Questioning the Selfish, the Using, and the Opinion

What is the difference between who you are and who you want to be?

Playboy of the western world, or a 67-year-old grandpa. Decisions, decisions. Being a playboy was overrated and rife with STDs, so I guess being an oversexed granda will have to suffice. “I yam what I yam, and that's all what I yam.” — Popeye the sailorman

Why do you rightly think that people are good?

If people were all good there wouldn’t be a need for locks, police, courts, jails, prisons, or hell. I do rightly think all people have freedom of choice, and some choose better than others. You can go up, down, or stay where you are, depending on the choices you make.

Why is it important to give yourself time to develop an opinion?

Otherwise, you risk opening your pie hole and letting so much gibberish flow out. We witness enough of this in Congress.

“Truth is what you see. Opinions are what you hear. Facts are what you know. Reality is what you experience.”

-- Matshona Dhliwayo

Am I really a narcissist if I only find myself attractive and I don't find anyone else attractive? So many people hate themselves and are so insecure that it's a shock to most to hear some people love themselves.

I love myself and I’m not a narcissist. I love most women I meet, so I don’t just love me. Oh, wait. I lust for most of the women I meet, but I’d love them if I could. No, that’s not right, either. I’d be in love with them if I could. Okay, I don’t hate myself and I’m not a narcissist.

If you had everything you needed to live, is there a job you would do for free? Why?

Being a person of spiritual faith that doesn’t buy into “organized” religion, with their hidden agendas, I would open a center for quiet personal spiritual exploration. I’ve always loved quiet gardens and benches under shade trees where one might go to meditate and consider their life, their meaning, and why they're here. A center where all peaceful faiths and spirituality are welcomed to partake and programs are presented, all through donations from those who enjoy the setting. Other than this, I would probably volunteer, as this is a selfless way to give back for all I have been blessed in this life.

Do you agree with the statement, “Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by ignorance”? What benefit (if any) could there be from embracing this idea?

Considering it was meant as a joke, I think the benefit of embracing this idea would be found in not attributing to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity. You just can’t cure stupid, so trying to shift the blame onto malice would be pretty obvious.  The quote, however, is "Hanlon's Razor" and reads, thus:

"Hanlon's razor is a saying that reads: 'Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.'

In simpler words: some bad things happen not because of people having bad intentions, but because they did not think it through properly.

The quotation is attributed to Robert J. Hanlon of Scranton, Pennsylvania, US. According to his friend Joseph Bigler, Hanlon first used it as part of something he wrote for a compilation of various jokes related to Murphy's law. The compilation book was published in 1980 titled Murphy's Law Book Two, More Reasons Why Things Go Wrong. The name was inspired by Occam's razor.” 

--Hanlon's razor - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Who said, "It is difficult, but not impossible, to conduct strictly honest business"? What do you think was the point they were making?

Mahatma Gandhi. People might be willing, if necessary, to excuse dishonest business dealings as a way to get around any difficulties. However, honesty is the best policy.

Do you agree with the following quote, "There's no luck in business. There's only drive, determination, and more drive"? Who said it?

Author, Sophie Kinsella. My aunt built a multi-million dollar corporation by adhering to this philosophy. She never relied on luck. She did her own due diligence and had no problem asking other knowledgeable folks for their opinions.

Who said, "Always back the horse named self-interest, son. It'll be the only one trying"? What point was being made?

Australian, Jack Lang. He was a Labor Premier, so his point was pretty obvious that, in labor, the person with self-interest will be the only person truly trying to get the job done. Having said this, however, if you’re at the race track, don’t be an idiot and put your money on a horse named “Self-Interest,” not until you've done your due diligence on the horse and jockey. The point being made, at the track, is that you’re either very lucky or, in fact, the idiot.

“International big business has made revolutions before now to safeguard its interests. At one time it made them … in the name of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Now, with Socialism to fight, it makes them in the name of Law and Order and Sound Finance. Assassination? If an assassination is going to be good for business, then there will be an assassination.”

-- Eric Ambler

What are some innocent-sounding phrases that are actually profoundly problematic?

Any of Murphy’s Laws:

Murphy's general laws (Please check out the entire Murphy's laws) 

• Nothing is as easy as it looks.
• Everything takes longer than you think.
• Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
• If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong. Corollary: If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then.
• If anything simply cannot go wrong, it will anyway.
• If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop.
• Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.
• If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
• Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
• Mother nature is a bitch.
• It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.
• Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.
• The Light at the end of the tunnel is only the light of an oncoming train.

Do you have an internal code of ethics/morality/set of values? If so, what are they and how did they become as they are?

I have ten: Morality, loyalty, honesty, confidentiality, charity, selflessness, tolerance, understanding, patience, and good communication. My father tried to instill in me most of these, but the military hammered them all home. Your personal “code of ethics” defines who you are, and if one were to look further it also, more importantly, defines why you are. I strive to live up to mine as best I can, but no one is perfect. I fall occasionally and have to regroup before I continue on my journey.

Would you tell me the reason behind [what|why|how] you're better than others?

I am so not better than others. No one is really any better than anyone else. We are, however, very different in what we know, our values, beliefs, and the like. If you were very intelligent, or wealthy, and seriously injured, would you refuse selfless help from, what many consider, the “least” of us? Of course, you wouldn’t. Why? Because, at that moment, they demonstrate their extreme value which, in your present condition, makes them a bit better, since they can do that which you cannot in order to possibly save your life.

Huxley: "What about Homer, ever read Homer?"

Bryce: "Of course I've read Homer."

Huxley: "In the original Greek?"

Bryce: "No"

Huxley: "Then chat with Pfc. Hodgkiss. Loves to read the ancient Greek."

Bryce: "Would you kindly get to the point?"

Huxley: "The point is this, Bryce. What makes you think you are so goddam superior? Who gave you the bright idea that you had a corner on the world's knowledge? There are privates in this battalion who can piss more brains down a slit trench then you'll ever have. You're the most pretentious, egotistical individual I've ever encountered. Your superiority complex reeks. I've seen the way you treat men, like a big strutting peacock. Why, you've had them do everything but wipe your ass.”

― Leon Uris, Battle Cry

What philosophical question have you asked in the past or asking right now?

“Why?”

What are the hopes and dreams of the ultra-wealthy?

Probably to have “hopes and dreams” to work toward. I can’t imagine true happiness without having hopes and dreams, a goal, for someone, if not for myself. For the “ultra-wealthy” what they consider “hopes and dreams” can, in all probability, be instantly satisfied. If not “instantly” then, maybe, “instantly” would be their hope or dream.

How do you think a guest would be in your home for a year?

Unwelcomed. I’m still working on patience.

“Disappointment is an unwanted—but invited—guest.”

-- Mokokoma Mokhonoana

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