Questioning Sarcasm, Politics, Reading, Heroism, Fighting, and Answers

 

“You see, that is the sad, sorry, terrible thing about sarcasm. It's really funny.”

-- Brandon Sanderson

Does using sarcasm make you weak?

It depends on how intelligent the sarcasm is. It might be very funny.

Why do people pretend to be dumb? Is it to manipulate others?

Pretend? That’s rich. My experience shows evidence that people are that dumb. The better question, though, is if the dumb people are “manipulating” others, how fricking stupid are the others?

Can someone else come up with an explanation of how private actions are being revealed before and after the facts while there's no possible way for anything to have awareness of these things?

Someone is telling secrets. Secrets aren’t that secret when you tell people.

Is it better to listen to what your head tells you or what your gut tells you?

Truth be known, the head talks to the gut. The head knows that you will be looking for some validation, so the head tells the gut what it really wants you to know. The head is trying to keep you safe and out of trouble, but, if you’re bound and determined to be a bull in a china shop, the head talks to the gut.

Isn’t this a true way to reframe age: when pushing 40 bothers me I’ll think how I was born in 1985 which was so close to 2000 which made me experience being young in the 21st century and at least my birth year was close to 2000 and not 1000?

Delusional. But, whatever works.

What is critical thinking in your own words?

You have a thought and, unlike most people, you pick the thought apart, you critique it, to ensure its validity. If it doesn’t pass the critique, you change the thought and try again. Critical thought continues until the thought is validated. There is no guarantee that the thought is as valid as you may think it is. It may be wrong. If it is, you learn where you went wrong and be ready for the next critique. We are constantly learning.

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

-- Christopher Hitchens

Is [this site] filled with a swarm of present-day politics or not? If it is, I'm gonna lose hope in this site.

It isn’t “filled” with it, but it does exist. The League of the Perpetually Offended insists on it. Sometimes you just can’t let a question go without flogging it. 

Can you share a small achievement that you are proud of even though others may not realize how important it is?

When I was transferred out of my base, having been the NCO in charge of the Intelligence Division, I told the Officer in charge not to let the ranking, albeit an alcoholic, NCO ruin all the work my team had done to pull our inspections from “Marginal” ratings to “Excellent” ratings. My advice fell on deaf ears. When I left the base I was transferred to, I had a “by name request” back to the base they let the alcoholic destroy back to a “Marginal” rating. The inspection was coming in a few months and, with most of the team I had left, we were back to an “Excellent” rating. The inspectors were happy to see me back.

Are exams true indicators of a student's ability?

Exams are indicators of a student’s ability to memorize. Whether said student can put more than one paragraph together discussing an exam topic, is to be seen.

How do I stop feeling jealous of other people?

Learn to be happy with who you are. I couldn’t afford any of the niceties that many other people could. Then, I realized they went into debt to “afford” those niceties. When I finally could afford to look the part, I had grown out of “keeping up with the Joneses.” I was not in debt and could do, pretty much, what I wanted. Jealousy is insidious in its ability to ruin lives.

When two cousins fall in love, can their love be due to true feelings rather than just a simple crush?

True love is what it is. However, having children with a close cousin can be a nightmare of birth defects. Love each other dearly, and adopt.

Why are so many rich people unhappy with their lives?

Money doesn’t buy happiness.

“Money will not make your marriage any better, nor will it make you any happier. Instead, money would expand your available options in life. More money = more options.”

-- Anas Hamshari

Is it true that reading 10,000 books can make someone a genius?

No. If you absorb the information from 10,000 books, might make you a genius. it depends on the books. Who comes up with this shit?

How do I crush my enemies?

Drop a nuclear weapon on their house at 3:00 am.

How can a team respond to conflict and failure in a way that ensures success for all team members?

They need to learn from the conflict and failure. How the team shows positive perseverance in the face of "conflict and failure" will ensure their success.

Is all fear fight or flight?

What is the level of cowardice?

Can someone's lack of trust be changed?

Sure. If I’m pinned down and you show up with firepower, throw me a 12-gauge, and tell me you have my back. My lack of trust will change the second you hand over the shotgun shells and we start attitude adjustment therapy. I’ll be a happy camper.

If an extrovert becomes a parent does that slowly drift them onto the opposite side?

Not if they’re a true extrovert. The child may drift toward being another extrovert, however.

“One advantage of being in a long-term relationship with someone who exhibits a strong personality is that when caught in the conduit of their force field, the resultant propulsion propels us to see both them as well as oneself in a clearer light, thereby, opening a person’s eyes for constructive personal change.”

-- Kilroy J. Oldster

How many lives have you saved? I have saved a million.

During my time in nuclear deterrence with the military, at least that many. But, this is not a competition. Saving one life is enough, especially if it is enemy non-combatants. Hearts and minds.

