Questioning Winners, Achievement, and Success

“Don’t let others tell you what you can’t do. Don't let the limitations of others limit your vision. If you can remove your self-doubt and believe in yourself, you can achieve what you never thought possible.”

-- Roy T. Bennett

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Note to my readers:  I just recieved a notice that 7,300 people have read my answers this week.  Woohoo?  If I had an ego I'd be dancing!  I am humbled that people take the time to read, especially my opinions.

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Why aren't most people rational?

Why is “common” sense not all that common? I think we’ve fallen prey to laziness. It is much easier to not exercise rational thought, just as it is easier to not use good sense. Most people used good sense, back in the day, or people looked down upon them. So few people use good sense today, we’ve grown accustomed to being around idiots. It’s becoming almost impossible to find friends that aren’t a bit short in the “good sense” department. I think the same thing holds true for rational thought. “Huh, I can’t believe I did that,” is becoming a common response for many who failed to make the rational decision, the good sense, to not try or do something.

Which generation is the most self-centered and least likely to lead to success in the country?

Almost two weeks and nobody has answered this? Probably for the same reason I won’t, the fear of bringing down the wrath of the League of the Perpetually Offended. You can either suffer people with a modicum of intelligence, or you can suffer the lack of cogent thought, name-calling, and foul language visited upon you by the League. Let’s move on, shall we?

How do I know exactly what I'm doing wrong? What's holding back my prosperity?

Ask yourself what in your life you aren’t satisfied with. Are you in too much debt to get ahead of it and be prosperous? Make a list, of things like debt, and then go about changing them so you’re happier with your life.

If you’re not prosperous, it may center on the job you have. I would ask your supervisor or manager what they feel is holding you back, then go about changing it, or changing jobs. If the job says education is holding you back, ask what they think you can do to remedy this. Putting your questions to those you work for shows them your interest in taking on more than you have, of being more than you are. They may not have a clue that you have aspirations. Ask for more responsibility. This is usually a good thing.

“Never surrender your hopes and dreams to the fateful limitations others have placed on their own lives. The vision of your true destiny does not reside within the blinkered outlook of the naysayers and the doom prophets. Judge not by their words, but accept advice based on the evidence of actual results. Do not be surprised should you find a complete absence of anything mystical or miraculous in the manifested reality of those who are so eager to advise you. Friends and family who suffer the lack of abundance, joy, love, fulfillment and prosperity in their own lives really have no business imposing their self-limiting beliefs on your reality experience.”

-- Anthon St. Maarten

Are you stuck on a goal or problem and not seeing options or choices?

Yep. If it’s that difficult, I keep trying to find another way. I’ve spent almost 3 hours, so far, on the “expert” mahjong puzzle “sphere,” and keep trying other ways to win. I may have found the one puzzle I can’t complete, after a year and a half of playing the “expert” level, but, I refuse to quit. There is always a way.

How do I live my life not minding what people think?

Know yourself, and be comfortable with who and what you are. A General I was waiting to brief, came out of his office to admonish a Captain for thinking he was going to chew out a janitor that was the only person who knew how to get the General’s furnace working. The General informed him that the janitor would be shown all the respect needed to get that furnace up and running. The fact he was a janitor was immaterial to the General. The fact he was the knowledge base for the furnace was everything.  Needless to say, the General impressed me.

Live your life comfortable with who and what you are. You have a job for a reason, so be the best at doing it. Have a “code of ethics” and stand by it, regardless of what people say. Be proud of what you do and who you are, and others around you will recognize you for it. If they don’t, then it is on them, not you, for not giving you the credit you deserve.

Have you ever lived because you are always "almost" for so many things in life?

Absolutely! I’ve always had too many “pokers in the fire.” The closest I ever came to focusing on one aspect and being the best at one thing in life, was military intelligence., and even there I found myself multi-tasking.

Do I regret not being everything? Not really. I have had a full and eventful life that I wouldn’t trade for most other people’s money or sedate existence.

“I can almost understand why people leap from bridges.”

-- Charles Bukowski

What will the future of achievement look like (for example in 2050) when the bar is raised for what constitutes achievement?

