Questioning Actions, Control, Stupid, Change, and Lying

“Reasonable humans are the only minority in this world..”

-- Danilo Vukovljak

When we reflect, can we judge whether our actions are reasonable or not?

I learned in the military not to act unless it was reasonable. Bad actions get people injured or killed. Before reflection, know your actions, and the actions of others, are reasonable.

What will happen if it becomes okay to lie?

Who and what will any of us be able to believe? Politicians have been lying to us for years.

Why is it that I get really mad when somebody uses the wrong solution to an issue when the correct solution, is obvious to me?

Then, instead of getting mad, try mentoring them so they can also learn. Supervisors in the military would give up on a troop and I’d end up with them. I would mentor them into good workers and then advise the commander that he has some problems with supervision. I was not there to be liked by people with no supervisory skills.

Author's comment:  Then riddle me this… if something is attacking you, and you can’t outrun it, there’s no one to help you… nothing much else you can really do about it… yet it looks pretty easy to take down… why don’t you cut it with the ax in your hands? Such an obvious solution, that I’ve seen works.

This was the issue I saw someone have. They were being chased down and attacked. They couldn’t outrun the aggressor… and yet they never used the ax they were holding. Such an obvious solution, to a simple problem. When I went through the same thing, I used the ax, and I barely had any injuries whatsoever. It worked out a lot better for me than it did for them.

I imagine you would yell at a marine for not using his loaded rifle, THAT HE WAS HOLDING… when being attacked by a wild animal, for example. Such a simple, and obvious solution.

My reply:  Your question did not specify a “life or death” situation. I took it as an administrative situation. Anger in administration accomplishes little. Anger in the heat of battle, focused properly, can save lives.

Author's reply:  That’s true… but I did add a comment, for context. Something answerers are supposed to read first, before writing their answer.

If you are attacked by something you cannot outrun, then the proper response, would be to fight back with whatever weapon you have on hand. Something this person did not realize.

My reply:  "Why is it that I get really mad when somebody uses the wrong solution to an issue when the correct solution, is obvious to me?" I see no comment for context, here.

Author's comment: The button to see it is off the side. Looks like a little comment box you’d see in a comic book, with a 1 next to it… look for it, at the lower right of the question, if you’re on a computer.

My reply: Ah, yes. I see it now. I don’t look for "hidden" context. I expect the question to be what it is.  My bad... or, maybe not.

How would you know if someone has weak analytical thinking skills?

In the military, it was when they couldn’t solve the simplest of problems in the Intelligence field. They didn’t last very long if they couldn’t get their act together.

Does everybody have and need to know the whole truth, especially for anything, or don't they? 

Everyone should need to know the whole truth, unfortunately, very few of them could handle it. Every day we stand at the cusp of invasion or nuclear war, but we have people to stave them off so we can ignore it and go about our mindless business.

“You can't handle the truth!

Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives.

You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall -- you need me on that wall.

We use words like "honor," "code," "loyalty." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. 

I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand the post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think you're entitled to!”

-- Col. Jessup, “A Few Good Men”

Reader comment: Harsh, but accurate. Many in leadership positions do not have the luxury of choosing between good and bad options, but bad, and terrible options. Even if one chooses the lesser of two evils, they are still condemned, and questioned, as if they had caused the problem.

Is letting someone else control you a bad thing?

Unless it’s consensual, as in roll playing, yes, it can be.

How do you think people can benefit from being more truthful?

They don’t have to rely on remembering everything they’ve lied about. They can rest assured that what they remember is the truth, as they understand it.

What are the consequences of being jealous and wanting revenge?

Anger and karma. Jealousy and revenge are products of differing levels of anger, and karma will show up to teach you how wrong they are.

Why do some people act in an unselfish way while others don't?

Greed is a strange bedfellow, and a tough nut to crack. We’re greedy and, for the most part, have no idea why. What we want makes more sense to some than giving it to someone else. Some will even take that which they have no idea if they’ll ever use… and usually don’t. Try as we might, something “free” is so appealing as to get some of us off the couch and driving to the giveaway.

What is the whole truth about literally everything, anything, everybody, me, anybody, everyone, anyone, all things, something, and whatever?

Try this for size:

“It is what it is until it isn’t, and, then, it is what it is, again.”

-- Villari

How did you start being so stupid?

It was tough, at first, but, then, I met people who ask these kinds of questions and it became so much easier.

Many people reveal their secrets to their trusted friends and land in trouble. Why such things are happening? Why are human beings untrustworthy?

If there is only one person you can trust to keep a “secret” and that person blabs it to all their “trusted friends” which lands the person in trouble, and that person is the one who held the secret, who is the real problem? If you have a secret, don’t blab it. Why? Because it’s a secret! Why do we think we can trust others when we can’t even trust ourselves? It isn’t that people are untrustworthy, it’s that we’re all dumb as bricks and untrustworthy.

We had a young troop in Intelligence who asked what would happen if he accidentally let slip “classified” information. I told him, in a serious tone, that I’d ask permission to be the one to kneel him down and shoot him in the back of the head. 

Why will you not answer this question?

I will answer this question by stating, “Because.”

If we can admire those who "grab the bull by the horns to get the job done," why can't we do the same for those who "lunge and reach for the grips of the steering wheel" to keep their show on the road?

Uh… lunging and reaching to “keep the show on the road” is simply “taking the bull by the horns to get the job done.” There’s really no difference. Admire everyone who steps forward to do what needs to be done.

 Why am I laughing right now?

Tell me you’re not holding your penis.

“A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.”

-- Steve Martin

What is the reason why many people find difficulty in changing or accepting change?

Lack of a basic understanding that change is the only true constant in the universe. It is what it is until it isn’t, and then it is what it is, again. If people or organizations have an issue with accepting change, they need to read “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Spenser Johnson.

(Hard Question) How can someone look like me if they are not my sibling?

Not that hard of a question. I’d be asking mom and dad.

Who is the most trusted person in the world?

“Who do you trust most in the world?” was the original question, changed as I was on my way to answer it, so here is my answer to the original, put forth by the author: Me… and I’m not really sure about that.

What motivated you to be creative?

My innate creativity.

My inner thoughts keep me from focusing on what's in front of me and that makes me look stupid. How can I deal with that?

Are you looking in a mirror? If not, what makes you think focusing makes you look stupid? If this were the case, most great thinkers in the world would look mighty silly most of the time. Okay, but Albert Einstein didn't decide to look silly until later in life, and he chose to.

“It's always the fear of looking stupid that stops you from being awesome.”

-- Kiera Cass

Can someone fail a polygraph for lying?

Polygraphs are rumored to not be that accurate. But, the entire purpose of the polygraph is to tell if you’re lying, and if you are, and if it is, in fact, accurate, you have, indeed, failed it.

Is it possible to trust people who never lie?

Absolutely, if you’re trusting them to never lie.

Can someone else give you a sense of your identity?

Certainly. They aren’t giving you an identity, they are showing you a sense of identity you already have that you might be ignoring or simply not be aware of.

How do atheists square their disbelief in a creator god with the vastness and complexity of the universe?

If they do, go figure.

How do you deal with a fast thinker?

Get in front of them. Fast doesn’t make them right. There’s nothing worse than being fast and wrong, especially when dealing with nuclear weapons.

"In a way, an umpire is like a woman. He makes quick decisions, never reverses them, and doesn't think you're safe when you're out."

-- Larry Goetz

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