Questioning Fairness, Humans, Integrity, Benches, and Money

"You are entitled to your uneducated opinion.  Even a jackass brays for a reason."

-- F.A. Villari

How do you create a sense of well-being?

Well-being is “the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.” In a "sense" it is nothing more than a personal choice, like choosing to make yourself comfortable, healthy, or happy. Choose to have all of these instead of choosing to wallow in perpetual misery, and then make it happen. Choosing not to celebrate a sense of well-being constantly is simply counterproductive to choosing true happiness. Who would choose not to be happy always?

How do we bring back the lost morals?

It is a choice each person must make for themselves and their lives. One can start by developing a good “code of ethics” they will stand by, come hell or high water. Very few people even know what ethics are, much less good ones.

How should you ask whether an employee is happy at work?

“Is there anything that would make you happier at work?” 

What do you do when something that is so unfair happens?

If it’s already happened, it’s a bit late to think of doing something. If someone was responsible, you can try talking to them about what happened and try to get them to make it right. Usually, this plea falls flat due to the attitude you’ll get back.

I haven’t had anything unfair happen to me that wasn’t, initially, my fault. It is usually a choice or decision I made that brought the unfairness down on me. This is true for most folks if they're honest with themselves. It was something we either did or didn’t do, by choice, and we tend to open ourselves up for this kind of drama to enter.

Who said, “absence makes the heart grow fonder”?

Check out this quote:

"Always toward absent lovers love's tide stronger flows." 

-- Sextus Propertius

How do I become a person of character?

The definition of “character” is “the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.” I see this as developing your personal, good, moral “code of ethics” that you will stand by, regardless of contrary opinions. This, to me, is a person of good character.

Or, you can choose to be an ass in all things. In this case, you become a person of questionable, or bad, character. I recommend choosing not to be an ass.

Do you believe that the world will be better in the future than in the past?

Barring a nuclear conflict, it really can’t get much worse. What we need are leaders not suffering from senile dementia, who know where they are, and what they say, at all times.

If your mother-in-law made a comment about how good you are at finding things, but too bad you don’t know how to make money, how would you respond? I know I don’t contribute financially to my household, but that’s b/c I haven’t found a job I like.

“You have a point. I will get a job while I’m looking for one I like.”

If you’re married, and you know you “don’t contribute financially” to your household, it isn’t your household. It belongs to whoever is contributing "financially" to support it. Whether a man or a woman, this is an embarrassing reality of a lack of responsibility that everyone around you recognizes. You can try to excuse it, but any excuse falls flat.

Is holiday meal planning stressful?

Not if you know how to cook. Try cooking everything the day before. For one, it will taste better.

I think I'm human. What should my next course of action be?

Nowadays? Nothing. The fact that you “think” at all is detrimental to most modern humans since thinking causes many of them more problems than it solves.

René Descartes's statement, “Cogito, ergo sum” or, “I think, therefore I am” is a sad philosophy to fall back on if we consider ourselves to be the most intelligent species on this planet. Perhaps saying “I think more intelligently than any other life form on this planet” might be more to the point, but, even then, you will have to prove it. I think that would be the logical next step, then, to prove you actually think intelligently. Good luck!

“Descartes, of course, the French philosopher said: "I think therefore I am".

If he had waited a little bit longer before saying anything, he could have come to the point of cessation of thinking, and then he could have made the more profound statement: "I am conscious therefore I am".

Thinking is only an expression of consciousness: a surface expression of consciousness.”

-- Eckhart Tolle

How can Sri Lanka get out of this terrible debt and difficult situation?

Ever seen anything of serious value stamped “MADE IN SRI LANKA”? Getting rid of a ruling “family” where nepotism seems the norm, might help. Moving from socialism to democracy wouldn’t hurt, either. Socialism only works until you eat through everyone else’s money, well, guess what?

What is the link between integrity and success?

Sustainability. Without integrity, success is not guaranteed to last.

