Questioning Love, Ratings, Projection, Lies, and Security

 

“Perhaps we shall learn, as we pass through this age, that the 'other self' is more powerful than the physical self we see when we look into a mirror.”

-- Napoleon Hill.

How do I love myself? What's the meaning of loving myself?

Oh, I so wanted to answer this another way, but it was a bit “off-color.” The meaning of loving yourself is the same meaning of loving others. What makes you fall in love with someone? The same applies to you. If you love everything you are… Ta-da! If there is something you don’t like about yourself, change it. Looking at the whole picture of me, I think I love that the most of myself, and this is a good thing. Even when we find someone we really love, they might have some oddities we are willing to overlook.

Why do some politicians resent being asked pertinent questions that make them think?

Politicians and thinking. Think about it.

Why are all my thoughts, feelings, fantasies, and emotions not 100% clear especially to me, and how can I express all of my thoughts, feelings, fantasies, and emotions 100% clearly?

I’m not certain expressing everything clearly is the best idea, especially when it comes to fantasies. thoughts, and feelings. I know that mine would be the topic of conversation, in my own circle, for some years to come. As much as I think my own is 100% clear, I can state without hesitation that the “exotic” flavor is probably the only clear aspect.

I took a class in college psychology called “The Psychology of Deviant Behavior.” Let me just say, I passed with flying colors and rarely cracked the book. It is best, at times, to leave some things a mystery, even to yourself.

When was a time someone faced harsh judgment or consequences, but they were actually right about something?

I’m opening myself up to ridicule by the League of the Perpetually Offended, but… this would be the entire last Presidency as perpetuated by the liberal hacks in Congress.

What is the psychology behind gang stalkers?

That’s a difficult concept to get behind. “Stalking” is to pursue something stealthily. Hard to use stealth when in a gang. However, I can see how it would be very useful in harassment and intimidation tactics. The only problem I see in this is that there is no honor among thieves, so the larger the gang involved, the more apt some milk toast is going to be beaten down by the police and forced to rat out their gang. I think that stalking, in its purest form, is meant to be a solitary “pursuit” of a target.

“I think the very word stalking implies that you're not supposed to like it. Otherwise, it would be called 'fluffy harmless observation time'.”

-- Molly Harper

How can I stop mooching off my parents? I'm 25 years of age and I need to be more independent.

Move out, get a job, and work on a bit of self-respect. Just saying.

How can you tell if something is wrong with you?

Easily. I always assume something is wrong with me, if not physically, then mentally. No one is truly happy with their life, but I seem to always be, even when it’s a bitch. It is what it is, so revel in it.

If a person is overrated by no fault of their own how do they change people's perception of them and do you agree it's a necessity for everybody to respect you because it shows people you are a high-value person?

I think this would depend on the true humility possessed by the person being overrated. If they are humble, they might express that the rating is appreciated, but that they are simply doing the job. For these few humble, but very capable people, a pat on the back and being told they did a good job is more valuable than all the accolades others might want to heap upon them.

How can one put themselves in someone else's league when that other person is better than them at almost everything?

They can’t, and if they think they can, they won’t. They are delusional. They have their own “league” they should pay attention to being better than.

What is the main purpose of them/society needing to control one’s mind?

You’ve answered your own question - control. Control means you have no real freedom of thought. You do what society tells you to do, even if you don’t know they’re pulling your strings. Socialism is based on this concept, and many weak-minded people buy into it. I would advise reading the works of George Orwell (1984), and Aldous Huxley (Brave New World). or Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451), for a clearer picture of control.

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”

-- Edward Bernays

How can I get a strong, clear, and powerful voice for speaking?

As a public speaker for almost 23 years in the military, I went to each venue and projected my voice so the person in the back of the room could easily hear me. In short order, I was able to gauge the projection of my voice without someone in the back of the room.

Another tactic was to simply ask if everyone in the back of the room can hear you, then adjust your volume so they can. I also would pretend I was James Earl Jones and recite Shakespeare, projecting in his booming voice. For a guy with an average build and a timid voice, this took many people aback. My timid voice soon was replaced by typically Sicilian bravado - loud.

