Questioning Success, U-turns, Worry, Calm, and Impulse

 

“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

If you are arrogant do you just know you're too good at something or is it always a cover-up for insecurity?

If I’m too good at something, I’m not arrogant unless I brag about it. There is always someone out there just waiting to do better. Insecurity is a part of all of us, some just lie about it better. Do the best you can, and when someone comes along and does better, promote them. Those that can, do. Those that can’t, teach. Lessons in life we all must learn.

What is the most effective way to learn something fast and build a personal skill set?

Be super intelligent.

How do I bullshit my way to success?

So you’ve decided to base your life on bullshit. Don’t give too much credence to actually knowing what you’re doing, just keep looking over your shoulder for that one person who knows you’re full of shit. This will be the person that will easily pull you out of your “throne” and take your place with some real ability and knowledge. Good luck! Or, you can actually do the work and earn your way to the top. I know, it’s a concept, but I really like novel concepts.

Why does my mate bring up my income during an argument? Yes, I make more, and they are not working, but I find it to be interesting that my income is always brought up in every argument as if they are jealous?

Your initial assessment is right on. They are jealous.

Why do people not answer my questions about other people?

They don’t know them? Making an opinion about someone you know nothing about is difficult, at best. Making an opinion based on someone else’s prejudices is even harder. Answering questions about people you don’t know is just setting yourself up for an attack by the League of the Perpetually Offended. Never a good thing, to be attacked by the likes of these.

“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.”

-- Marcus Aurelius

Why do people make U-turns?

There is either a barrier preventing them from accessing their target from the direction they’re traveling, or they missed the turn and have to go back. On the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, centerline barriers are the biggest issue, “Oops! I missed it,” not so much.

Can you think of a time when you struggled to find a solution to a problem?

25 years, during my marriage. The solution was a divorce. Yep, I was slow to recognize it.

What is your understanding of the quotation: “Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.“ mean?

If you discount “greed” as a part of the mirror, then the quote would be pretty accurate. Unfortunately, our attitudes and expectations don’t factor in the “greed” component. For instance, most world dignitaries attending climate conferences, fly in on private jets. So much for their carbon footprint. 

How do you deal with people who are arrogant?

I don’t. I prefer to ignore self-righteousness. No one is perfect.

Why do we have such a hard time accepting losing?

Why do we have such a hard time learning? Losing, failure, and mistakes, are all opportunities to learn that are presented to us through life. Losing is nothing more than a notice that you haven’t “learned” enough to win. There could be a “glass ceiling” you simply can’t break through. You may know volumes, yet just can’t get through the barriers. Why are there coaches and teachers? Those that can, do. Those that can’t, or can’t any longer, teach. There is losing, and there is also losing your ability. Sports figures go through this. And, for many people, retirement is our consolation prize. 

“Life seems sometimes like nothing more than a series of losses, from beginning to end. That's the given. How you respond to those losses, what you make of what's left, that's the part you have to make up as you go.”

-- Katharine Weber

Should people be looking for happiness or should they let it find them?

They already have happiness, they simply have to choose it over everything else. Happiness is a choice we make for our lives. Strive to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances.

Is it better to give than receive?

It depends on how you live your life. The selfish would disagree with the statement, whereas the selfless would agree wholeheartedly.

How can I stop overthinking the past and future?

Overthink the present. There is nothing to do for the past, and the future is not yet here. Better we focus on the present. In the present, we can remedy the mistakes of the past and learn to prevent the mistakes of the future.

How can you stop worrying about things in your past, present, or future?

Stop making bad choices and decisions. If you always do good you will have little to worry about.

How can you stop letting your past control your present by not giving in to anger and fear?

Live in the present, not in the past. The past is done, so let it go. The future isn’t here yet, so the present is all we have. Why waste what we have by being angry and scared? You could die in the next moment, so wouldn’t you rather die happy?

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

-- Saint Teresa of Calcutta

In what ways does being calm benefit me and those around me?

If the building is burning and the auditorium full of people are all running for the exit, no one will get through. Be calm and bring order to the chaos. Everyone will survive, but those few “soon-to-be-dead” who lose their minds.

What is the most effective way to plan personal bright moments or do effective planning for events?

Have money be no object. 

How did you muster up the strength to go to work and show up during the hardest time in your life?

This would be during my divorce. My work was the only thing that kept my mind off hatred, and suicide. I’d wasted 25 years of my life trying to love a woman who had no desire to love me back. My work was the only thing that kept me alive. 

What makes a happy person different from a boring person?

What makes you think a boring person isn’t happy? They may be boring to you, but they could be happier than a pig in pooh.

Why does the entitled younger generation feel that they are entitled to taxpayer money when people for decades have willingly taken responsibility for the money they had borrowed themselves?

They are, as you call them, the “entitled younger generation.” As long as we keep calling them this, instead of spoiled rotten, thankless, and undeserving, they will continue being rude and feeling entitled. But, wait! On their heels come the “illegal aliens” who will be sucking a good bit of their entitlement for their own “illegal” selves. It must really suck feeling "entitled" in a country with no money that’s being spent by an octagenarian who promises everything, produces nothing, and just can’t remember where he is from one minute to the next. Is it any wonder we have no borders? Who voted this waste of oxygen into office? You guess it. Those who feel entitled.

“You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.”

-- Abraham Lincoln

Is it true that I'm capable of everything?

If your brain and body are capable of everything, so are you. But, “everything” is going a bit overboard for the majority of us. You might be capable of doing what the human mind and body will allow you to do, and, for many, hard as they try, they just can’t keep up with the “capabilities” of some others. We are a very diverse specie.

What are some ways to not react so impulsively, good or bad?

Learn to take a moment to think about the consequences of your possible action. If what you’re going to do is bad, just don’t do it. If what you’re going to do is good, think about how to do it right so the consequences are rosier.

Why is it that so many of us struggle with self-love?

We don’t give ourselves the credit that we deserve. Yet, this does not prevent us from loving others who struggle with self-credit. We love others who fall short of expectations, but we find it hard to love ourselves when we fall short. I love myself all the time, but I have found true happiness always and in all things, regardless of my circumstances. Maybe we should all strive for this.

Isn't it funny how intellectually lazy the atheist is? He wants theists to do all his work for him! Is this because he has not the education to do it for himself?

I don’t it funny in the least. I find it sad. Both sides have faith that they’re right, yet one side denies the very faith it takes to believe in their hypothesis. Faith is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof. Neither side has any concrete proof. One side has great stories, but the proof is sadly lacking. But, both sides do have faith that they are right. One side actually is, but there is only one way to find out. If the atheists are right, they will die and not be reborn. They will receive what they expect. If the theists are right, they will die and be reborn. If they are wrong, it will matter not at all. They will be as dead as the atheist.

Which person in human history do you admire or find the most interesting?

Heraclitus of Ephesus. He was an ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher who lived around 500 BCE.

"No man ever steps in the same river twice."

-- Heraclitus

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. 

I fervently 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