Questioning Education, Work, and Advice

“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.”

-- Henri Nouwen

Why are teachers not the most successful people on earth?

“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” -- George Bernard Shaw

Back in the day, this was not true of most teachers. I think George may have had a bad experience, or three, with teachers. There have been some great teachers who have, actually, done something extra meaningful with their knowledge, other than teaching.

However, now most teachers in America seem more interested in pushing a political narrative and indoctrinating young people than teaching them anything substantive, like true history, not their “take” on it. And, the teacher unions are no help to them.

It would seem, teachers get paid for being educated babysitters with to-die-for vacation time. After hearing a few teachers speak on hidden video, some parental concern might be warranted, since education must have been secondary on the teacher's “to do” list.

Parents are getting educated on the state of education for their children in this country, and they are not happy. A sad reflection on most teachers, even the good ones, since it seems to show George to be right in his slight.

How can you inspire someone in one sentence?

“You are so very much more capable than you think you are.” And, they’ve proven me to be right, time and again.

Why is it, to be good is so easy, and to be bad someone needs energy?

You really don’t have to plan to be good, you can just be good. If any energy is required, it’s just to ensure that being good is selfless. But, being bad usually selfish and, thus, requires some planning to ensure there is a “payday” at the end. Being bad is usually about monetary or emotional greed.

“Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends than that good men should look on and do nothing. He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name, and with the means which he helps to supply, because he will not trouble himself to use his mind on the subject.”

-- John Stuart Mill

Do the poor know they are poor because of their lack of effort of working?

In the United States, most of the poor know exactly what they are. The “why” is the real question. Social welfare was a ruse to keep people on the federal “dole” to ensure their vote in elections. If you want the flow of “milk” from the federal teat to continue, you’ll vote for the candidate whose party pushes welfare, not for the party who believes you have more potential than that. Just saying.

What will be your advice to a person who is unable to make important, rational decisions?

Seek advice from those who can. But, be advised, the decision to do this is considered both important and rational.

Can you shift off your empathetic goodness? This is my decision too.

Yes, but why would I want to? I would rather shift my focus, rather than shift it off. I focus, primarily, on myself. This is because I can’t truly take care of others unless I have taken care of myself.

Author comment:  Unfortunately sometimes taking care of ourselves means splitting our focus.

My reply:  Yes, but, like I said, “splitting” focus isn’t the same as “shifting” it off.

“Sometimes all a person wants is an empathetic ear; all he or she needs is to talk it out. Just offering a listening ear and an understanding heart for his or her suffering can be a big comfort.”

-- Roy T. Bennett

How important is gratitude to be a great person?

One sign of a truly great person is humility, and one sign of being humble is the ability to always be thankful. One should always be thankful.

What do people have to say about bringing the past to the present?

That’s called “history” and we try to learn from it so we mitigate screwing up more than once. We often fail, but that’s usually due to greed or ignorance. We’re failing now, but… this too shall pass. Whether it passes like a nightmare or a large kidney stone is to be seen, however.

Is it normal to feel inferior when together with people you see as superior?

I don’t know. I’ve never considered anyone to be “superior” to me, other than in military rank, and, even then, I was there for my expertise or abilities. A doctor knows things I don’t, just as I know many things they don’t. We all have something to contribute, even though some are in supervisory or management positions. No one is so damned perfect that things will fall apart without them, almost.

“There is no reason for you to try to become like white people and there is no basis whatever for their impertinent assumption that they must accept you. The terrible thing, old buddy, is that you must accept them. And I mean that very seriously. You must accept them and accept them with love. For these innocent people have no other hope. They are, in effect, still trapped in a history which they do not understand; and until they understand it, they cannot be released from it. They have had to believe for many years, and for innumerable reasons, that black men are inferior to white men. Many of them, indeed, know better, but, as you will discover, people find it very difficult to act on what they know.”

-- James Baldwin

What have you achieved in life without a struggle?

Master Sergeant in the USAF. Now, making Senior Master might have been another story. But, at that point, I think the fun would have gone out of it. I’d put in almost 23 years and figured it was time to do something else while I was still able. But, I had a butt load of fun in the Intelligence field.

Why can't I work on something without having a plan or clear instructions?

You’re not alone. I can tackle a project with a thousand parts, and, sooner or later, I’ll figure it out. But it sure would go smoother with a set of plans or clear instructions. Unfortunately, both seem to be beyond the capability of the Chinese overlord producing the product I ordered. The instructions are kind of in English, and the plans are the size of postage stamps. If you blow them up to read them, you find they’re kind of what you ordered… kind of.

How do I make important decisions in life?

Take time to study the issues. Make a list of the “pros” and “cons” if you need to. Consult others who have made the same decisions. Few decisions have to be made immediately. O good deal today, will be a good deal tomorrow, regardless of what the salesman says. Take a night and sleep on it.

“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 do people learn from religious education?

A general belief system they use to form their own personal spiritual faith. It worked for me.

What is the most useless thing you have ever learned in grade school?

Dodgeball, or how to count yeast. Like I was ever going to be a scientist. Dissecting a frog was more fun than counting yeast. And, as for dodgeball, who doesn’t know to get out of the way of someone intent on slamming a large rubber ball into your face, or your package? Chess made more sense to me, but not as much as poker.

What is a thing that is very important for you? What's the story behind it?

Not dying alone. It is a fear I have, to be alone in the desert and not be able to have someone with me when I die. It was the “Aha!” moment when I was dangling at the end of a fifty-foot rope, tied to my truck bumper, in a verticle mine shaft in the middle of the Mojave Desert. I picked a pebble off the side of the dark shaft and dropped it. I never heard it hit. Needless to say, I climbed out faster than I climbed in. Not my finest moment, considering no one knew where I was or what I was doing. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing when I found the shaft. Nope. Never did that again. But, it made me think of never being found.

“Anything less than a conscious commitment to the important is an unconscious commitment to the unimportant.”

-- Stephen Covey

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