Questioning Virtue, Need, Love, Learning, Nazis, and Talent

“Some teachers only teach us and go but some teachers teach us and they leave indelible footprints which continue to teach us forever! Great teachers live and leave distinctive footprints. Great teachers, though they go, their footprints forever live in our minds and inspire the body and the soul in a distinctive way !”

-- Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

How does one become a “broken” person?

Marry someone who puts you through hell for a quarter of a century. Yeah, that’ll break you.

Who thinks it's okay to call someone nothing or worthless, but then show them how to be worth something or teach them a skill or trade? Who also agrees one of the ways to be confident is to be good at something?

Confidence is usually attained by being good at something. However, no one is worthless and, since they aren’t worthless, they are something else. Selfless is the person who will teach them a skill or a trade because it is the right thing to do, not because they have judged them.

What advice would you give to a 20-year-old who feels lost in life?

When you’re 25 and still lost, we’ll talk. Until then, join the military.

How can quotes be used as a source of reflection and self-discovery?

If they are pertinent to reflection or self-discovery, they become a source. If they aren’t, they are just another quote. I use quotes all the time to drive home a point.

Why do people who know they don't possess the virtue of patience, still sign up to be teachers?

They are gluttons for punishment, or they thrive on being pissed off. Basically, the same thing, unless they are submissive and looking to be spanked, in which case… they'll soon learn to be patient.

“Ancient philosophers and spiritual teachers were explorers. They wanted us to be as well. They thought we should understand this physical world, but not get stuck here. For thousands of years we have shared their insights, over-analyzed and repeated their words; quoting and re-translating until all meaning has been lost. These great minds, great souls, great beings sought to be jumping off points, not merely the originators of emptied-out and desiccated clichés. They wanted to be doorways, not doorstops.”

-- Edward Fahey

How can I fill an expanding need for myself and others?

Are you assuming others want you to mess with their needs? Fill your needs and see who takes notice. If you know the need, which you must because it is expanding, then it should be pretty obvious how to fill it.

Why do I find it difficult to do things outside of my role voluntarily?

Are you a Marine?

Is it better to be taught what to think or not taught anything at all?

It is better to be taught how to think. It is up to the individual to decide what they think. People who allow themselves to be taught what to think are pretty weak-minded.

Why is saying "no" sometimes good?

When the child is going to touch a hot oven, "no" will prevent a burn.

To what extent can we accept that a person's free will can overwrite objective reality?

If they can choose to overwrite objective reality for themselves, whether we accept it is a moot point.

“Ever since the Cognitive Revolution, Sapiens have thus been living in a dual reality. On the one hand, the objective reality of rivers, trees, and lions; and on the other hand, the imagined reality of gods, nations and corporations. As time went by, the imagined reality became ever more powerful, so that today the very survival of rivers, trees, and lions depends on the grace of imagined entities such as the United States and Google.”

-- Yuval Noah Harari

Thirty years from now would you rather be sitting on a hill overlooking a dead planet saying, "I told you so." or saying, "I wish I had listened."?

In 30 years I’ll be 100 years old. No one ever listens to the voice of reason, so it makes better sense to smile, shake your head slowly, and say you told them so… the dumbasses. 

Would you consider it rude or inappropriate to expect someone to affirm or acknowledge something about you that is not true?

They are making a judgment about something they know nothing about. It is both rude and inappropriate, and I would call them down for it. Put up or shut up, let’s see your proof, putz.

Why can't I stop comparing myself to others? I do know that I will never be good-looking enough.

Good-looking has never been the issue. Having a great personality will make up for what to lack in looks. Been there and done that, again, again, and again. I am no Adonis.

What is the rationale behind love?

Love is rational? News to me.

How can attitude affect communication?

Better to keep attitude out of communication, unless it’s a good attitude. If it’s a bad attitude, the receivers will simply shut down.

“Don't waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.”

-- Paulo Coelho

What can I do if I get so overwhelmed in class it genuinely makes me unable to learn? Every class I'm in is very rowdy and I have bad sensory issues. It causes me to get extremely mad or sad and gets to the point where I start freaking out. Please help.

Work this out with the instructor. They’d probably love the fact that you actually want to learn.

What do you do to let go of mistakes you did in the past which caused a negative reaction from someone?

Apologize, make it right, learn from it, or do all three.

The U.S. isn't in the Commonwealth. Which country in the commonwealth has the most job opportunities?

If you asked most university students in the U.S. they would say we are. Thank you for clarifying it for them.

What precludes people born with few choices from making better ones?

The people around them, and a weak mind. If you have few choices, make them count. Some people think they have no choices and don’t realize they do. You always have a choice, so make it a better one.

If you don't work hard, you don't make money. Why does working feel like suffering for me now? Should I go on benefits?

How about you not be known as a quitter and actually find a job you enjoy?

“This is the real secret of life -- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”

-- Alan Watts

Why don't we put down special needs people at birth I mean would you want to be paralyzed or brain dead doesn't it sound more moral to put them down?

Note to my readers: I didn't answer this. I reported it as hate speech.  The Nazi swastika used as their emblem said it all for me. Unfortunately, I can see that some people need to be put down at birth, but how do we know they will grow up to ask these questions? Just saying.

Do nice people cheat?

Hell yes! And they seem nicer for their effort. We are talking about relationships, right? 

How do people know what I am going to do before I do it?

You can’t keep a secret. If you watch people long enough you can see their “tells” that give away what they’re thinking. A hand twitch, eye movement, posturing, facial expressions, etc. As much as they might want, they just have a hard time keeping a secret.

What is the proof that actions speak louder than words?

Boxing champions. You can talk all the smack you want, but you’ll have to back it up in the ring. Champions do that… until they don’t.

I have been an excellent student all my life. Last year, I graduated with a finance degree, but due to some circumstances, I am now working as a travel agent in my town. Why do I feel like a failure?

Circumstances change. My son graduated from USC with a degree in Urban Environmental Science. He got a job right out of college with Verizon as a contractor for fiber optics making 6 figures. Who knew? Graduating tells everyone hiring that you have what it takes, or it did back in 2000. Nowadays, who knows, with all the indoctrination going on. Everyone graduates as a socialist. Is that a skill?

“You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won't happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.”

-- Joel Osteen

What is the difference between an activity and a task?

Tasks are requirements within an activity that must be done in order to complete the activity.

How do I not be overwhelmed by people better than me whenever I try to attain a talent?

Are you trying to attain a talent, or are you in competition? If your desire is to attain a talent, those better than you are a source of instruction, not competition. People with a knack for talent should be happy to help out those who struggle. But, attain the talent for you, not for them, and whether they are better, or not, is of little consequence.

What is the key to success, honesty or deceitfulness?

Desire is a key. You have to desire to open the door to anything, good or bad. Which door you desire to open can make or break you.

What do you think about this quote: “when you had climbed the highest peak, wrote the most inspired words, defeated the most dangerous dragon, then set a point” (Yeshúa)?

It is incomplete.

Can a person value and greatly believe in fairness and try his or her best to be fair with others, and with each individual, without also being highly kind and compassionate?

Yes, but they must be selfless in their desire or they are fooling themselves by not being truly kind and compassionate.

“Teach all men to fish, but first teach all men to be fair. Take less, give more. Give more of yourself, take less from the world. Nobody owes you anything, you owe the world everything.”

-- 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