How do you stop obeying?

Grow a courageous pair of steel balls, and just say no.

Have many people felt tired of you for asking too much about the topics that you want to know much about?

Two, my mom and dad. I wanted to know more about UFOs and Sasquatch. I was 12 years old when I ended up contacting government agencies and asking them for the information. At the age of 13, I had a complete set of the Project Blue Book study and maps full of tacks where UFOs and sasquatch had been reported in the United States

I’ve never seen such a high degree of paranoia in today’s society, where just walking in a park today solicits strange stereotyping behavior. What do you feel is the cause?

A serious lack of law enforcement.

How do I get rid of resentment and bitterness towards nature for giving me life?

Nature didn’t give you life. Your mother and father had a larger hand in the process. Nature simply made the most of their "wet" work. If you need to resent someone for giving you the chance to make the most of life, then resent your parents for not using birth control. 

Personally, I’d learn to piss off the world by choosing to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of my circumstances, and go about working toward bettering the circumstances with a smile plastered across my face. But, that’s just me, Mr. Happy. Any day on this side of the dirt is a good day, so make the most of it. The alternative simply sucks.

“As smoking is to the lungs, so is resentment to the soul; even one puff is bad for you.”

-- Elizabeth Gilbert

Why do people who are a little bit right act as if they are all the way right? Have they not had good enough practice opponents to challenge them and inform them of their errors, or have they just planned it to debate only less knowledgeable people?

People who are a “little bit right” are operating without the entire knowledge to be a whole lot right. They are, in fact, the “less knowledgeable people” you mention. The people they debate with will be without any knowledge of the subject and have absolutely no reason to be in a debate with people who are a “little bit right.”

Can two lies make something true?

No, but it can make something significantly less true. You initially have to wade through one lie, but now you have to fight your way through two.

When you disagree with people who always think they know best, should you discuss it with them or just ignore it because they're narrow-minded anyway?

Never assume your disagreement is “all that” simply because they are know-it-alls. They might, for once, be right, and you’ll be the schmo thinking they know best. Better you should discuss the options they put forth, and they might just learn to do the same.

Do people think before they speak or do they just say whatever comes to mind?

First, we have to agree on whether “think” is shallow or deep. “Whatever comes to mind” would be evidence of shallow thinking.

Why do people think you'd be happier outside of India?

One needs to travel outside of India, and experience a multitude of reasons for themselves. Words cannot paint a complete picture. Having said this, there are good and bad everywhere. It is what you make of where you are that makes it a happy home. What other people think is worth the listen, but may not have any bearing on what you choose.

“India is not, as people keep calling it, an underdeveloped country, but rather, in the context of its history and cultural heritage, a highly developed one in an advanced state of decay.”

-- Shashi Tharoor

How do you deal with an insecure and arrogant boss?

Be secure when you tell them you don’t appreciate their arrogance. Their insecurity will rise to the occasion.

What inspires you to be more vigilant in enhancing stability throughout your life?

Advancing age. As I get older, I worry about “enhancing stability” in my fixed income for what is left of my life. Thankfully, dad left mom and me fairly well off, so I don’t have to be so concerned about my retirement and social security alone in these tougher times.

Why do people respond to persuasion?

Not all people have such weak personalities. If you’re one of those people who don’t like to be taken advantage of, you listen with a critical ear and respond appropriately.

A quick perception of the feelings of others, and a gracious tenderness for these feelings, are gifts to be coveted and cherished?

As a question, this reads more as a statement, which it should be, as it rings very true.

Can a person be externally arrogant but internally insecure at the same time? If so, how would they act?

Yes. Arrogance can be the external denial of their internal insecurity. Bullies, for example, are usually so much less mature than those people they pick on.

“There are two circumstances that lead to arrogance: one is when you're wrong and you can't face it; the other is when you're right and nobody else can face it.”

-- Criss Jami

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