Questioning ignorance, Advice, Safety, Control, and Art

 

“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”

-- Harlan Ellison

What is the source of our ignorance?

Gee, I can track it right back to my parochial school teachers. There were only a couple that, back in the day, the late 1960s, were not dabbling in indoctrination. Many of us were so much smarter than them, kind of like today. We tried hard to self-educate. it was a hard time for me.

Do you think you're happier than your neighbor?

I’ve heard him with his kid. Absolutely. How can I be honest and speak my mind? Do you speak your mind at certain times or always?

Do you speak your mind?

I speak my mind when I’m asked. Being a humble person, I try to keep my opinions down to a low rumble, hidden behind a mask of someone swallowing their tongue. Any conscience person would ask if I had any input. Oh, my God! Being humble means you listen, until you have something important to say, and then you weigh it against all the other bullshit to see if it is relevant.

What do you say to an adult child who is disappointing you?

“I love you.  Get out.”

Why can't I decide things for myself?

You might be afraid of being wrong, and it will reflect poorly on you. More poorly than the rest of us that made decisions and were wrong? Life presents tests in the guise of choices and decisions. We all get them, and we all choose well, or not so much.  We learn. 

If people judge you, it says more about their poor choices than yours. If you're wrong, you’ve learned a lesson. File it for the next time, and move on. If you need mentoring, ask the opinion of people you trust. Ask their reasoning for their answer. If it sounds reasonable, act on it. Remember, if you’re wrong, you’ve simply learned a lesson. Learning is nothing to be ashamed of. We all ask for assistance if we’re smart.

“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

What do people enjoy most in life?

Unrestrained exotic sex, or ice cream. It’s a toss-up.

Why is advice so rarely followed?

It is poor advice? If I get cogent, understandable, and validated advice, I will follow it until it falls apart. People tend to not follow bullshit.

Shouldn't works on religion, Bible, Torah, Qur'an, and writing of those faiths, be labeled "religious fiction" since they are all works of fiction per the God they worship?

All you need to do is provide proof that God does not exist.

What factors lead us to judge people?

A misplaced sense of superiority. A need to shield our own inequities by judging others. The right of authority assigned by society to judge another for wrongdoing. My favorite would be “tit for tat” - how dare you judge me, when your own house is in disarray. Unfortunately, I stoop to this when dealing with the League of the Perpetually Offended. As a humble pastor, I am ashamed. 

What actions and activities make you feel purposeful?

Right now, taking care of health, tax, property, banking, and investment issues, for my mother. Nothing is more important.

“The greatest challenge in life is to be our own person and accept that being different is a blessing and not a curse. A person who knows who they are lives a simple life by eliminating from their orbit anything that does not align with his or her overriding purpose and values. A person must be selective with their time and energy because both elements of life are limited.”

-- Kilroy J. Oldster

How can you accept yourself as a person while simultaneously striving to become a better, new person?

Because you’re striving to become a better and new person. This, alone, has merit. Many people are satisfied with the status quo, but you strive for more. Bravo!

Why do I obsess over learning something but once I understand it, I get bored and find something else to figure out?

You love to learn. Nothing wrong with this. If you were to continue to “obsess” over the same topic, you would never move on to new topics. Learn as much as you can, about as much as you can, but also strive to be happy always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances. Being truly happy is true success in life.

Why should we build a community?

Currently, so thieves and murderers have a place to ply their trade, and rioters have buildings to burn down.

What is the importance of research for a safer life?

If you don’t do research, how will you really know what needs to be made safer, and what to do that will make it safer?

Is it true that inflation expectations could be a self-fulfilling prophecy?

It would depend on if the governmental administration in charge is hellbent on destroying our way of life by spending massive dollars we don’t have. Printing presses solve nothing.

“Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.”

-- Stephen R. Covey

How can you learn a new language without acquiring it?

What? One would think learning it would be the same as acquiring it. If you learn it, you have it. If you have it, you’ve acquired it.

Do people like to be controlled or be in control?

I let you know when we vote, next. It looked like people were willing to be controlled, but then they found out what governmental control was all about; you have no say in what your children are taught, massive inflation as money simply rolls off the printing presses, grocery shelves empty, crime is rampant, and millions of illegal aliens and terrorists are freely crossing our opened “non-border” in the south. Again, I’ll let you know when we vote. 

What is the definition of "chronic dissatisfaction"?

No matter what, you are going to be dissatisfied. The harder people try, the more dissatisfied you’ll probably be. I run into this with the League of the Perpetually Offended. Chronic dissatisfaction is like being perpetually offended, they are both chronic and perpetual.

What are some qualities that make a writer respected?

Knowledge, the ability to write, and the ability to rivet readers' interest with their subject matter.

How has a failure or apparent failure set you up for later success?

Failure is nothing more than an opportunity to learn. Learn why you went wrong and correct it, if possible, otherwise, the lesson will prepare you for the next time. We look at failure and mistakes as negative in life, when they are really just lessons to help us along our path. When we understand this simple concept, how can we not ultimately attain our goals as long as we persevere?  It isn't that we fail, it is what we do with the failure that matters most.  My life has been full of lessons and, now, I am very happily retired... and still, I learn.

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

-- Thomas A. Edison

What do you think it takes to be a success story? Do you think that every human being has the capacity to become a success story in their own way, even if they might not have all the resources available, like money, power, or fame?

True success in life is making the choice to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances. What good is all the money, power, or fame, if you are not truly happy? Make the conscious choice to strive for true happiness in life, and that happiness will be sustainable until you retract the choice, which, in my view, would be counterproductive.

Do people stop going to therapy and get better?

If the therapist is doing more harm than good, and the patient realizes it, they might.

I'm a loner and most people see me as one even though I'm friendly. Am I a loser?

Not necessarily. Being a loner does not make you a loser. I consider myself a loner, yet I have many acquaintances. I prefer doing my own thing. If people would like to join in, that’s fine, but I’m going to do what I enjoy regardless of the company. If people weren’t around, I would seek them out, occasionally, for conversation, then I’d retire back to the comfort of my own space and involve myself in my own interests. But, I am in no way a loser. I have accomplished much, and have brought many people with me along my path.

What is the definition of "by any means necessary"?

Make it so. Create harm and foul. Break laws. Kill people. But, make it so “by any means necessary.”

What does it mean to be an artist? Does it require creativity?

You create, therefore, it requires creativity. Creativity doesn’t have to be any good, as long as the artist enjoys the process of creating. As E.A. Bucchianeri said, “Art is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone will have their own interpretation.”

“Art is in the eye of the beholder, and everyone will have their own interpretation.”

-- E.A. Bucchianeri

 

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