Questioning Anger, Losers, Choices, Asses, and Laws

 

"I don't understand you. I don't speak assholian"

-- Unknown

Can a person be too successful for his own good?

Can a person attain too many goals? Not if this is their goal. Can the goal they attain be too good for them? Maybe, but this is for them to decide. As far as success in life is concerned, that is, being truly happy, I don’t think you can be too happy for your own good unless you forget to take care of yourself. 

Do you have an idea for bettering the world?

Outlaw violence. Oh, we’ve done that. Well, we see how well that has worked. 

Should CEOs speak out on what is right and wrong?

If we're looking for the opinion of business leaders on a particular subject, then yes. Elon Musk and the “Twitter” purchase is a case in point, where his opinion on freedom of opinion takes center stage.

Why do people get angry when they ask for money and you don't give it to them?

They’re selfish idiots. They think all they have to do is ask and the world is their oyster. They aren’t concerned about your needing the money, it’s all about their needs. If I need my own, hard-earned money, whether they get angry or not is of little, or no, concern to me. What they need to do is get over themselves, learn how to manage their own finances, or find some “easy touch” to mooch off of. I ain’t it.

What's your excuse for not being reasonable?

When I’m up against abject stupidity, usually in the guise of the League of the Perpetually Offended.

“People don't demand that a thing be reasonable if their emotions are touched. Lovers aren't reasonable, are they?”

-- Graham Greene

What is your opinion of a total loser?

Disappointment. Not that they’re a loser, there must be a balance, at all times - winners and losers. My disappointment is that they’ve chosen this path in their life. It is easier to sit down and give up than to work hard and continue the good fight. If you’re constantly fighting, you haven’t lost. With each battle, you learn something more. If you learn nothing, you have wasted the lesson life has presented you.

Why is law enforcement still not being transparent about their actions during a fatal traffic arrest?

Transparency occurs after investigation. Not knowing the context of this question makes any answer difficult.

How true is it that those depending entirely upon luck are nearly always disappointed because they overlook another important factor that must be present before one can be sure of success?

Why they are disappointed is why casinos make so much money - relying on luck is a crapshoot, and the house usually wins. If you don’t have a job and you’re depending on luck to carry the day, you’ll starve.

There are several other factors that must be present to attain goals, more times than not, hard work and knowledge are two important ones. If you are always happy in everything you do, regardless of your circumstances, you are already successful in life. Attaining any goals is just gravy on the success you already have.

How can one effectively change someone else's behavior?

Be involved with them.

What is the best way to offer a reward?

The intent of the original question was lost in this iteration, so I’ll answer per the original: How do you reward people for their efforts?

If they’ve made you money, sharing it is always an incentive to continue the good work. Promotional opportunities, or just a simple “thank you for all the good work” can be an immediate boost to morale.

“The end is not the reward; the path you take, the emotions that course through you as you grasp life - that is the reward.”

-- Jamie Magee

What was a goal that you wanted to achieve, but later determined that it was not at all what you wanted?

A degree in Psychology. I got drafted for Vietnam, left college, and found my real calling for psychology in the field of military intelligence, supervision, and management. 

What is the deciding line between a person who can make choices for themselves and for that choice to be decided by other people? When does that person stop having freedom of choice?

The “deciding line” is their freedom of choice. It is when they start letting other people make their choices for them. Life is all about individuals learning to make good choices and decisions for themselves. If their life turns to shit due to a choice someone made for them, they have no one to blame but themself for not being able to control their own life. If they give up the “lessons” of how to make good choices, they are doomed to repeat the lessons at some later time, like in the next life. If their attitude continues, they will have another chance to learn in the next life, and so on, until they finally get a clue. Better learn the lessons now and exercise your own freedom of choice.

Is it illegal to bribe a teacher with money?

I think this is an “employment clause” in their teaching contract, more than a law. If caught, they may get fired and never be able to find another teaching job due to the infraction of taking a bribe for a good grade. 

How could I know if something related to technology is my talent?

Try it, you might like it. If you don’t get involved in it, you’ll never really be sure.

How can a good person be appreciated so as to continue doing good?

A truly good person doesn’t seek appreciation. They do good because it’s the right thing to do. If they’re appreciated, so much the better, but not a requirement. They will continue doing good as long as doing good is the right thing to do, and, at times, even if it isn’t.

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it. People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.”

-- Alice Walker

What do I do when there is no solution to a problem?

If it’s “city hall” I’ll have to get an attorney. There is always a solution, even if you have to fall back and punt - make one up. The solution might be to accept the problem and press ahead, anyway. The solution might be, just to let it go, or deal with it later. The solution might be that there is no solution; it is what it is, so make the best of it. 

Why are people interested in psychology nowadays?

They think it’s useful and easy. Okay, so they’re half right. What you read is easy. Putting it into practice is tapping the hornet’s nest. The mind can be a terrible thing. 

Is there any measure of success that is common to most people?

Success is choosing true happiness in life and has little to do with attaining goals. Any “measure” of happiness is common to most people. Understanding that true happiness is a simple choice that can be made by anyone, escapes almost everyone. A “measure” of happiness is not true happiness. True happiness is striving to be happy always and in all things regardless of your circumstances, or goals attained or not. True happiness is sustainable happiness because it is a simple choice to be happy always.

Why are most people just nothing but assholes to us?

It is a test of understanding and tolerance that life has presented to us.

IYO, is a person still considered a “good person” if they tend to hold grudges (reasonable)?

They have allowed someone to do something to them. Or, someone did something to them while they weren't watching their back. Basically, we hold a grudge because we failed the lesson, to watch out for people who might wrong us. We can’t cover everything, we can only do what we can do, and the rest is what it is.

If we failed the lesson, is holding a grudge reasonable? No. It is, however, a way to shift the blame away from our own inability to cover our own ass. It really isn’t their fault for doing something to us, it is our fault for allowing them to do it. Why do we say, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me? You were fooled, not just once, but twice. Shame on you for both times you played the fool. Maybe next time you’ll pay better attention.

Of course, this is just my humble opinion.

"I've never had a humble opinion. If you've got an opinion, why be humble about it?"

-- Joan Baez

Why is it important to learn about other people's beliefs and attitudes?

It leads to understanding them better. If somebody is trying to kill you due to their beliefs or attitudes, a good understanding of them will expedite their destruction when they attack you.

Why do those who make laws sometimes break them?

Alas, we are only human.

Do you think a person can succeed in life without absolutely anyone’s help?

They need to attain knowledge and learn something. In order to do this, someone had to give it to them - a book, a speech, a seminar, education, something. You don’t just wave a wand and attain your goal.

Can a narcissist be suicidal?

Absolutely. When everything turns to crap in their life. 

If I killed myself, would I be a narcissist?

You might be if you were a narcissist before you killed yourself. By killing yourself, you might be called a lot of things, but not necessarily a narcissist. 

"The narcissistic orientation is one in which one experiences as real only that which exists within oneself, while the phenomena in the outside world have no reality in themselves, but are experienced only from the viewpoint of their being useful or dangerous to one. The opposite pole to narcissism is objectivity; it is the faculty to see other people and things as they are, objectively, and to be able to separate this objective picture from a picture which is formed by one's desires and fears."

-- Erich Fromm

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, finally, a senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Western 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 the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony:  tolerantpastor@gmail.com