Questioning Time, Professionals, Breathing, Judging, and God

 

“Your time is way too valuable to be wasting on people who can't accept who you are.”

-- Turcois Ominek

What would you say to someone who never has time to waste, complaining about someone wasting their time?

I try to understand where people are coming from. If they have a job to do, I try to not bother them. Sometimes, I get in their way, and I realize it in short order. I usually let the other side initiate how they want to spend time. Being retired, I have time for them.

Why am I wasting your time with this "question"?

You never waste time with a question as long as you don’t ask the same question twice.

Is a mix of profound/smart and stupid/trolling questions an interesting combination? Can you be both intelligent and stupid, at the same time? Is it genius or just lunacy?

Interesting... if you’re studying trolls. Yes, you can be intelligent and stupid at the same time. Most intelligent people I’ve met are not very smart, and geniuses can slip into lunacy if they let it happen. Refer back to “intelligent people I’ve met.”

Can it be true that when someone is going through a storm, your silent presence is more powerful than a million empty words?

If they want your input, they will ask for it.

How many questions does an average person likely think up or ask themselves throughout the day in their mind?

It depends on what the “average person” is doing. Are they shopping, working, or relaxing? If they’re shopping, the questions are rampant. If they’re working, not so much. If they’re relaxing, well, should I use live bait or a lure? It really makes a difference what the average person is doing, how they shop, what they do for work, and how they relax.

How do you usually manage risk when trading?

“Fortune 500” companies.

“A successful trader must learn to be a good loser before he can start winning.”

-- Arian Adeli Koodeh

At what point is someone considered a professional rather than a prosumer?

When they know what they’re doing, instead of being an amateur.

Reader comment: There are also two different shades of amateurs. The first is someone who does an activity without pay. The second is someone who does an activity poorly due to a lack of skills.  I avoid being the second type of amateur by at least studying the foundational materials before going deeper into the field. That way, I can upgrade to being a skilled amateur.

My reply: I don’t consider an “amateur” as someone who knows what they’re doing. A professional can simply do the job without pay. An “amateur” lacks the skills of a professional. But, we have two different opinions. Thank you for yours!

What makes a moment "quality time"? Can you list examples and explain what made that event feel like it had a certain quality to it? Did it have some sort of associated reward? What makes it special to you? Can it be replicated easily? Why or how?

Quality time is when I spend time with my friends and family. The reward is comradery, and I can replicate it as easily as going down to my favorite cigar bar. We are all there to be with each other, to tell war stories, and to toss back a few drinks.

Reader comment: Certain smells, actions, and learned mindsets, when normalized can be summoned. Glad you have a troupe for commiseration and comradery. Quintessential intelligence echoes in vibrations of our being and it's amazing when people can relate to others. Appreciate the insight.

Are cats who don't tell the truth lion?

I have had many cats. They really don’t give a shit. Dogs, on the other hand…

Why don’t people understand that I’m never wrong?

Probably because people are fallible and, as such, will be wrong… occasionally. Nobody is “never” wrong. We are only human. Even God has made mistakes.

Why may language be a source of misunderstanding?

Language and culture. Having served in the military for 23 years, you run into this, occasionally. The language will get you in trouble if you don’t understand the nuances. The nuances are usually driven by their culture. Some things are forbidden. Some things are misunderstood. Understanding is when both parties realize they are in uncharted waters, and try to understand the other side. It can be humorous if both sides work at it.

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

The growing crime statistics. It seems that “big cities” are beginning to understand that not funding the police is a stupid idea.

“All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.”

-- Sophocles

Why are you still breathing today, right now?

I live! Huh… imagine that.

How can I complete my obligations immediately without putting them off because of my stress?

Don’t. Trying to complete anything while under stress can cause you to make mistakes, and if these are “obligations” then you really don’t want to muck them up. Get some help to complete them, or put them off “for cause.” The “cause” is your stress and the possibility of mistakes.

Author's comment: Yes, but procrastination due to anxiety can in turn lead to a build-up of obligations (whew). I'm afraid that if I put them off then there will be even more and thus intensify my anxiety. It's a vicious cycle. Thank you for your time.

My reply: Will your fear of making mistakes trump your anxiety? Will your fear of making mistakes calm down so you can work through the obligations at a slower pace? Mistakes can multiply the obligations by making additional obligations to correct the mistakes.

Does human life change after hard work these days?

I’m sure young people think so, but, in reality, it hasn’t changed life much more than it used to.

Is it fair to judge based on one's sex?

Is it fair to judge? Whether you judge based on one’s sex, or not, judging is wrong unless you are a supervisor of that person in question. Even then, you need to judge their work, not in relation to their sex. Men and women are both capable of screwing up, as well as knocking the ball out of the park. How well they are supervised and trained can make all the difference. Before judging, look at the people in charge.

Why is it that Judaism, Christianity & Islam don't teach God's faith of free will, given to all living things at creation? When instead they created their text to lie to their followers turning them into false prophets & blasphemers?

“Organized” religions. They all fail in the same way. Hidden agendas and greed.

What are some common atheist arguments in favor of a god or religion?

