it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.”

-- Bertrand Russell

Is "goatness" a burden and how do you stay the GOAT (the greatest of anything at all times)?

Is "goatness" even a word? Being a man with great humility, I am constantly reminded that the “greatest of anything at all times” is a title only those who are a legend in their own mind can attain. A title is fleeting, even for those who retire, so to be it for “all times” would be too much for anyone to hope for. Is it a burden? Only if you delude yourself into thinking it is true. Better to be the best you can and strive to be humble and happy at all times.

What is a word that describes people who question everything?

Smart? Intelligent? Inquisitive? Careful? Diligent? However, if one doesn’t question everything, one isn’t very smart.

Have you ever seen and learned about the characteristics of a successful person?

I worked for 17 years for a very successful woman. She had several degrees in chemistry and medicine, and she built a mega-million dollar company from the ground up. When I started she employed about 15 people, and when I left she had over 300. She loved coming to work and was very driven in what she did. It took her years to finally take a paycheck. Love what you do, work hard to make it successful, and hire good people with the same drive.

“The problem, often not discovered until late in life, is that when you look for things in life like love, meaning, motivation, it implies they are sitting behind a tree or under a rock. The most successful people in life recognize, that in life they create their own love, they manufacture their own meaning, they generate their own motivation. For me, I am driven by two main philosophies, know more today about the world than I knew yesterday. And lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you.”

-- Neil deGrasse Tyson

How do you understand “Free Will”? Do we always have it or only sometimes?

We have “free will” always. Whether or not you surrender your right to free will is, once again, your free will to do. Someone can capture you, lock you up, beat you, and the like, but they can never take your free will from you. If you allow yourself to be brainwashed, this is you surrendering your free will to resist. If they demand you make a choice between free will or death, it is a choice you will freely make.

Are you good at doing nothing?

I’m not very good at doing nothing. I’m usually asleep when doing it and, even then, I dream. When I’m awake, my mind occasionally wanders to the edge of the abyss, at the cusp of infinity. I can do nothing until the abyss stares back, then I have to give it the finger. I can’t help myself. It makes me smile. No, I’m really not very good at doing nothing.

Can we be free by choosing not to choose?

Of course, this is your freedom to choose or not, but, if you choose not to choose, you must recognize that you have chosen.

“The choice to make good choices is the best choice you can choose. Fail to make that choice and on most choices you will lose.”

-- Ryan Lilly 

Can being grateful for who you are and what you have in life stop you from trying to succeed?

If I am grateful for who I am and what I have, I have already succeeded beyond what most people have attained. I see no reason for it to stop me from continuing to succeed in many other aspects of life if I desire to do so. At 67, I find myself in this exact quandary. I sit on a board for a land conservancy and take care of my mother. I am content, happy, and fulfilled. I’m also tired. I think I will simply enjoy the rest of my life.

What are some actions that are generally not accepted throughout the world?

Murder, rape, child abuse, and terrorism… that “religiously” excuses the first three.

I once read that envy is the merger of 2 actions, 1st admiration and 2nd will to have or be what the person is or has. Do you agree?

Admiration for what one has, and the desire to have what one has. Taken to an extreme, this could easily become jealousy and greed.

"Four be the things I am wiser to know:

Idleness, sorrow, a friend, and a foe.

Four be the things I'd been better without:

Love, curiosity, freckles, and doubt.

Three be the things I shall never attain:

Envy, content, and sufficient champagne.

Three be the things I shall have till I die:

Laughter and hope and a sock in the eye.”

-- Dorothy Parker

Which character strengths are most predictive of well-being?

Humanity, Wisdom, and Trancendance, come to mind.

What are the characteristics of a selfless person, and how do you become one?

Charity. To give of one’s self with no expectation of recompense. The truly selfless person helps others with no desire for any reward. The simple act of giving is what rewards the selfless person.

How wrong is it in my thinking that you are wrong, and that in my thinking that I'm right?

You have the right to think I am wrong. This is your freedom of choice. However, you do me a disservice if you keep your opinion to yourself. I may very well be wrong and not realize it. I will never know if I am wrong unless you state your feelings. By this honest exchange of opinions and “proofs”, you may very well be swayed into believing you might be wrong, or we might even find that neither of us is right.

“When I was a little girl, everything in the world fell into either of these two categories: wrong or right. Black or white. Now that I am an adult, I have put childish things aside and now I know that some things fall into wrong and some things fall into right. Some things are categorized as black and some things are categorized as white. But most things in the world aren't either! Most things in the world aren't black, aren't white, aren't wrong, aren't right, but most of everything is just different. And now I know that there's nothing wrong with different and that we can let things be different, we don't have to try and make them black or white, we can just let them be grey. And when I was a child, I thought that God was the God who only saw black and white. Now that I am no longer a child, I can see, that God is the God who can see the black and the white and the grey, too, and He dances on the grey! Grey is okay.”

-- C. JoyBell C.

How would you briefly define a school of thought?

A school of philosophy. The epitome of any school of thought would be earning a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) in a particular discipline.

Why isn't it called buy one get two instead of buy one get one?

You are supposed to buy one and get two more free. With “buy one, get one” you only get one free.

What personal task do you need to fulfill in this lifetime to feel satisfied?

Happiness. Satisfaction in life is about finding how to be happy always. We don’t teach our children how to do this because the majority of us haven’t figured it out yet. Strive to be happy always, and bring those around you along for the ride.

“We find what we are looking for in life, her father had once said to her, which was true—if you look for happiness, you will see it; if you look for distrust and envy and hatred—all those things—you will find those too.”

-- Alexander McCall Smith

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