Hopefully, bars will remain what they are today, but with less expensive liquor. As far as sports achievement, however, if transgender continues to compete against biologic women, the women will cease to complete and it will become transgender competition. When this happens, the ego boost the transgender hoped to get from winning against women will disappear as they will be forced to compete against other biologically male transgenders.

In your opinion, what is your ethical stand regarding the “the end justifies the means” policy?

The policy is sound, in writing. But, given that so many have no morally ethical code, it is more often used as a way to excuse the use of the wrong means in a given situation. Ethically, the “means” have to be morally reasonable to a given situation.

For instance, no innocence should ever have to die. But, the situation, unfortunately, might require a percentage of innocent casualties in order to secure the end. Okay, but those casualties sure as hell better not be children. Now the situation, hard to begin with, has changed to an even harder look at what means are really necessary. But, here’s the rub…

If you’re taking a harder look at how to remedy the situation without the loss of children’s lives, shouldn't that hard look be used for adults? We tend to subconsciously accept certain losses as “unavoidable” due to age, gender, or position, and, if this is true, perhaps we shouldn’t. The end might be better if we use better thought out, and ethically reasonable means which reflect our morality.

Does rationality destroy emotion?

No. I can be purely rational and still be emotional about the choice. I think, the moment you don’t feel some emotion, your rationality suffers. The rational answer may be the right one, but you don’t have to feel good about it. Nuclear deterrence is rational given the state of the world we live in. Does being rational make it right? Absolutely not. It is an unacceptable means to reach an acceptable end. Emotion keeps us human.

“Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.”

-- Euripides

Are workaholics disassociating from reality?

They aren’t disassociating from their reality. I was a workaholic because I loved the job, and the work was important to the security of the country. This was my reality, and home was another reality.

If you were really lucky in the lotto, and it made you insanely happy, would you be able to handle it?

I’m always happy, so winning the lottery would be just another day, only luckier. I don’t need that much material crap to be truly happy. I’d probably bank it in a high-interest investment portfolio. Then, I might treat myself to a world cruise for a while, on a “no rug rat” cruise ship, while I write my next novel. I’ve always wanted to do that.

How can I find winners to hang out with them?

If you’re a winner, why are you asking this question? 

Author comment:  Why not?

My reply:  Most of the “winners” I’ve know tend to really “hang out” with other winners, and, if you are a winner, you should already know the answer to your question.

Author's reply:  So it could be my friends are winners I just did not realize or it could be I am not a winner at all. How do winners expand their circle?

My response:  I’m sorry. I had to smile. I have no idea, not being one to hang out with “winners.” I would assume they become friends with other winners but, again, I would think you should know where they hang out, having winners as friends.

Author's response: They are working, mostly, or do sports, at least the ones I know myself. So, no idea.

My reply:  How about stepping up your game and hanging out with regular people?

Author's reply:  What do you mean by stepping up?

My response:  Having a bit of fun with you. We “common folk” would probably enjoy your company, and we take a bit less work.

Author's response:  Oh. 

(Note to my readers:  This was supposed to be in the "short answers" section, but... Jeeze!)

“Dignity will only happen when you realize that having someone in your life doesn’t validate your worth.”

-- Shannon L. Alder

And... the short answers: 

What quote or phrase would you want printed onto a t-shirt?

“History - It is what it is!”

Why don't people know that they are ignorant?

Uh… because they’re ignorant?

What is your greatest hope for humankind, and how do you think we can get there?

Understanding and tolerance. Kill those who don’t comply. Good luck!

Are visuals more valued than thinking?

Not if you don’t think about the visuals.  Wait... what?

Do you think you would be able to live in a society that is different from what we have now?

Only if we remove “perpetually offended” people.

What are the main ingredients of success?

Knowledge, hard work, and perseverance.

Is it possible to have a perfect pitch without being a good singer?

If you can’t remember the words, what good is “perfect” pitch?

Why don't political parties avoid using the blame game to achieve their political agendas and goals?

They’d have to work. What fun would that be?

Did Cuomo’s 'unfair and unjust' cry invoke your sympathy for him?

Ha! That would be the “cold day in hell.” 

Do universities play a significant role in our lives?

They either teach or indoctrinate, so, yes.

“There are times when wisdom cannot be found in the chambers of parliament or the halls of academia but at the unpretentious setting of the kitchen table.”

-- E.A. Bucchianeri

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