Questioning Stupidity, Weakness, Evil, Preparation, and More Better

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

-- Ernest Hemingway

Why is it hard to improve yourself?

If you truly want to improve yourself it isn’t hard at all. You run into issues when you unconsciously think you’re all that and need no improvement. Thinking you're all that is actually bullshit because we all are in need of some kind of improvement. No one is perfect. As a matter of fact, very few people are even excellent. Doctors still practice medicine after they graduate. This should tell all of us something about perfection.

What should people that are told to touch grass say if they legitimately have a rare phobia of grass?

No.

Is it depressing that most of our actions are influenced by emotions?

Not really. I say this because I’ve never considered it, which should tell people how non-depressing it is to me. If my actions aren’t influenced by emotions, they’ll be influenced by something else. Who really cares?

Who is more likely to be financially successful, the empath or the narcissist?

Either one, but the empath will be happier, and more honest, in what they attain.

I'm 26 years old and have failed miserably in life, especially in my career. I keep changing jobs. I might continue failing. What can I do to fix this?

Failure is simply life presenting you with an opportunity to learn. Have you learned anything from your failures, other than you’ve failed? It isn’t that you fail. it’s about what you do with the failure to mitigate future failure. You seemed to have missed this, but, then, we don’t teach our children how to learn from failure. Failure, although it is the best way for us to learn, has been frowned upon by almost everyone.

If you want to fix it, ask yourself “why” you failed. Critique the failure, learn from it, and do the task again and again, until you attain the goal. If you fall off a horse, why do you get on a bike? What about the horse? You fall off the bike and you go shopping for a skateboard. Where does it end? Meanwhile, the horse is enjoying another owner. Learn from your failure and persevere. Everyone fails, but they get back up and keep on keeping on. Try that.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

-- Winston S. Churchill

How can we make contributions to the response to challenges brought about by human actions?

Get involved.

Why are some people too weak to bring up their own ideas and depend on other ideas?

You’ve kind of answered this. Because they have weak personalities. This was never an issue for me. My problem was an inability to shut up. The military changed all that, however.

What defines your success and achievements?

My true happiness in life.

How do so many people, whole societies, treat overcoming miseries and adversities as weakness and foolishness?

This explains much about wars and dictators. We learn nothing from history, and history tries to tell us that misery and adversity, weakness and foolishness, are flashing, red warning signs we need to pay attention to. “Misery and adversity” is an opportunity to learn from our “weakness and foolishness” so we don’t get conquered by some dictator with some “new world order” they’d like to try out on us.

The United States is learning this as we speak. We are going through misery and adversity due to weakness and foolishness brought on us by people with their heads up their asses. The plus is that we’ve been down this road before, and know how to remedy the situation. Voters tend not to listen very well. Offer them a free cell phone and they lose their fragile minds.

 What is the most indulging form of entertainment escapism?

A “red light” district.

“Closing your eyes isn't going to change anything. Nothing's going to disappear just because you can't see what's going on. In fact, things will even be worse the next time you open your eyes. That's the kind of world we live in. Keep your eyes wide open. Only a coward closes his eyes. Closing your eyes and plugging up your ears won't make time stand still.”

-- Haruki Murakami

How can we make people interested in the kinds of questions that we ask?

Ask interesting questions. Is this another “trick” question?

What does it mean if I'm aware that I can do bad things again that will hurt other people? Does it mean I'm evil?

You said “again” which indicates you might be a repeat offender. This would make me say yes, if you constantly “hurt” people and you are aware that you can do it, it points to the fact that you are probably a bad person. My recommendation is that you stop hurting people. It serves no purpose but to stroke some agenda that makes you feel better and makes people not like this you. Better if you be kind to people. Try being a better person.

Do you ever answer a question favorably, or with which you agree?

All the time. It’s nice to know you’re not alone in your thinking.

Assuming this takes place in NYC... if you are running from the police and you manage to get inside a subway, what should you do? Get off at the next stop, keep riding, etc., and how will you escape from the police?

If I understand NYC, getting inside the subway has put your life in danger. You’re better off surrendering to the police and letting the worthless DA let you off without bail.

Assuming that there are 200 million people like you in the world and the sum of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Bill Gates's net worth is 366 billion USD, why do they abuse you and don't divide 366 billion USD among you 200 million people?

Because they earned it and I didn’t. Why should they give their billions to slackers who didn’t work for it? By the way, they don’t abuse me. I could give one shit about them. I’ve always been too busy to give them much thought. If there were 200 million people like me in the world, there would be 200 million people who could give one rat’s ass about them and their money. Instead of looking for a handout, maybe it would be better if we were looking for a hand-up.

