Questioning Mysteries, Reflections, Failure, and Lying

“The reason why there are so many bad people in the world is very simple: It's easy to be a bad person, it's hard to be a good person!”

-- Mehmet Murat ildan

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Well, this stands out as a record, for me.  My answers had 21,233 views in the past week.  One of my answers was featured in over 10,000 digests on the site, which will account for the jump.  I can't wait to see how well it does over the next week.  I have added the answer, below, for those who are interested:

How do you handle a person who's loudly speaking on their phone when you’re trying to enjoy your dinner in a restaurant?

People who do this are either clueless or just assholes. I usually figure they’re assholes. Pick up your plate and go sit with them. When they ask what you’re doing, tell them in an equally loud voice, “I figured, if I have to listen to your conversation during my meal, I might as well join you so you don't have to talk so loudly. Please, continue. I’m sure everyone else in the restaurant is equally as interested in your bullshit conversation as I am. Or, tell the people you're talking to that you'll call them back, as all of us are in the middle of a nice, quiet, dinner."

They will call you names, so be prepared to smile, and tell them that you expected nothing less from them.

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Should good people be liked by 50% of the world for eternity?

Good people should be liked, simply for being good. If people don’t like them, that’s their problem. I’m sure the good person is too busy doing good selflessly to really care if people like them. Because they do what they do selflessly, whether they are remembered should be of no consequence to them, as they have lived a giving and selfless life. This kind of life is something we should all strive to attain.

At 20, should I do more [on this site]?

At 20, you should be living more life.

What are the steps in successful meal planning?

As a Sicilian who loves to cook, I’ve learned to make all the dishes one day ahead. This gives the flavors time to infuse into the food, and any “pepper” a chance to mellow out. I serve everything lukewarm, so people can taste the flavors. I make simple dishes that everyone can try at home. I reheat the at 170 degrees so they can stay warm in the oven until served, which gives time for cocktails. And, I serve what people know, so they can judge how well I knocked the ball out of the park. 

Why do we love trying to solve a good mystery?

Those of us who do, love to exercise the part of our brain that always asks, “Why?”

What year did you graduate from college? What is your current job? How many years have you been at your job? What were your experiences while taking a psychology course? How did the psychology courses benefit you in your current career?

1972 was my last year of college. No "Associate's Degree" for me. I didn’t graduate. I was drafted into military service toward the end of the Vietnam “Police Action.” I majored in psychology, which garnered me a position in Air Force Intelligence. I never finished college, but I made a career in the military for almost 23 years. Truth be known, my military experiences in psychology served me well when I started my second career as a Corporate Liaison and as Manager of Projects and Standards for the premier Institutional Review Board in the United States, if not the world. 

"Since we replaced the compulsory military draft with an all-volunteer force in 1973, our nation has been making decisions about wars without worry over who fights them. I sincerely believe that reinstating the draft would compel the American public to have a stake in the wars we fight as a nation."

-- Charles B. Rangel

How important is your self-image?

It is what it is until it isn’t, and then, it is what it is again.

What are some things that annoy you when people say about your country?

People who find fault with the United States don’t understand the ever-changing concept. We learn, we change, and we grow. I pay so little attention to socialist ignorance. They need to ask themselves why millions of people are flocking over our “non-border” due to a minor mistake that caused political incompetence.

What is a quick reflection about not comparing yourself to others?

You are not them.

Is there a reason why people go to the beach in minimal clothing?

Less they have to dry? A desire to show off what they think they have? Make people that care, jealous? Make people thank care, lose their appetite? There are many reasons.

Is it possible that thinking or talking about someone makes them come to you or think about you, as well, because, oftentimes, it happens that someone I didn't think about for a very long time, I see them the next day, they text me, or I see them somewhere?

Could this be a case of Déjà vu?

“Déjà vu is simply remembrance of the future.”

-- Wayne Gerard Trotman

How do school teachers treat students who are on the verge of failing?

They should praise them for not reporting them to the school board for failing to teach. 

How do I tell my mom that I failed my final? She gets super angry about half a mark and I got 18.5/20.

How does 18.5/20, or 92.5%, equate to failure? My mom would have been dancing a jig. Tell her you were only 1.5 from a perfect score. Probably better than most nuclear physicists, which should scare the crap out of most of us. If she gets upset over ‘half a mark’, round it up and make it an even 2. If she screams, tell her you rounded it up because you knew how upset she gets over a pissy little half a mark. 

Why do you fail to take action?

The son of a gun is bigger than me. I can’t kick that high.

I accidentally wish for everything horrible to happen to me. What do I do? I'm scared.

How do you “accidentally” wish for this? All you have to do is “purposely” recant the previous wish, and tell karma you’re willing to do penance in lieu of “everything horrible” you “accidentally” wished on yourself.

Why don't people in Europe have achievements?

They expect everybody to achieve. We hand out “participation” awards because we expect nothing.

“Today's world is flooded with participation trophies. In an attempt to promote equality, we have robbed our youth of the most growth-inducing aspect of competition, failing. If you want to be resurrected, you have to first be crucified. Everybody wants to be reborn, but no one is willing to die. Losing, in the context of whatever arena it may be, is a microcosmic death. When we learn from our failures and grow because of them, we are reborn.”

-- Chris Matakas

When is it okay to laugh at a child's misbehavior?

Never. It acts as positive reinforcement. The child will continue the "misbehavior" because it elicits a laugh.

How do you always have something to talk about?

I'm basically full of shit, or, so I’ve been told. 

How can I motivate a child to learn a new language?

Move to a foreign country, in a region where they don’t speak your native tongue. They’ll learn faster than you will.

Why do some people feel proud or get a kick out of doing bad things?

They are, essentially, bad people.

Can we call ourselves intellectuals if we only have knowledge of one subject?

Yes, because you are intellectually proficient in one area of study. Otherwise, you be intellectually diverse and proficient in many areas.

“Intellectuals are judged not by their morals, but by the quality of their ideas, which are rarely reducible to simple verdicts of truth or falsity, if only because banalities are by definition accurate.”

-- Perry Anderson

What is it called when you lie, knowing the other person will then know the truth?

Stupidity.

Do you feel that the present is conditioned by the past or, more specifically, past patterns of behavioral activity?

Yes. By and large, we learn from the past so we can make things better in the present for our children’s future. Or, that was what we were doing before the socialist “Woke” and “CRT” bullshit came along. Now we fight to keep a past history we can learn from, so we have a reasonable present, and an acceptable future that doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the past.

What causes a person to become whiny in the first place?

An audience.

Can you wish for a lot of people to have a dream?

You can wish for whatever you want to. It probably won’t come to fruition, but you can wish till your heart’s content. People dream, however, so if you wish and people dream, it probably has nothing to do with your wish. Just saying.

 What is a self-introspection of an intellectual person?

You have to ask an intellectual person since they do the self-introspection of themselves.

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

-- C.G. Jung

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