Questioning Learning, Paranoia, and Life

 

“Your mind is working at its best when you're being paranoid. You explore every avenue and possibility of your situation at high speed with total clarity.”

-- Banksy

Should I work only for the good of myself?

No, but you should take care of yourself first. The “flight attendants” are right, during their safety briefing before takeoff, to put on your oxygen mask, first, before assisting the passenger next to you. You are not going to be much help if you, too, are suffocating from lack of oxygen.

How true and what are the lessons from the saying, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves”?

Hate is never good, but revenge takes on an insidious form of hatred. I wanted to live long enough to piss on my ex-wife’s grave, just for the satisfaction. I had never experienced hatred for another person, before this. Everyone knew she was wrong, but my hatred for her was eating me up, and this mild desire for “revenge” was consuming my thoughts. I didn’t know what to do, but I did know I was better than she was.

Now, magnify hatred for someone who has no self-control. Murder at one end of the spectrum and destroying a person’s life and, very easily, those lives around a person, at the other end. And for what? To prove that another wrong won’t make what they did to you right?

For me, I soon learned, with the help of a friend, to let my hatred go. I found myself wallowing in an endless pit of misery.  So, I forgave her for trying to totally destroy my life and for taking my children. I forgave myself for letting her make me a part of her game, and for my part in what happened. Most of all, and I recommend this to everyone, I accepted the apology I knew that I was never going to get. This is the hard part, but it so helps you move forward.  I filled in the grave I was digging for myself.

Do discipline, hard work, and responsibility lead to success?

Usually, but desire and being happy always in life and what you’re doing play a large part in it. If you aren’t really happy when you arrive at the goal, how successful are you, really?

“If at first, you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.”

-- W.C. Fields

How do I commit to a single career when there are so many things I want to do?

You don’t. If you can afford to not commit, then don’t. Do the many things you want to do, and when you’re done, commit to the one you really enjoy doing, the one that makes you constantly happy.

Why is life all about doing things I don't want to do?

Life is about making good choices. If you’re doing things you don’t want to do, well, you aren’t making very good choices for yourself. Life is all about making good choices to ensure you survive while striving to be happy always.

Having said this, if what you don’t want to do is part of that “survival” thing, then you’re using seriously poor judgment, and the choice you make will reflect that. There are some things that, society notwithstanding, you know you really have to do.

What can bring you hope and succor today?

Waking up this morning, brought me hope. Another glorious day in paradise and another chance to excel in life.

As far as ‘succor’ is concerned, any desire for “assistance and support in times of hardship and distress” is in the hands of my good friends, if I can’t deal with it, which would be rare. It is enough, for me, that I am alive to take on the challenges the day has to offer.

“What we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are — and who we will become.”

-- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Is life really hard, or are we just imagining worse things and making it tough on ourselves?

Life can be a serious bitch, and most of it we bring down on ourselves. The majority of us aren’t taught to deal with issues or to make the best of bad situations. Instead, we fall apart and wallow in self-made pits of self-pity, which accomplishes very little, in reality.

Life is about learning to make good choices. If we don’t learn, life becomes harder until we do. There is no “brass ring” for those who can’t, or won’t, reach for it.

When you ask “why” life is hard, it all comes down to the choices we make for ourselves. Does the job suck? Who decided you should work there? Does the marriage suck? Who decided this was a good choice for you? Most honest answers will come back to choices in our lives that we made for ourselves.

What can I do as a teenager to be successful in my 20s?

Learn how to be happy always, even in the face of adversity. Then, after you’re successful in happiness, learn all you can about the goal you’d like to achieve. Desire, knowledge, hard work, and perseverance, will all assist you in achieving your goals.

Between future regrets and present suffering, I don't know which torture should I choose?

If you feel the masochistic need to “torture” yourself, then deal with the present suffering. You might learn something that will help you mitigate “future regrets” which haven't even occurred yet. I mean, why torture yourself over something that hasn’t even happened? Isn’t life offering you enough challenges in the present without creating future ones?

“If I'm sincere today, what does it matter if I regret it tomorrow?”

-- José Saramago

What is the most valued thing in life?

Happiness!

Why does wisdom say "you don't leave your life "looking over your shoulders"?

The “conventional wisdom” of good judgment and experience should be based on a good set of moral ethics. Leading your life with choices based on good ethics should mitigate any need for you to be “looking over your shoulder” because bad things might happen to you. Bad things do happen, but how many of them happen can be so few as to find no need to be constantly looking out for them. Better that you pay attention to this moment, planning for the path ahead, than looking for imaginary demons. Strive to be happy always, and you’ll always be prepared for the demons.

 

Why is life all about "the more we live, the more we learn"?

As René Descartes wrote, “Cogito, ergo sum.” I think, therefore I am.

If you think, then you are, and if you are, you must be alive. We are alive, so it stands to reason that we do think all the time. The fortunate byproduct of thought is learning, so the more we live the more we think, and the more we learn. There is no getting away from it… unless you’re dead, but, even then, what about an afterlife? We may be doomed to learning unto infinity.

“Self-education is lifelong curiosity.”

-- Lailah Gifty Akita

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