Questioning Laughter, Weakness, Values, Humility, and Age

 

“People say satire is dead. It's not dead; it's alive and living in the White House.”

-- Robin Williams

What makes you laugh the most?

Robin Williams. He will be missed.

Is it normal to start seeing the world as a very dark place when you become an adult?

Yes, unless you feed off the darkness. French philosopher, Donatien Alphonse François states that you appreciate pleasure through the knowledge of pain, and I’d have to agree. A priest who has never been married should never give marital advice. You don’t truly understand something without experiencing it. For everything, there is an opposite, but, there must also be balance in the universe. Too much darkness will make you afraid to move. Too much of anything is not good.

What did you want to be when you were small?

A soldier. When I grew up, I joined the Air Force and served for 23 years.

Is having an attitude of “The best is never good enough, we can do better” a good thing or does it foster a negative ethos where you will never be satisfied with the end result?

And you shouldn’t ever be truly satisfied. One should always strive for excellence. I learned this in the military. You can be satisfied when the mission is completed and everyone comes back alive. You can be "satisfied" when people realize it could have been better. It is the reason for having After Action Reports.  After all, if you learn nothing from what you do, what is the point? Perfection does not exist. You can only strive for excellence always and in all things.

What are some arguments in favor of Bribery?

Any arguments in favor of selling the soul, fall flat.

“The western world is a dishonest society of non-disclosure agreements, cash for silence, and the illegal removal of civil rights from those in the know.”

-- Steven Magee

Do people inspire you or drain you?

Most people inspire me. I try not to hang with people who “drain” me... unless I pay them.

Is it true that you’ll never recover from showing weakness? If it’s not true, then how does someone recover if everyone now sees them as weak?

If you show weakness and then show strength, it makes them think there might have been a reason for the weakness. If you’re always weak, you may never recover. I like to keep people guessing. I just really don’t care what they think. People, at the base level, are usually pretty dense.

As a patient, what happens if I hurt myself at a mental health hospital?

A padded cell, sedation, or a straightjacket, comes to mind.

Why can't some people accept others' success immediately?

People can be full of themselves. It’s nice to have some evidence that they have attained their goal prior to popping the champagne cork. I’d hate to pay for drinks just to find out the person is full of shit. A hot car simply means you’re in debt and a hot babe only means you’re spending what you don’t necessarily have. “The proof is in the pudding” so to speak. Serve it up. 

Is it easy for you to find people who have similar thinking as yours?

In the “Deep South”? Of course. It is deep, after all.

“...when like-minded people get together, they often end up thinking a more extreme version of what they thought before they started to talk to one another.”

-- Cass R. Sunstein

What if I don’t agree with what somebody thinks?

They might be full of shit. Nothing says you have to agree with blatant bullshit. You should always take a moment to consider their opinion. Opinions are like sphincters, everybody has one, and they usually stink. Take a moment, or two, to consider what they think. It will probably prevent you from opening your own pie hole and being the second jackass braying.

What's a good answer to a question?

Honesty. An honest answer is always the best answer. It may not be the right answer, but it will be an honest and, hopefully, an ethical one.

What is "responsibility" as a core value?

Good core values are morally good ethical decisions. It is the responsibility of all morally good and ethical people to make morally good ethical decisions.

What is the point of writing responsibly as a core value?

Writing responsibly is a morally good ethical decision. It shows that you stand by your code of ethics and will not surrender your ethics for someones else’s bullshit reasoning. It defines who you are to those around you.

How do you write "responsibility" as a core value?

You write honestly. You write the facts and base your opinions on the facts. To do anything else is morally and ethically corrupt. Most of the news media are morally corrupt in their reporting. Their facts are dicey and they tend to lean their support toward the political left, whether the left is right, or wrong. Weak-minded people tend to believe what the media reports, which is why most media score low on viewership. Responsibility as a core value is a rare commodity, especially among those we expect it from.

“Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.”

-- Sigmund Freud

If the majority of the people in this world are indifferent to the suffering of others, would it make sense to follow in their footsteps and behave the exact same way as them?

Lemmings following each other off the edge of a cliff. Better we think contrary to the “herd” mentality and selflessly find ways to make life better for those who struggle and suffer. If they are satisfied with their lot, so be it. But, if they truly struggle to better themselves, why not give them a helping hand up? Don’t simply give them a fish for a meal. Teach them to fish, so they can feed themselves always.

Does the knowledge of the past bring both a feeling of humility and a sense of accomplishment? Why?

Yes, because I have accomplished most of what I wanted, and I did most of it as a humble person, my marriage notwithstanding.

 As you go about your day, there is what happens next, a phenomenon governed by the interactive transactional feedback loop. For the audience, how do you perceive the interactive transactional feedback loop at work in your life?

Cause and effect. This, because of that. I make choices and decisions that drive my destiny in this reality toward its ultimate conclusion. Things happen to me because I put myself in a position for them to have an effect. Nothing is luck or coincidence. Everything happens to a person for a reason, and the reason is usually a choice or decision they have made.

How do I make a narcissist respect me?

Good luck.

Why is it that some people are not content with what they have?

They are not truly happy. True happiness has little to do with having material things, One must strive to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of one’s circumstances. Rich, or poor, one must find true happiness in life. True happiness comes from understanding that we are here to learn, and life presents many opportunities in the form of problems for us to solve, so we can learn and excel as we continue down our chosen path and into the next existence.

“He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”

-- Socrates

Who said, “I will be with you always”?

Jesus Christ.

At what age did you realize you were getting old?

Around 65, I looked forward to 90 and realized life was rushing past me at an increasing rate of speed. I think your age is congruent with a speedometer. Each year you speed up toward your ultimate destiny.

Why do I notice when I'm happier, I make more friends?

People hate to hang with misery, yet most people want them to.

When someone is paid 1,000 times more per hour than another individual with a similar effort, is that a form of religion that justifies the difference?

The religion of “Inequity” justifies it. 

Are humans supposed to be wild?

That depends on how big the bed is.

“There is nothing prettier in the whole wide world than a girl in love with every breath she takes.”

-- Atticus

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 view 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