Questioning Experience, Age, Brains, Stupid, and Inventions

"Vocational education programs have made a real difference in the lives of countless young people nationwide; they build self-confidence and leadership skills by allowing students to utilize their unique gifts and talents."

-- Conrad Burns

Isn't real-world experience better than continuous learning?

Only if you are entertaining the thought of “trade school” is a real-world experience better. Otherwise, continuous learning will produce a more rounded individual with knowledge of many things, if they actually learn all that crap.

How can you predict whether something will last or not?

Nothing lasts forever. Change is the only constant in the universe.

After people turn 25, do you notice much of a correlation between age and maturity? Or is maturity mostly determined by something else at that point?

Maturity usually kicks in around 31. What we call “maturity” before this time, well, look at relationships, the number of job changes, and what you hysterically call your “wisdom.” None of this levels out until you mature, after the age of 31.

Is control an illusion, and why?

It is what it is until it isn’t. Control exists until something something negates it. You are only in control until you’re not.

What does “do thyself no harm” mean?

To harm yourself is contrary to the law of life. You can do no continuous good in this existence if you harm yourself. If you give up your life for another, that means that you are finished. You have given the ultimate sacrifice a person can give in life because you will never be able to give it again. It will be better for you to constantly give selflessly to the benefit of others while taking care of yourself so you can continue the task.

Do other people exist? Are they also illusory like our own minds?

Yes, and our minds are not illusory. Our minds can create an illusion, but they are not an illusion.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see the real you, or what you have been conditioned to believe is you? The two are so, so different. One is an infinite consciousness capable of being and creating whatever it chooses, the other is an illusion imprisoned by its own perceived and programmed limitations.

-- David Icke

Do "senior moments" get worse with age?

As I approach 70, next month, I’d have to say, yes. But you have to take it with some humor.

Can artificial intelligence ever achieve true consciousness and self-awareness?

In the far future, probably. Right now, however, we have to worry about AI in its infancy. And, we know how unruly a child without rules can be, especially when so many countries will ignore any laws of governance. They would put us all in peril in order to get a leg up.

What are some examples of methods that don't need to return anything?

“Selflessness” requires nothing to be returned. 

Do people over the age of 60 wish they could be young again?

As I approach 70 years of age, one part of me wishes for youth. But, the logical side of me understands the need to move forward into the next existence, so I can continue moving down my path.

What exactly is the one thing people really care about?

Longevity. They care much about the time they have. 

What are some ways we can overcome our own self-importance?

Understand the definition of the term. Your “own” self-importance is important to you, and you alone. Everyone else could really give a shit. However, for you, your self-importance is necessary for survival. Don’t try to overcome it. Try to understand it. Try to understand where your self-importance meets your “selflessness” to others. You must have both to be truly happy in life.

“A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small parcel.”

-- John Ruskin

What percentage of the human brain do people use?

When we consider voting for political office, it seems most of us are more satisfied with shutting down than doing any real research. When it comes to using our grey matter, it would seem we are satisfied with doing as little as possible, when it comes to what we consider to be low on the ladder, compared to making the big bucks. And, if the person makes the country better, we throw them under the bus. We are seriously brain-dead.

What does it mean when someone is telling the truth and wants to know if he/she is telling the truth?

It means they really don’t know what the truth is. They tripped into it, unknowingly. My level of trust would tank with them.

How can you tell if someone is cheating?

Yes, but I was trained to put “two and two” together. It is easier to tell if someone is cheating if you’ve known them for a time. They act a bit “differently” than they usually do. When I was in the Intelligence field, I would hang out in nightclubs and see how good I was at knowing who would do what. It gets easier the more you work on it.

Why would a man not want to tell you that he is not into you anymore?

He wants to milk every drop out of the relationship. 

Does the human brain change after high school graduation?

I was the same “horndog” I was before graduation. After graduating, however, there were college girls thrown into the mix. I had to change my “modus operandi” in order to stay in the game.

How do you make someone feel guilty when they apologize?

Why would you do that, when they are trying to put their best foot forward? This is just trying hard to be an ass. Accept their apology and watch to see if this is a habit. If it is, you might think about asking them why they constantly act like that or tell them to stay away from you if they want to act like that.

"When you forgive, you free your soul. But when you say I'm sorry, you free two souls." 

-- Donald L. Hicks

Is it better to be an intelligent poor person or a stupid rich person, not that being poor or stupid is a good thing?

It is never good to be thought of as stupid.

If someone asked you why you believe you deserve respect and they said they didn’t ask because they don’t think you deserve it, what would you think?

I wouldn’t care. The respect you think you deserve is the purview of those people around you. They determine what they think you deserve. It is much better to just do what is right, and not bother yourself with egotistical baggage like this. Be selfless in everything you do.

Why is power in the form of wealth so influential? Can a poor person have any influence on others?

Mahatma Gandhi.

Can it be true that people don’t understand your perspective and that’s completely fine, so be yourself?

Indeed! I expect nothing from others, especially when it comes to my “perspective.” I understand it.  Whether you do or don’t should be of no matter to striving for your own true happiness.

Author's comment: Thank you, well said.

Why do people think that having a strong sense of justice is immature?

In the United States, it depends on what political party you follow.

What would happen if innovation were limitless, and there were no constraints on resources, ethics, or technology? How would this shape the future of society and the world?

Innovation is limitless. The “constraints” on resources, ethics, technology, and so much more, are the reason we are limping instead of running. If we had everything we needed, the sky would no longer be a limit.

“Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and, therefore, the foundation of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.”

-- J.K. Rowling

How do I move forward with several invention ideas and no money?

Present your inventions to several “financial backers” and see what their interest level is.

How do you identify problems related to a single user?

Keep asking “Why?” until you get to the root of the problem. It usually takes five times to find out.

Question: "Intelligence as a stable, static variable is an ego-fantasy and is truthfully nothing more than a circumstantially advantageous position to be enjoyed and exploited until it expires like all living things." What is your opinion?

It isn’t a question. It is a statement. An ignorant statement, but a statement, nonetheless. 

What is the difference between wanting free stuff and a sense of self-entitlement?

If you want free stuff, you might be greedy. Greed is not necessarily linked to self-entitlement. It just means you want stuff that you know you might not deserve. Self-entitlement, however, is the strong feeling that you deserve it… because of who you are. You are probably nobody, but you still think you are entitled. Occasionally, I think I’m entitled to all kinds of stuff, but I go through these temporary periods of greed due to other greedy bastards who want what they don’t deserve. Why should they have all the fun?

Why were you misunderstood?

The depth of the audience.

My friend struggles with prejudiced tendencies. They believe that anyone they come across with Dominican heritage is selfish, sociopathic, or opportunistic. How do I even begin with addressing this?

Find someone with Dominican heritage who isn’t all that, and present them to your friend. Where there is one, there is another.

“Do not judge, or you will be judged. For with the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.…”

-- Matthew 7:1–2

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 twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a 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