Questioning Risk, Blame, Texas, and Virtues

 

“Look forward, not back. Correct your course and go on. You cannot undo yesterday’s journey.”

-- Robin Hobb

What are your thoughts on taking risks later in life?

The same as taking risks earlier in life. Know what you’re doing so you mitigate failure. Later in life, this is even more important. Failure, even though it is simply a lesson to be learned, is harder to recover from as we age. It’s kind of like falling. A young person takes the fall as simply stupid on their part, while the older person thinks the same thing and probably breaks a hip or dies. As you age, lessons, and seeing how other seniors have been injured, have taught you to be careful and look where you walk, instead of texting.

What are little and funny things?

Weebles. They wobble, but they don’t fall down. 

Do you want success in your life?

I always strive for true happiness all the time and in all things, regardless of my circumstances. In this, I have already attained true, sustainable, success in life. Everything else is simply learning or attaining another goal, both of which I will already be truly happy to do.

What are some real-world examples of people acting morally?

Any truly “good” acts performed selflessly, are real-world examples of moral behavior.

Will the consequence still be good for a person's life if a factor affecting one's decision and action is good or bad?

So, if a person commits suicide, which is bad, brings to the market their very posh apartment that you are ready to jump on, is that bad that you take advantage of their suicide? No. They did something that brought the apartment to the market. What they did, committing suicide, should be no concern to anyone but those who know them.

However, if the factor affecting your decision is as bad as your decision, you should already be aware of this. If someone drops a wad of money from a bag, and you pick it up and keep it, this is wrong. Bad is bad, and we know when our conscience is going to haunt us. That might be their entire life savings that you decide to keep but never earned. It will be better for us to step aside, no matter the “benefit” to us. Nothing is worth bad karma.

“When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action. When you desire a consequence you had damned well better take the action that would create it.”

-- Lois McMaster Bujold

How is a person free to decide and act according to what he/she wants, but is answerable to or responsible for the consequences of his/her decision and action?

If freedom is simply handed out but is not truly earned, there is no respect for it. You freely earn your freedom by understanding you are responsible for the freedom you have and the consequences of the freedoms you choose to exercise. Freedom is choosing to be responsible for your actions.

Are some people more prone to blaming than others?

Ownership is rare. People love to point out the guilty or shift the blame from themselves.

What do you do if you're totally sick of working for money? It's not laziness, I just don't want to keep doing the same thing all my life.

Don’t work for money. Work for free. There are plenty of charities out there that can use your selfless help. But, regardless, if you can’t support yourself working for free, you’ll probably become very familiar with these charitable organizations. Good luck!

Should your morals change with situational ethics?

Truly “good” morals, like “good” ethics, are what they are. How do you change what is already truly good? 

What has been your biggest lesson this past year?

I have learned not to bother answering comments from the League of the Perpetually Offended. They are basically hateful people that have no concept of grammar, spelling, paragraphing, or command of the language. They tend to cuss a lot. I find it concerning that they seem to only comment on answers, but seem to dislike answering the questions themselves. It’s like they know some other perpetually offended person will jump all over their answer. They are a sad lot. I prefer not reading their fifty lines of hate and, in this way, they have totally wasted their time and misplaced effort.

“If you're insulting people on the internet, you must be ugly on the inside.”

-- Phil Lester

What are the good and bad things in Texas?

Yellow roses, and Joe Biden (unless you live in Austin).

Many consider video games a waste of time. At the same time, for many people, a hobby is not a waste of time. Games are quite a hobby. So who is right? If I play, do I waste my time or spend it on my hobby?

A “hobby” shouldn’t occupy your entire day. If it does, you should be getting paid for it. A hobby is something you have to occupy your “spare” or “leisure” time. If your spare time occupies your day, you really need to find a “life” with more purpose.

Where does one draw the line between self-confidence and narcissism?

Conceit.

Which is the most important quality to have in life: bodily health, wealth, wisdom, or intelligence, and why?

Wisdom to keep your bodily health, without which you could probably not have truly happy wealth or intelligence because your focus would be on your failing bodily health.

What are the things that people in their 20s should start doing that their 50-year-old self will thank them for?

Sex. There is a shelflife one needs to be aware of.

"Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place."

-- Billy Crystal

How do you differentiate the virtues of Saint Thomas Aquinas from the virtue of Aristotle? What are their views toward achieving a moral life?

Saint Thomas, like most Christians, based morality on “Christian” values, whereas Aristotle approached the same virtues from a secular view.

What exactly is friction, and how do we effectively control it to our benefit?

Resistance (friction) is controlled with lubricant.

Why do you think being arrogantly morally superior over people from the past is bad? People who say that are also arrogant and condescending and I feel that they want to force me to "have compassion" for people who would treat me unpleasantly badly.

Your comment notwithstanding, the whole point of arrogance is bad, especially if you condescendingly think you are superior. Having compassion for those who lack good sense is not a bad thing, but it doesn’t mean you have to kiss their ass, just have some understanding that they are, in fact, an ass.

Does having a good or bad destiny make a difference in one’s life?

That is what one’s life will determine. I think this is backward.

Why do some people believe in omnipresence?

Yes, “theists” in particular. An “omnipotent” being would, by definition, also be omnipresent.

“Conscious minds can, at the most, comprehend that the whole idea of a 'God' is his superiority, his omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience; and therefore, at the least, desire him, someone far greater than themselves.”

-- Criss Jami

Is it true that people see you the way you see yourself?

Not always. I have an asshole following me, on this site, who seems to think I actually take the time to read his opinion of me. I see myself through the lens of almost 70 years of life. I could be wrong, but I hope I’m right. Nobody can be right all the time, but at least I take the time to answer people who ask my opinion. If people disagree, there is always an opportunity for them to write their own opinion, if they were asked. Busting my balls over an opinion is a sad definition of disagreement.

I see myself as fallible, and this is human.

How do I find out what I personally like when I feel like all my interests and preferences have always been based on my friends/role models, and never what I truly enjoy?

Start living your own life. This is how you find what you truly enjoy.

What do you think about responsibility versus blame?

Blame is judgment. Judgment by those not trained to judge is usually misplaced, and so goes the blame. Better that people own their responsibility. We all need to own what we do, say, or think, and stop trying to shift the “responsibility” onto others.

What if an overbearing mother despises the feelings of weakness and vulnerability of her child? How to deal with it?

This is not the act of a caring mother, to despise a child's feelings. The child needs to find who they want to be. The mother simply foments confusion.

Is college worth the effort for ages 45 to 50?

Knowledge, and learning that knowledge, is always worth the effort. While in the military, I took advantage several times to take classes in geography, astronomy, and religion, as well as supervisory and management courses that helped forward my career. It is never too late to learn. What you learn here you take into the next life, whether you are aware of it or not.

“You are never too old to learn something new, or too young to learn too much.”

-- Suzy Kassem

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