Questioning Thought, Intelligence, Revenge, Flies, and Mistakes

“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”

-- Mahatma Gandhi

How should you answer “What's on your mind?”?

Tell them what you’re thinking, or tell them it’s personal and none of their business.

Why can't the world just accept that since I only care about myself, only me & those who agreed with me are correct?

You, and those who agree with you, are correct only for yourselves, which seems to be where your focus is. You need no one else to care about you, so the rest of us can shift our “selfless” caring to those who are really in need of help.

Can an autistic person fit in or make friends in Germany?

Autism is not specific to a region, it is worldwide. I think you’ll find support wherever you go.

Does being rich contribute to a person's respect?

Only if you’re shallow. Everyone deserves respect… until they don’t. The deep end of the pool is populated with the abject poor, the filthy rich, and those in between. Unfortunately, being rich, like being poor, tends to harden people. They see only the negatives. But, we are here to help each other. We tend to forget moral and ethical behavior.

What are inappropriate uses of communication?

Hate speech, lying, profanity, and arguing, are inappropriate for me. Society, as a whole, determines the rules for appropriate communication.

“The goal of American English speakers appears to be to rob the mother tongue of direct meaning and replace it with needlessly-complex jargon.”

-- Stewart Stafford

Why are public people considered some of the world's most intelligent people?

Joe Biden, Schumer, Pelosi, and Shiff? I reserve judgment.

Have you ever been a good influence on someone?

I’ve just been thanked, again, by a young lady, for helping to make her the woman she is today. Her father has just passed, and she has appointed me her new father. I am humbled by her comments… and her love.

How do people meet a good life partner without physically meeting them before marriage?

Spend years talking on the phone, and, even then, you can’t guarantee it will work out.

What are some things that can make people look stupid in front of others? How can one avoid these things from happening?

Nipples that are poking through the blouse, walking around with your “fly” down, and toilet paper dangling from your britches, just to name a few. You can avoid looking stupid by paying attention. They make mirrors for a reason.

What does it mean when a guy plays games when he's mad at you?

He thinks you’re that stupid. It might be time to find a new guy.

“Somewhere between love and hate lies confusion, misunderstanding, and desperate hope.”

-- Shannon L. Alder

How do you get the best revenge on someone who ruined your life?

Two wrongs won’t make it right. Better to let karma handle one asshole. You don’t need to be the second.

Are there any bad ways to start a presentation?

Not being prepared.

What are some effective ways to stay motivated and achieve our goals?

Focus and perseverance. Put everything else aside and focus on the goal. Any problems are life’s way of seeing if you’re up to the challenge, so choose to be up to the challenge before ever taking the challenge on.

Why is a woman the root of all evil?

Someone has been reading the Old Testament, specifically Genesis. Something about a snake and an apple.

Will Xi successfully take advantage of Putin's weakness?

Xi is inscrutable, while Putin is just a Russian. Of course, he will.

“Vladimir Putin pledges no allegiance to the democratic articles of faith, but he does not explicitly renounce democracy. He disdains Western values while professing to identify with the West. He doesn’t care what the State Department puts in next year’s human rights report, because he has yet to pay a political price in his own country for the sins reported in prior years. He tells bald lies with a straight face, and when guilty of aggression, blames the victim. He has convinced many, apparently including the American president, that he is a master strategist, a man of strength and will. Confined to Russia, these facts would be sobering, but Putin, like Mussolini nine decades ago, is watched carefully in other regions by leaders who are tempted to follow in his footsteps. Some already are.”

-- Madeleine K. Albright

Why do some people not hit flies away and let them stay?

All life is sacred and has a purpose.

What are the laws of behavior?

Law One: To behave you have to be alive. “Law One” for misbehavior is essentially the same: To misbehave you have to be alive. All other laws follow behind these two.

Is it reasonable to believe what is not seen?

No. It is a matter of faith. But, faith is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof. Is it reasonable to have faith? Sure, and that faith breeds hope. Is it reasonable to have hope? Of course. I always hope that I roll the dice and win at the craps table. I have faith that my number will, sooner or later, show up. Is that reasonable? Yes, sooner or later.

What makes it hard for some people to understand that something can come from nothing?

I’m one of those people that believes “this because of that” bears out cause and effect. Everything comes from something.

What one action will you never do again?

Marriage. I wasted 25 years of my life to end up with nothing.

“It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.”

-- Friedrich Nietzsche

How do I stay positive after making mistakes in business?

Mistakes are nothing more than opportunities to learn. It isn’t about making a mistake, it is about what you do with the mistake that moves you forward. It is not difficult to stay positive when you are learning.

How can you convince a person who believes in true love that they're wrong?

They will have to buy into the bullshit, which would have to be incontrovertible. Incontrovertible bullshit? Good luck.

Why is it that every time I'm being nice, bubbly, sweet, and cheerful, someone ends up falling for me?

It is funny that we fall for nice, bubbly, sweet, and cheerful people. You’d think we simply fall for assholes. It must be that we’re hooked on nicer people.

Has someone told you something that still bothers you today?

Genesis, the Bible. The entire story of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, bothers me. 

Do you think love is really good?

Love is really good. True love is even better. Making “love” is stratospheric. But, losing love? Losing love is a mistake we make in falling in love with the wrong person. Make good choices.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

-- Martin Luther King Jr.

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