We know more now due to the internet. Can we use the knowledge to help each other instead of finding flaws in each other?

If we knew more now, we would know history. People would rather not learn real history in favor of learning what others would have us believe. We vote for candidates suffering from senile dementia who don’t even know where they are half the time. People actually believe the leaders are calling the shots when it is painfully obvious their “handlers” are calling the shots. They accomplish nothing but unorganized confusion.

We have the knowledge of the ages at our fingertips, and we do nothing constructive with it. We insist, against all good sense, on moving backward instead of forward.  We don't need to find flaws, they slap us in the face daily.

What is the logic behind unpaid lunch breaks?

What is the logic of paying you not to work?

Which significant commitments have you walked away from, and why?

My only significant commitment was to my marriage and my children, and neither of them did I walk away from. My ex-wife ripped them away from me so she could live the life she always wanted. She took half of my military retirement and court-ordered child support which became new commitments that I also never walked away from.

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.”

-- Peter F. Drucker

Is it ethical that I invested my children's entire college fund into cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and Gamestop shares?

If you had invested in “Fortune 500” companies, probably not. Considering cryptocurrencies are doing what everyone thought they’d do, I’d say you were a bit unethical in risking their future.

What makes a good park bench?

A good fat ass. Park benches are all uncomfortable because they’re just wood slats on a frame. A little cushion never hurts. 

What is that one ability you believe should be restricted to a few individuals, and what are your reasons?

Killing without conscience. If more had this “ability” we’d be awash in dead bodies; where abortion clinics are concerned, we already are. Seriously, though, I don’t think any “constructive” abilities should be limited. People should feel free to pursue whatever ability they choose, as long as it does no harm.

How can we stop corruption?

Before you can stop corruption, you really have to stop greed.

This year until now, more than 4,000,000 people have starved and died from hunger. Do you care? If yes why? If no, then why?

Any loss of life is sad, however, there must be balance. If the population exceeds what we can feed, there will be starvation. Before we copulate ourselves into non-existence, perhaps it would be better for these countries to consider how we’re going to feed the masses that can’t control the urge to have unprotected sex. I care that people are dying, but I care more that the people in charge seem incapable of stopping it. It is what it is until it isn’t. The “isn’t” seems to escape everyone.

"If there ever is a time of plenty, this very fact will automatically lead to an increase in the population until the natural state of starvation and misery is restored. In a universe of electrons and selfish genes, blind physical forces, and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.”

-- Richard Dawkins

What do you do when your business direction is becoming riskier and you feel like your life is taking too long to get to where you want to be? Mildly bittersweet and having a lot of hindsight about my past life right now.

If you aren’t happy, you have to work on your priorities. Why is the business direction becoming risky? Why do you feel like your life is taking too long for it to get where you want to be? Why are you thinking about your past life? More importantly, why aren’t you truly happy always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances? These are questions only you can answer, and they are important, in a way, to understanding happiness, which is what you should have through all of this. If you aren’t truly happy, always and in all things, what is the point?

If you wanted to test if a new happy pill will make people happy here, you could randomly assign participants to take the happy pill or not, and compare these two groups on their self-reported happiness. What is the dependent variable?

Are they already happy before taking the pill?

Do you serve money or does money serve you but why?

Money serves a purpose. Because of this simple fact, money serves us. The only way we could serve money is if money got something from us. Even if we were addicted to money, money would be serving our addiction.

What do you do if it is night and you want to sleep with your child, and your child, out of curiosity, asks you every 5 minutes, "Are you still awake?"?

Go sleep in your own bed.

How true is it that every company is looking for people who can give something of value, whether it is ideas, services, or connections?

If people can’t offer something of value, why in the world would the company be looking for “dead weight” that has no value to offer? If you hire people with nothing of value to offer, your business is doomed.

“Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you. You think about it; it’s true. If you hire somebody without integrity, you really want them to be dumb and lazy.”

 -- Warren Buffett

 

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