Questions With Mostly Short Answers

 

“No matter how short or long your journey to your accomplishment is, if you don't begin you can't get there. Beginning is difficult but unavoidable!”

-- Israelmore Ayivor

First, a few long answers:

Which personality traits are more important than intelligence to become successful?

Be as smart as, you think you are, intelligent. Be tenacious, perseverant, inquisitive, and aware. Don’t speak more than you listen, and keep an open mind and an eye on the prize. 

"Nature is not a place to visit. It is home." — Gary Snyder. What do you make of this statement?

This is as right as it is wrong. It is right in that we all come from nature, way back in pre-history. So, nature is, in fact, home to us, as much as where we live now. But, it is wrong in the fact that many of us visit the “home” we grew up in, all the time. Home, whether we speak of now or then, familial or nature, is, in fact, a place to visit. The only way Gary Snyder can truthfully make this statement is if he currently lives in nature. I will bet he simply visits.

Is it possible for someone to have good decision-making capabilities in one subject, but horrible decision-making capabilities in another subject?

Absolutely! I had great decision-making in all of my career choices, but my decision-making fell flat when it came to my marital relationship.

“If you obsess over whether you are making the right decision, you are basically assuming that the universe will reward you for one thing and punish you for another.

The universe has no fixed agenda. Once you make any decision, it works around that decision. There is no right or wrong, only a series of possibilities that shift with each thought, feeling, and action that you experience.

If this sounds too mystical, refer again to the body. Every significant vital sign- body temperature, heart rate, oxygen consumption, hormone level, brain activity, and so on- alters the moment you decide to do anything… decisions are signals telling your body, mind, and environment to move in a certain direction.”

-- Deepak Chopra

How would you explain the phrase “management had no universal formula to achieve success”?

Management can’t have what doesn’t exist. There is a general formula to follow and, if everything falls into place, attaining your goal, or what some people mistake for success, might just be achieved. It depends on culture, laws, cost, what you’re willing to put into it, etc., as to how sustainable your goal actually will be, once you attain it.

Success, on the other hand, is much easier to attain. All you have to do is make the conscious choice to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances, rich or poor. This is true success, and it may just be the “universal formula” to achieve it.

What is the last time money burned a hole in your pocket?

A few months ago when I sold my silver. I went out a bought a $9,400 golf cart with a digital display and a 400-watt “Bazooka” stereo system so I can drive around town.

Has the number of students failing increased due to covid?

In the United States? Unfortunately, I’d have to say yes, in the face of anything the government might put out to the contrary. Let’s face it, we have university students who point to Texas when asked where Russia is on a map. So much for university criteria for enrollment. Anyone, who actually has a brain in their head, would have to say “self-study” for these people will be a total waste of time.

“Something that always bothered me is that it's easy to go to a school and hear the voices of students who are more affluent or less shy, or teachers who are from unions or students who have a strong position against or in favor of something. But there are a lot of students who are shy, who are more invisible, who do not like to talk to journalists, who do not have ways of reaching the media.”

-- Antônio Gois

I feel this guy is being somewhat distant. Something just feels off. We’ve hung out once but have talked for a week-ish. Should I ask him to hang out? Will I look desperate?

You sound desperate, so why worry about how you look? Yes! Asking him if he’d like to “hang out” would be a normal step. The worst he could say is no, and you’re out nothing but the invitation. My personal view, however, is to follow your feeling that something feels off. Sometimes, psycho serial killers have this effect. Or, maybe he just swings in another direction.

How do you trust someone who doesn’t think they are lying?

Carefully. Someone who knows they lie is seriously not trustworthy. Someone who doesn’t feel they’re lying is probably a member of the wrong political party and is just reflecting the bullshit they’ve been fed. Someone weak-minded will believe anything if it is repeated long enough and with vigor. I have friends like this. I can trust them on certain issues, but not on others. Our relationship takes a bit of work to sustain. Sooner or later, however, the truth will float to the surface. I can wait.

Does everyone have hidden creativity? Are some people just non-creative?

What you think is what you are, regardless of the fact that you have “hidden” talent and creativity. If you think you don’t then you never will have until you change your mindset. But thinking you have is just the beginning. Making use of what you have is what helps to define you as creative.

“Don’t allow your life to become just a dead ritual. Let there be moments, unexplainable.”

-- Osho

 

 Then, a buttload of short answers:

Will sleep be like death when you have no dreams?

Indeed.

How can I make this year different from other years?

Write it as 2022. This usually sets it apart.

Is saying "I'm an artist" pretentious?

Saying “I’m a good artist” is pretentious.

If I am not studying, how can my life become better?

Strive to be happy always and in all things.

Why do I still keep craving my ex even though he cheated on me?

Does he have a substantial package?

How would you comment on “améliorer la vision de la rétine comme un zoom”?

French for “improve retinal vision fast.”

What happens when you don't put yourself first?

You put yourself at risk.

How many hours do you think the perfect working week would be?

45 hours. 7:00 - 5:00 with a 1-hour lunch break.

Why is decluttering important for self-care?

You risk becoming a hoarder of things or emotions.

Can you accept that some things will never get done?

Yes, but their name escapes me.

Do New Year’s resolutions work effectively as planned?

For as long as you can remember them.

Why is your memory so bad at 35?

Why was my memory so bad at 18?

What is the real meaning of advice?

Suggestion.

How can I look better in one day?

Try a makeover.

What makes you really feel alive?

A full night of raucous, exotic, sex.

Will Facebook Whistleblower have any real impact on the future regulation of social media sites?

Another ploy to put off any real substantive regulation. 

What is one thing that is not true about life?

Death is the end.

Why should I join a club? What are the true benefits?

Comradery with folks who have similar likes and backgrounds.

What did you finally realize was just a huge waste of time?

Scientology, and the day to see through the BS. 

What life lessons do you live by?

All of them.

What high-demand skills can I learn from my phone?

Telephone sales. 

Do you know what your priorities are?

Yes.

What’s the fastest way to get a lot of willpower?

Imminent death usually works.

Are you living a Facebook lie?

Oh, hell no. I’m living too many other lies.

“Sometimes the truth is a secret your keeping from yourself because living a lie is easier.”

-- Adam Silvera

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