Questioning Memory, Friends, Sayings, and Forcing

 

“Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real.”

-- Cormac McCarthy

Why is it impossible to forget certain events or people? Can't we track the activity of certain neurons and just turn them off to create them again?

I think that was one purpose of a frontal lobotomy. You'd be a vegetable, but you won’t remember anything. 

How can individuals develop their leadership skills for a successful career?

I joined the military. They taught me everything I needed to know. 

How can individuals develop leadership skills in the workplace?

The military taught me supervision and management. The American Management Association told me, over the course of a week in San Francisco, that they did a fine job. 

I just found out that a person who I really respected for their hard work ethic has been using ChatGPT to do their work. I don’t know how to feel about this person?

Oh, I think you know. 

How do I not be paranoid about something scary I just learned?

Rise above it. We are all stronger than we think we are. Do nothing wrong and there is nothing to be paranoid about. We choose to be what we are, so don’t choose to be scared. Fear is a protection mechanism. Bravery should be the response.

“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” 

-- Franklin D. Roosevelt

What is the easiest way to get friends (in your 20s)?

The same way you got friends earlier in life, and the same way you’ll make friends later in life. Be selflessly friendly, respectful, and courteous, you know, all the things people in their 20’s have problems with. Everyone thinks the “20s” are so much different because everyone is trying to be something they’re not.

What does the Russian proverb “Обратиться в квакерство. Cейчас.” mean?

You don’t know?

What is the ethical dilemma of testing someone for deceit and false behavior?

As a member of military intelligence, I see no ethical dilemma. The problem with lying is that you can never believe them again.

Why is the average person on the street a blind follower and cannot think for themselves? Where is this follow-the-leader mentality derived from?

Faith in Joe Biden. Faith is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof.

How do I stop being a perfectionist and accept making mistakes?

There’s no such thing as a perfectionist. You can try to be excellent, however. Even, so-called, “perfectionists” make mistakes. They learn, and they usually learn by making mistakes. They just don’t talk about them. Mistakes and failures are the best ways we learn. We critique and try again until we get it right.

Try this on for size:

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

-- Thomas A. Edison

What does the saying "life is better before" mean?

Is life better now, under Joe Biden as President? Life was much better before.

How do you let go of the need for revenge when someone has put their hands on you and chastised you about it?

“Don’t ever put your hands on me again, and your opinion of people says more about your own sad frailties.” (weakness in character or morals)

How do you make yourself relax?

Meditation. I’ve used meditation for years.

How can we make good, wise, and rational choices in life with or without God's help?

God gave us all the tools we need to make good, wise, and rational choices in life. God doesn’t help you with anything more than moral support. You can lean on God, but God expects you to rise or fall on your own. If you fall, God expects you to pick yourself up, learn why you fell, and press forward with new knowledge.

Among love, respect, and honor, what comes first? What's more important?

Honor. Your honor should be the foundation for everything you do.

“Never throw the first punch. If you have to throw the second, try to make sure they don't get up for a third.”

-- Brandon Sanderson

Why do people say, "I've never been wrong before"?

Bullshit. They lie badly.

What causes someone to be mean-spirited and lacking in compassion?

Poor upbringing or life issues. They lacked good parenting or had problems in their history that turned them.

What are the 3 words better than, “I love you”?

If they are spoken truly, there are no better words to hear.

Why are Democrats liars about everything?

It is what they do. They exist because of the people who believe them. It is why socialism only works until it eats through everyone else’s money. You can’t build a government on this kind of shaky foundation.

Can a wife’s friend ruin a marriage?

That would depend on the wife or the husband falling prey to the friend’s advances.

“It will always be foolish to ask a cheater if they would ever cheat on you.”

-- Dennis Adonis

What can I do to stop cheating on my wife with other chicks?

Love your wife more than other women. You seem to have needs outside of your marriage, which bodes the question of why you ever got married in the first place.

What is the best comeback when someone calls you insecure for no reason?

“Tell me why you think so.”

How do I make her miss/love me?

You don’t. She either loves you or she doesn’t. Making her is building a relationship on a bad foundation.

What is a two-way rejection?

If you both reject each other, why did you ever get together?

How do I know if my husband still wants me?

He tells you, without being asked. He buys you flowers for no reason. His passion for you knows no bounds. Yadda, yadda, yadda… Mounting you is not really a sign of anything more than lust.

“Happy is the man who finds a true friend, and far happier is he who finds that true friend in his wife.”

-- Franz Schubert

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. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions 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 offered. After over twenty years of military intelligence, I believe that 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 United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

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 a weapon for his war on intolerance... he chose the pen. He 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 personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center. 

 Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com