Questioning Routines, Discovery, Sophistry, Division, Context, and Sex

 

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”

-- Vivian Greene

My life is stuck in one big routine or if I have to do anything different, I make it into a routine. Is this a mental order or just how I do things?

If your “life is stuck in one big routine” then how can you do anything different and make it into another routine? Your life would then be stuck in two routines. Is asking this question part of your routine? If not, then you have broken the routines.

What are some ideas on how to prove that I am intelligent enough that I won't be easily taken advantage of?

The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Don’t be taken advantage of, at all, would be the best proof.

Can it be true that two reasons why people don’t compete, you can’t have what’s mine, and I don’t want what’s yours?

Competition means you want something. I don’t want anything. If you want it, then knock yourself out. Enjoy! If you want to prove you’re better than me, you’re not. You proved this when you wanted to be better than me. The ego can be an ugly thing. That I don’t want to be better than you is exactly why I am.

Why do some people always give unnecessary details when telling the truth?

Some people need to explain the truth. If I say someone is butt-ugly, I see no reason to expand on it. One, I’m not lying. Two, have you seen this guy? No details are necessary.

What practices help you stay grounded and connected during challenging times?

I don’t get off on tangents. I focus on the challenge at hand. I solve it and move on to the next one. If there is more than one immediate challenge, I’ll have to prioritize them. You can’t stay grounded if you’re moving in multiple directions. Pretty soon, you become confused, and the focus blurs. Focus on one challenge at a time, and you’ll stay grounded.

Why are sports fans so invested in something they can’t control?

It’s all about the challenge, and the challenge is what they can’t control. They like their team to win, but that is up to the team and how good they are.

“New Rule: Don't name your kid after a ballpark. Cubs fans Paul and Teri Fields have named their newborn son Wrigley. Wrigley Fields. A child is supposed to be an independent individual, not a means of touting your own personal hobbies. At least that's what I've always taught my kids, Panama Red and Jacuzzi.”

-- Bill Maher

Albert Szent-Gyorgyi said, "A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind." Do you agree?

Sounds good to me.

I had an argument with my mom and my brother about money matters, and now I'm scared that my family will abandon me. How do I make this anxious feeling go away?

They are your family. Family sticks together no matter what. But, if they do abandon you, you’ll probably be better off without them. A family that abandons family, shouldn’t have been family to begin with. 

How difficult of decisions do CEOs have to make?

You don’t make “Chief Executive Officer” by sidestepping difficult decisions.

Why do I almost always understand people and understand their ideas even when they don't express them directly? But they can't understand me and I always have to adapt what I want to express to them so that they understand it.

So, you’re both in the same boat. Niether of you can always understand people, but you can almost always understand them. Welcome to the human race.

Are smart people clumsy? Do they have impaired motor skills?

You’re thinking of “intelligent” people. “Smart” people have it made in the shade.

Is the saying “insecure people will try to make you feel insecure” true?

For the most part. “Here I am in a pit of misery. Come and join me.” Oh, hell no! People are insecure for a reason. They, either, have made a bad choice or decision, or they don’t know how to make choices or decisions. And, yet, failures and mistakes are the best way we learn. If you can wrap your mind around the best way to learn, then you will be able to handle any failures, mistakes, or insecurities.

“Always remember, if someone keeps putting you down to make themselves feel or look better, be flattered that they chose you. Their insecurity always speaks louder when they need to use someone else to make them feel validated. Confidence never calls for verbal infliction.”

-- Karen A. Baquiran

Has anyone used sophistry against you?

No, Everything I do is above board, in the light of day. No one would dare unless they have an overwhelming need to fail.

If narcissists can learn, why can't they learn the way they think is not like everyone else?

But, that isn’t what a narcissist is about. Mayo Clinic would say that narcissists have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention, and they want people to admire them. They don’t want to learn to downplay their own importance, any more than they want people to stop admiring and paying attention to them.

Can nationalism be positive and patriotism be negative?

If the “nationalism” is good and the “patriotism” is bad, yes, it stands to reason.

Was the trend of using whips to stimulate peasant labor in interwar Poland influenced by the cultural norms of Europe during that time?

Using whips to “stimulate” would seem more a deviant sexual fantasy, than to “stimulate” peasant labor. This would be more the purview of Donatien Alphonse François, than the “cultural norms” of Europe. Just saying. 

