Questioning Studying, Answers, Problems, Friends, and Yourself

 

"Don't think too much. You'll create a problem that wasn't even there in the first place."

-- Unknown

 

Is it too much to study 12 hours a day?

Yes! You need some “me” time, and 12 hours of study doesn’t allow for it.

How do you face your problem?

Head on. You can put problems on the back burner and handle them later, or you can deal with them when they arrive. I like to handle them when they show up. You never know what will happen if you let a problem fester.

What is "expectation." Explain in your own words?

What I assume is going to happen.

Can you give me examples of how we can use this question, “What does that have to do with it”?

"This is because of that." With “cause and effect,” that, the cause, has much to do with this, the effect.

Why would a narcissist continue to obsess about an ex-partner who clearly wants nothing to do with them?

They need to be in charge. That a partner chose to be an “ex” probably confused them and pissed them off. The fact that the partner “clearly wants nothing to do with” them is silly. Doesn’t the partner know the narcissist is in charge?

How usually do you fill out your desires?

I find that asking the young lady, first, is the best tact. They usually get pissed if you don’t.

“To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves.”

-- Federico García Lorca

How can I answer this question succinctly, “You tell them the truth you sit down and you have a frank discussion with them and tell them”?

“Be frank, and honest.” You are telling them. It isn’t a discussion. Keep it short and, above all, be honest.

Did you adopt any of your parents personality traits ?

My mother’s “spirituality” trait.

If you are never wrong, how can we tell you when you are wrong?

Nobody is “never wrong” in reality. If they say they are never wrong, right off the bat they are wrong. People tend to be a legend in their own minds.

Why does my brain get overactive when I’m bored? For example, I start to imagine random scenarios, remember real events, or talk to myself.

Because your brain doesn’t want to be bored. Get a clue.

What does a day in a happy life look like?

Giddy. You want to go up to everyone, even strangers, and give them a big hug and thank them for being in your life.

If you know what critical thinking means and how to use it in a sentence, does that mean you're really smart?

By definition, critical thinking is “the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.” It only means you’re smart if you know how to use it. And, even then, you have to use it correctly. If you don’t, then the “critical” part of your thinking falls flat and you fail.

“The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.”

-- Christopher Hitchens

Why are problems so powerful?

True problems create issues in our lives. If you have problems that don’t, maybe they aren’t real problems. Maybe you just make them so.

How do I answer a question when he asked the plans I have for him?

Honestly.

I’m so quiet all the time. I don’t talk at all. I have nothing to say. I just have some songs playing in my head. What’s wrong with me?

Absolutely nothing. If you have nothing to say, better not to open your mouth and let the shit flow. Be known as someone who talks when there is something important that you want to contribute.

Are people getting more and more lazy to do their jobs?

Yes, and the problem is government paying them to be lazy.

Is it okay to bully someone if they are weak because we all get what we deserve and the strong preys on the weak and rightfully so because you have to be strong otherwise you won't survive?

It is never okay to bully anyone. Be strong by sharing the happiness in your life with others. Picking on the weak is not a sign of strength, as much as it is cowardice.

Author's reply: But everyone must be strong though.

My response: Be strong by sharing your happiness with others.

Author's reply: And teach everyone to defend themselves.

My response: And not to bully the weak.

What exactly is a miserable life?

When you just can’t seem to find any true happiness.

"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition."

-- Martha Washington

What is the best way to make friends who are determined to achieve their goals, and have a similar mindset as me?

“Hey! I think we have a similar mindset. My name’s Tess.” 

Why do I have an irrational fear of failing at something?

It is not an “irrational fear” of failing. We all fail at something. Many people fail all the time. Failing is the best way we learn lessons. If you haven’t failed, what have you learned? And, more importantly, what can you teach others so they don’t fail as often? Cringe when you push the button, but when it does what you expect, smile and do a dance. You can put that fear to bed and move on to the next one.

What is one lingering, solvable issue in society that we should resolve soon?

Hunger.

What's your strategy to stay focused and minimize distractions during work hours?

You’ve answered your own question. Stay focused. If you stay focused, you learn to minimize distractions. If you can’t, then tell others to shut the hell up, you’re trying to focus.

On [this site], do people actually use the request feature responsibly or do they just click the first 25 results that show up?

I’d go with the fact that most people are lazy. Which choice is easier?

Has there been anything in your life that you wish you hadn't done?

Marriage. I wasted 25 years of my life married to a woman who never loved me. I was gifted with two great kids, however. What was she thinking?

“I think about it and yet I know

I’ll never be able to leave this cage

Even if the warden should let me go

I’ve lost the strength to fly away.”

-- Forook Farrokhzad

What's the difference between loving yourself and thinking that you're all that?

Not much. For instance, I love myself and I know I’m not all that. I am what I am, and people need to take me as I come. If they choose not to, this is not my problem. Why? Because I’m not all that. Nor do I ever want to be. How boring would that be?

When in your life did you feel like you did not want to get out of your bed?

In the military, on the morning of the start of the 72-hour exercise.

Is it okay to fail and then succeed? What if I need actual rest or satisfaction?

Failing is the best way we learn. If you learn without failing, what will you do when failing is at your doorstep and you have no experience with it? Rest and satisfaction have much to do with learning. It sounds like you should fail so you can take a break and come back at it later. It is what it is until it isn’t.

Would you take a decision that will benefits you but will hurt other people or a decision that will hurt you but benefit others?

Neither one is acceptable. But, if I have to choose, I have lived a long life and know how to deal with the “hurt” that comes my way. Bring it.

What are the dangers of holding deadly enemies in contempt? Is my natural disgust with them a weakness?

“Deadly enemies” define the dangers. 

How would you explain happiness if it is not just being content and not being bored?

True happiness is living your life being happy always and in everything you do, regardless of your circumstances. It is a choice you need to make for your life. As a choice, it is sustainable until you change your choice, which would be counterintuitive. Just saying. 

"Happiness depends upon ourselves."

-- Aristotle

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 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