Questioning Laziness, Respect, Mindset, and Trust

 

“Reality is what it is, and what it isn’t, it isn’t.

Sometimes, what it is it isn’t, and what it isn’t, well... it is.

Other times it's nothing, and then it's anything.

But, if it's nothing, it isn’t, and if it's anything, it is.

But, naming "nothing" makes nothing something;

Therefore, whether it is or it isn’t, it must be,

Because, even nothing that isn’t, already is.”

-- F.A. Villari

What if they were wrong…what if the best was not to come? What if they are just saying that to be nice?

Then, it is what it is until it isn’t. But, God bless their little hearts for being positive.

What makes it hard for people to feel one with nature?

Many people have no concept of a “nature” they’re supposed to feel one with. I took my son cross-country skiing, fishing, etc., so he would have a good concept of nature. He still enjoys the ocean, camping, and the like. If people aren’t given the opportunity to “feel one with nature” then they will probably never experience it.

What is more powerful when trying to change someone’s mind: facts or beliefs?

Facts, unless you’re up against the League of the Perpetually Offended, then it doesn’t really matter, because they will be offended no matter what.

How do you tell if a student is really paying attention?

Ask them a question about what you just taught. At the end of your presentation, hand out a short test concerning important points you covered. You might find that more than one student isn’t really paying attention. You might also find out your teaching technique really sucks.

Why do I work very hard to achieve my goal and I can't achieve it? After that, I become lazy.

Think about these for a while:

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

-- Thomas A. Edison

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

-- Winston S. Churchill

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

-- Winston S. Churchill

“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.”

-- Lance Armstrong

Is it important to respect our parents more than our partners?

I made a big mistake in marriage by not respecting my “wife” as much as my parents. I didn’t really know her, as well as I should have, in order to “respect” her. One needs to know their chosen “partner” before diving into the deep end. You might just find out the depth is deceptive.

Do people ever lie to you without telling the truth?

If they’re lying to me, they aren’t telling the truth. Did I miss the point?

Can you give some examples of people who have a goal in mind and nothing stops them from reaching it?

The Wright brothers, Robert H. Goddard, Wernher von Braun, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Alan Turing, etc., etc., etc. 

Why does my mother always get mad when I’m confident in myself?

Jealousy?

Does life begin where it ends? How can it be any other way?

It depends on what your “faith” says about it. Life after death? I have faith I have lived many times. I dreamt I was a water boy handing ladles of water from the back of a buckboard wagon to pony soldiers as they rode by. I woke up and could still smell the horses and the desert dust as if I were still there.

“After your death, you will be what you were before your birth.”

-- Arthur Schopenhauer

How do you change a person's mindset if they have too much money and think they can get away with anything?

Have them arrested (it will happen anyway, sooner or later).

What makes you happy besides money?

Money is simply a means to survival, to life. This life, however, makes me truly happy, regardless of my circumstances.

What are some tips for convincing someone not to spend too much money?

Explain the “eternal” concept of debt that they will never escape. 

What is a story that happened to you that you will never forget?

The story of my divorce. I remember negatives in my life more than positives. Remembering the negatives mitigates me from ever repeating the mistakes.

Why would a man posing as a grotesque highly sexualized woman want to be near children?

He’s either an ugly undercover cop, or he’s about to be arrested for abuse of a minor.

“The rape of a child is a violent act of contempt, not an expression of sexuality or affection.”

-- Mike Lew

Everyone, I trusted, lied to me, even my family. I feel like I lost everything. What should I do?

Stop trusting everyone. Not everyone deserves trust. Putting your trust in anyone but yourself is inviting disappointment.

How many percent is one second out of a 24-hour day?

1/311,040,000% is a shot in the dark. I hate math.

Why don't most people who want to make a difference not act on it?

Making a true difference takes an enormous amount of money or an enormous amount of time and effort. Most people are not willing to put out enough effort to find out which. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an anomaly.

Why do people seek forgiveness and not revenge?

Karma.

What are the benefits of pursuing a goal that can't be accomplished?

You will never be bored because you will occupy a lifetime. You will learn some new skills and knowledge, and you will be known as having perseverance in the face of total failure. What’s her name?

“In every possibility of a mind

May you travel, yet not blind.

As a head filled with imagination,

Goes a heart full of gold creation,

It's never late to have a dream.

Nor is it so far away as it seems,

And, like a rearview mirror reveals,

Thus a fantasy soon becomes real.

It may be closer than it appears.

Or at least it will show up clear.

Never give up a dream for fear!”

-- Ana Claudia Antunes

 

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