Questioning Wants and Needs, More and Less, Good and Bad

“If we can stay with the tension of opposites long enough —sustain it, be true to it—we can sometimes become vessels within which the divine opposites come together and give birth to a new reality.”

-- Marie-Louise von Franz

Imagine you had the power to recreate your life and make it easier, happier, and more abundant in some way. What would you want to do?

Marry a different woman who would selflessly support my career and help me build a life for our family, instead of selfishly wasting happiness. 

How do you know if your gut feeling is right?

When the evidence bears it out. You won’t know it’s right until it is or isn’t

Did having time to do things you seemed to never have time for or having more time for hobbies during the pandemic, a therapy of sorts?

I suppose. I became a “Grandmaster” of a couple of online games. Kept me sane, so it was therapeutic. It was that or write a third book. 

How would you summarize being exceptional?

Exceptional exists because perfection does not.

Do farmers have secrets?

I’ve heard a rumor that, if they do, it usually has to do with sheep, corn cobs, or both. Mind you, it’s just an unsubstantiated rumor. I think the Farmer's Almanac would suffice, not really a secret, but people forget it's out there.

“Sopping, and with no sign of stopping, either- then a breather. Warm again, storm again- what is the norm, again? It's fine, it's not, it's suddenly hot: Boom, crash, lightning flash!”

-- Old Farmer's Almanac

Is less information better than more information when starting a new endeavor in life?

If you don’t know everything you can about mountain climbing, it can cost you your life. The same goes for bomb disposal, piloting aircraft, driving a car, and, for some dimwits, chewing gum and walking at the same time. More information can provide safety, knowledge, and upward mobility (not the result of the exploding ordinance) in a chosen field.

Are the emotional bonds that humans form artificial in nature and are just a result of a fear that a person holds?

“Emotional bonds” are anything but artificial. To the emotional person, they are very real and can be due to the very real fear that a person holds.

Do thoughts really become realities?

Only those you work to make so.

Was it Einstein who said, “Time is just a thought we are having.”? If not, who?

Sounds like Einstein's answer to time. He was a big one on time is a human concept and it really doesn’t exist. I also follow this reasoning. We pay attention to time because we created it to give some structure to our existence

What myths will bring you 7 years of bad luck?

The “sanctity” of marriage. It can bring you at least 7 years.

“I busted a mirror and got seven years bad luck, but my lawyer thinks he can get me five.”

-- Steven Wright

How do I make good decisions given the ambiguity and lack of data?

You don’t. You need to do more research to gather more data and end the ambiguity.

Why is atheism increasing in 2022 and the future?

They misunderstand God. God equates to religion, and this isn’t what they are about. Religion is a human construct. I don’t worry about them, that much. We all have to make a choice and live with it. Some of us choose to pad our bet, and some of us choose oblivion either way. I like the idea of separating the wheat from the chaff. I just wish they’d do me the same courtesy I give to them - leave me alone. But, they seem to be offended at everything, even this. Someone once yelled to me, “And, don’t pray for me!” I answered, “I wouldn’t think of it.” He looked shocked. Probably because I wasn’t taking the bait. It was a poor cast.

And the crickets chirp.

How burned out are people on The Big Lie?

Is he still in office? I’m sorry. Which “big lie” are we discussing?

What is more important for success, talent, obsession, or persistence?

You can’t truly be successful in life without a good mix of all four. You left out “knowledge.” You will need the same four to attain goals and make them sustainable. 

What if ignorance never existed?

We’d have a decent President leading the free world.

"Beware of ignorance when in motion; look out for inexperience when in action, and beware of the majority when mentally poisoned with misinformation, for collective ignorance does not become wisdom."

-- William J.H. Boetcker

Why do some people talk or write about any subject lengthy and others summarize everything in 1 or 2 sentences?

Some of us don’t like to beat a subject to death. Why write a dissertation when a simple sentence will suffice? I see this all the time on this site. People write a boring, ten-paragraph paper when a simple “yes” answers the question.

What is the relation between love and curiosity?

There is a long and intimate relationship between sex and curiosity, but I’m not sure about love.

Are we free?

We have free minds, even if our bodies are not. Never let anyone control what you think. You will pay for what you do, but not what you think… unless you put a voice to it.

Are there policies that can be made to encourage happiness?

Make a policy to simply choose to be truly happy always and in all things regardless of your circumstances. Being happy is a choice we need to make. It isn’t as hard as we seem to like to make it.

"Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be forbidden to think so as not to offend fools." Is Dostoyevsky's prophecy coming true? Do you have examples?

No. You can’t forbid people to think what they choose to think. Tolerance might teach them not to put a voice to it, but they will continue to think as they choose to think.

“We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."

-- John F. Kennedy

What is the difference between "have to" and "need to"?

If you have to do something, you don’t need to do it. You need to breathe. You can hold your breath, as you might have to, but your body will override your desire not to breathe and you will take a breath because you need to. You have control over what you have to do, but not over what you need to do.

Isn't it time we looked seriously and academically at 'AI'? Can we go on thinking it is an answer when in fact it is only a pattern generation process?

I believe we are doing this.

If someone is teaching you something, should you listen and learn, or crack jokes and lose the opportunity of the material?

They are taking the time to teach, you should be courteous and take the same time to learn, unless it is some bullshit indoctrination, like Critical Race Theory or any other socialist doctrine the teacher’s unions like to push.

Why do you believe some of us would rather cheer the villain instead of the good person?

Some of us are closet villains. I think the majority of us cheer on the good people.  

Why do ideas not matter as much as intellectuals and politicians think they do?

I’m not sure where you got this from. Ideas matter quite a bit to most people, not just to intellectuals. Politicians tend to waste the little brain matter they have, so I discount them as ever having any constructive ideas. Ideas make the world work. We learn from the bad and we celebrate the good. If you are wearing clothes, making a meal, riding a bike, driving a car, taking an antibiotic to stay healthy, and so much more, all are the end product of an idea.

“For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk and we learned to listen. Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling human beings to work together to build the impossible. Mankind's greatest achievements have come about by talking, and its greatest failures by not talking. It doesn't have to be like this. Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With the technology at our disposal, the possibilities are unbounded. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.”

-- Stephen Hawking

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