They are reminiscent of theist arguments in favor of God and religion. Neither side has any proof, one way or the other, so any argument lacks a foundation. Both sides have “faith” and faith is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof. Any argument without proof is no argument at all. It is faith.

“All religions are man-made; God has not yet revealed himself beyond doubt to anybody.”

-- Bangambiki Habyarimana

Can you tell if someone is judging you based on what they say or how they react towards your actions?

Absolutely.

Why am I an individual?

Because you aren’t two separate people. You think with one brain, even if you’re being indoctrinated. Even if you let people think for you, you are letting them do it. You are an individual because you are oneself, not two.

I keep spending time and going to visit somebody I don't love around my busy schedule and it's giving me hypertension. What do I do? We usually speak on the phone and meet only once in a while.

Go back to speaking on the phone. Let them know you’re busy and don’t have the time to visit. This is a done deal.

If you are who you are, then, who are you that made you who you are?

I am so little of who made me who I am. The world around me, my supervisors, trainers, teachers, friends, my parents, and many others, all had a hand in creating who I am. My job was to add and subtract and put all that they gave me into some semblance of self. The magic is that we don’t know we’re doing it.

Is there such a thing as an unhealthy amount of imagination?

When your vivid imagination infringes on your concept of reality, it can be very unhealthy.

If "nothing" never had a beginning, would it cease to exist?

If we didn’t have the concept of “nothing” it would cease to exist for us. But, "nothing" would continue to be an unrecognized concept. It is like the concept of time. The concept of time will continue to pass, even when we aren’t here to observe it.

“I love to talk about nothing. It's the only thing I know anything about.”

-- Oscar Wilde

Who gave me the idea that I need a girlfriend?

You probably gave them an indication that you need to get laid.

Can we be judged by our words and not just our actions? If so, how can we prove this to someone who doesn't believe in it?

Only if your words are a reflection of your actions. If you say one thing and do another, of what use is what you say? Ever heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words”?

Who said the quote, "You will be judged by what you love"?

I love bananas. And? Whoever this guy was, he needs to think through what he says.

How much of the respect from other employees for your hierarchical position depends on your ability to earn it, and how much has to come from the support of the company?

This is a hard question because the answer is one that people in these positions don’t want to hear. When you earn the position that isn’t the end of your responsibility. Every time you report to work, you should be prepared to constantly earn your right to continue in that position. Your ethics, honesty, demeanor, understanding, and even-handedness are paramount in your job. Every minute at work you earn the respect of everybody in the company. They may not like all of your decisions, but if you have their respect, you also have their support.

How would you explain [this site] to someone from 100+ years ago?

It is a platform where people can ask questions to members and the members have the choice to answer them, or not.

What are your thoughts? Before [this site], I didn't know that asking questions was harder than giving answers! Apparently, for the rest of my life, I'd better do more listening and answering.

Asking intelligent questions is hard. Questions should be short, clear, and understandable. Answering the questions can be just as hard. The answers should also be short, clear, and understandable. Listening is better than reading. When you read you miss emotion and nuances that will help in answering.

“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.”

-- Thomas Pynchon

If someone says “I’ve seen proof that proves god exists”, what would be a possible response?

“Bullshit. God exists. If you need to see proof, where is your faith?” 

What is the meaning of the phrase "America, love her or leave her"?

If you can’t love her, please go somewhere else to live. We don’t need you.

How can you tell if something bad that happens to you is from God or not?

God left us to our own devices. If something bad happens to us, it is because of something we either thought or didn’t think, did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say, chose or didn’t choose, or something we missed. One way or another, it comes back to us. If someone screws up your life, why did you let them have that power?

What are some of the best short one-word answers to a long question or statement?

“Damn!”

Will it soon matter whether you are rich or poor?

No. The only thing that really matters is whether I am truly happy always and in all things, regardless of my circumstances. My monetary accounts mean nothing if I am not truly happy with who I am.

Can you explain what it means to say, “It’s a matter of faith”?

“Faith” is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof.

“Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act of faith to assert that our thoughts have any relation to reality at all. If you are merely a skeptic, you must sooner or later ask yourself the question, “Why should anything go right; even observation and deduction? Why should not good logic be as misleading as bad logic? They are both movements in the brain of a bewildered ape?” The young skeptic says, “I have a right to think for myself.” But the old skeptic, the complete skeptic, says, “I have no right to think for myself. I have no right to think at all...Man, by a blind instinct, knew that if once things were wildly questioned, reason could be questioned first. The authority of priests to absolve, the authority of popes to define the authority, even of inquisitors to terrify: these were all only dark defenses erected round one central authority, more undemonstrable, more supernatural than all—the authority of a man to think. We know now that this is so; we have no excuse for not knowing it. For we can hear skepticism crashing through the old ring of authorities, and at the same moment we can see reason swaying upon her throne. In so far as religion is gone, reason is going. For they are both of the same primary and authoritative kind. They are both methods of proof which p 60 cannot themselves be proved. And in the act of destroying the idea of Divine authority, we have largely destroyed the idea of that human authority by which we do a long-division sum. With a long and sustained tug, we have attempted to pull the mitre off pontifical man; and his head has come off with it.”

-- G. K. Chesterton

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