Why do people choose to enhance their living spaces?

To improve the quality of their living. As you earn more money, it makes sense that you would like to live a bit better.

Why do people easily feel upset when a person increasingly becomes successful?

Selfishness.

“Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.”

-- Oscar Wilde

How would your life be affected if your personality was divided between two individuals?

The “right hand” would rarely know what the “left hand” was doing.

Does being evil weaken you because it goes against nature?

That would depend on if it goes against a person’s nature. If the person is evil, I don’t see how this would weaken their nature. Now, when “karma” catches up to them, they may have a butt-load to answer for. Until that happens…

What does it mean if you are similar in so many ways with someone of the opposite sex but have no personal relationship with them?

You haven’t introduced yourself?

Should an adult let somebody else handle the conflict that they have with somebody?

Only if you’re a coward. People need to handle their issues with other people. You have no idea what the “someone else” will do when they speak for you. The only way you can guarantee “mutual respect” is for you to confront your conflict with others.

How do I earn money the right way?

How are you with sex? 

 What will I do now if I tell my friend that I had sex with my classmate?

Say, “Neener, neener, neener!” I’m kidding. One, you shouldn’t be telling all your friends you “boffed” your classmate. It isn’t fair to the classmate. Two, you should only tell your best friends that can keep a secret. Okay, so we’re back to not telling any of your friends.

“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.”

-- Socrates

Without further context, which is better, a stupid person or a liar?

The stupid person. They can’t help that they’re stupid, but the liar has a choice.

What causes some individuals to feel superior due to their education or intelligence? Why do some people feel threatened by the intelligence, success, or education of others?

They feel superior because they don’t realize that smart people can maim them with little effort. Some people feel threatened by intelligence, success, or education because they don’t understand these people need other people to run their businesses. One hand washes the other, and if they don’t, then both remain dirty until one gets a clue.

Why are people not trying to do hard work?

Because it’s hard.

What are some effective ways to de-escalate an argument? When is it appropriate to walk away from a fight?

Walk away before the argument becomes a fight. It pays for calmer minds to understand when things are spiraling out of control, and to stop, take a breath, and de-escalate the situation before friendships suffer. The best way I’ve known to do this is to ask why we are yelling, or to ask the other person if they need another beer. Anything that will make the other person realize things are starting to get out of control.

Why do I want to have sex with my sister and mother?

Are they pretty?

Has your wife ever caught you with another man?

Well, that would be awkward. No, and for obvious reasons. However, if it turns the wife on, and she is attracted to the other man, a “ménage à trois” may be in the cards. Just saying.

“Love is a challenge with an illusion emanating an aura of otherness. Through their unrelenting attention, two smitten people can arouse a to and fro conveyance of sentiments, with a go-between of emotions becoming a weighty sovereign messenger, gradually turning into a third partner of a "ménage à trois" union.”

-- Erik Pevernagie

Why do gay men only want sex?

A minority of “gay” men only want sex. The majority are looking for acceptance and a loving relationship.

Have you ever shared your wife with a friend?

With my consent? No. I never shared my ex-wife with a friend.

What happens when people don't believe in Jesus?

Nothing. You live your life not believing in Jesus. If you’re an atheist, you live your life not believing in God. And, when you die, there might be an afterlife. If there is, you might have squandered the only chance you have of moving forward. It doesn’t suck, because you will never know. But, for those of us who believe, there might be a life after this one. And, for those who don’t believe, I want to thank you, now, for the extra armroom in the next life, just in case you don’t make it. 

Do some people never change, they just find new ways to lie?

The lies become more believable, which forces you to change and become more aware of the believable bullshit.

Do you live with someone who lies?

I used to, but not anymore.

Why should I accept homosexuality?

Don’t. There is no reason for anyone to accept it. It will be with us always, however, and being tolerant goes a long way.

“Well, while you were in the bathroom, I sat down at this picnic table here in Bumblefug, Kentucky, and noticed that someone had carved that GOD HATES FAG, which, aside from being a grammatical nightmare, is absolutely ridiculous. So I'm changing it to 'God Hates Baguettes.' It's tough to disagree with that. Everybody hates baguettes.”

-- John Green

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 in 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