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the people discover they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that democracy always collapses over a loose fiscal policy--to be followed by a dictatorship.”

-- Alexander Fraser Tytler Woodhouselee

What is a synonym for sympathy that implies understanding and comprehension of what someone is going through, but not necessarily sorrows?

Empathy.

How do you know if you make the right choice when it can lead to serious consequences (ex: study, jobs, place to live)?

It either works out or it doesn’t. If it works out, you’ve made the right choice, if it doesn’t, not so much. You really don’t know until you make the choice. 

How do I prepare for a monologue in 2 minutes? I'm participating in an English language contest for school and one of the tasks is a monologue. We will be given a proverb and we have to speak about the meaning, my ideas, and experiences for 3 minutes.

You had better know your subject proverb, or you’re screwed.

Why are employees not satisfied despite their salaries?

A salary has a small bearing on job satisfaction. It won’t, necessarily, make you happier to be at a shit job. If you aren’t happy at your work, money won’t really make it better. 

Life without competition is boring. Why do people believe that some hidden group of people controls everything in the whole world? What kind of motivation must they have?

Conspiracy theory, for some people, and the need for control. for those who control.

“Man is not, by nature, deserving of all that he wants. When we think that we are automatically entitled to something, that is when we start walking all over others to get it.”

-- Criss Jami

What should I have done?

It depends on what he was touching.

What is the biggest obstacle that is stopping you from living your dream life?

My ex-wife. I got rid of that obstacle after 25 years of marriage. I’ve been living my “dream life” for the past 20 years.

What are your honest perceptions of my appearance, be blunt?

Very pretty, with a small comfortable cushion. I hate bony hips.

What good influences would you receive from being a fan or follower? What good influences have you extended to others?

If they continued to be good, I would continue to be a fan or a follower. That it is alright for them to have a good personal code of ethics, as it defines who they are to those around them.

What do you know about the ability we have naturally this is wrong this is right but a lot of things in our life that we can't know by our own experiences how can we build a higher sense to see right from wrong?

How about some punctuation?

“A panda walks into a cafe. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

"Why?" asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife annual and tosses it over his shoulder.

"I'm a panda," he says, at the door. "Look it up."

The waiter turns to the relevant entry and, sure enough, finds an explanation.

Panda. Large black-and-white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots, and leaves.”

-- Lynne Truss

Does reading too many books make one intelligent enough to read people and situations accurately and help them gain a tactical mindset?

It depends on the books, and the purpose you read them. Pornography, for pornography’s sake, not so much. But, Donatien Alphonse François? Perhaps.

Do you think shamelessness and impetuousness are good qualities to possess in today's world? Why?

Not if you plan on getting ahead in your chosen field with any sense of good ethics.

Is it possible to genuinely comprehend and know another individual, or are we permanently divided by our own subjectivity?

One would hope we comprehend and know our significant other before we tie the knot. Many couples seem to forget this necessary knowledge, however. 

Can I get a debate in favor of "I'm worthless without brands"?

I don’t know. Can you?

Do successful people read (self-help) success literature?

Some find it useful, and some are brought up parented with great information about how to remain truly happy and attain their desired goals.

“Do not take extreme decisions after completing a self-help book. Take a deep breath. Think about it from every angle. If you want, brainstorm with your business partners and then decide.”

-- Pooja Agnihotri

How can life be more better?

Learning the rules of good grammar.

Is it okay to talk shit/gossip about people? My friends do it all the time and think it’s normal/funny. They don’t see it as a big deal but I know it hurts others. When I speak up they say I’m too “nice”. Am I just the sensitive and naive one?

No, you’re the one with a good sense of ethics. Maybe you should find a better set of “friends” to hang with.

When is it appropriate to lie and when is honesty more important?

This is easy! It is never appropriate to lie, and honesty is paramount.

Can people be too good at something? What are the consequences of being too good at something, especially if people don't know how you did it because they think your way is wrong or cheating?

People can be too good at something. We typically call them “masters” of their craft, as a consequence of them being so damned good. If the person is not “wrong or cheating” then a true “master” can ignore the blatant ignorance of a dumbass judging their ability.

What does it mean if you’re highly motivated and ambitious?

I’m probably going places, like up. It means I won’t be stuck where I’m at for very long.

“It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.”

-- Roy T. Bennett

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