Why has [this site] been taken over by trolls?

Better them than the League of the Perpetually Offended.

What is a powerful routine for inner peace?

Meditation. First, it allows you to find who you are, and then it allows you to find a feeling of “inner peace” with who you are, or you will find fault and change to who you really are.

What is the antidote for doubt?

Surety. If you are in doubt, the onus is on you to be sure.

Is buying a house in cash an accomplishment? And why?

It shows you know the value of money. You refuse to pay the percentage on the loan, which will end up being more than most people realize. Plus, the house is paid, which means you have all that money, every month, in your pocket where it belongs. Being in debt is another way of saying you are a slave to those who loan to you. Slavery never disappeared, it just morphed into something more profitable.

Why do different kinds of doctors, scientists, geniuses and/or researchers want to know, learn, analyze, and study?

You’ve answered your question. To learn, analyze, and study… because they have to know.

Satisfying the NEED TO KNOW, be it by really knowing, by thinking we know, or by believing we know, is very comforting for man.

Be it by “direct” knowledge,
Be it by “emotional” knowledge,
Be it by “gut-felt” knowledge,
Be it by “spiritual” knowledge,
Be it by “transcendental” knowledge,
Be it by “meditative” knowledge,
Be it by “inspiration”,
Be it by “revelation”,
Be it knowing by faith or
Be it by understanding,

We definitely are one humanity under “need to know”.”

-- Haroutioun Bochnakian

If someone got into a fight, what should you do?

Start taking bets.

I have been reading about 4-5-year-olds telling their parents they were different historical figures in previous lives on the internet. Do you believe that might be true?

Anything might be true. I would be more apt to believe a child remembered being a miner or a barkeep, though. I regressed to a buckboard in the desert. I was a kid handing out a ladle of water to pony soldiers as they would ride up to the side. I woke up with the smells of horses and the taste of desert in my mouth. Very real, to the point I believe I was there, back in the late 1800s.

Is it possible for someone to be intelligent but lack common sense at times? If so, how can this deficiency be improved?

Intelligence has little to do with good sense, and, yes, if they are intelligent they would be well served to improve their good sense.

Why do some people face more challenges in life than others, even though they have similar intelligence and capabilities from birth?

Challenges are life’s way of throwing “learning” at us. Similarities among people have little to do with what life throws at us. There is a reason that life chose a particular person to give a challenge to. The person can accept it, or deny it. Their choice, but it might change the course of their life.

For instance, you deny the chance to learn CPR. Several years later a man dies in front of you because you never learned CPR. Your life takes a downturn because of it. It was your choice. It sucks, not knowing what life might throw your way, but it was your choice not to learn.

Why don't people believe that my IQ is over 200?

If your IQ is over 200, why do you care? 

I failed many times even if I gave my all and thought I was going to make it, now it is hard for me to believe I am ever gonna make it. How do I forget about my bitter failure?

You know nothing about “failure” in life. Failure is the best way we learn. It isn’t that you failed, it is what you do with the failure that makes you who you are. Perseverance, in the face of failure, is always the best bet. Fail, learn, try again, and again, and again, until you get it right or find where you’ve been going wrong. Never give up, because there is always a way. In a fight, if your fists don’t work, get a club, a knife, a pistol, an AR-7, a grenade, a nuclear weapon… Or, you can always stop, but they’ll keep on coming.

There is always a way.

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

-- Thomas A. Edison

Why haven't I gotten the answers to my questions?

Were your questions understandable? Did it sound like you were baiting some poor sap to answer? Send one to me and I’ll consider it.

Why is it harder to be a mature and stronger individual when it seems your world is collapsing?

It is “harder,” but not impossible. Your whole world is collapsing. Job is gone, wife is gone, car and house have been repossessed, you find you have cancer, yadda, yadda, yadda. Why is it harder? Be real. But, this is the time when a person needs to decide to start over. To not wallow in the pit of misery. To persevere in the face of total failure. Why? Because it is harder but not impossible. You learn and climb back, past where you were, to end up a rung or two higher. Why? Because you are that good. People will recognize the effort for what it is - perseverance. People respect people who never give up, especially when they are fighting for survival.

Other than male and female, are there other genders that a human can be?

Nowadays? Other.

What does it mean if someone falls out of love with you? Does it mean they never truly loved you? If so, why did they get married in the first place?

Oh, I’ve got this. I divorced my wife 23 years ago, after a 25-year marriage from hell. She finally admitted that she never loved me, and I was her escape from her home life. I married her because I loved her. I stayed in the marriage because I thought, like one idiot, I could salvage it. The other idiot, my ex-wife, had two kids with the man she didn’t love. The children suffered for her inability to find a peaceful, loving, life with me. My children are a big factor in why I still love her.

Is there a genius in not being stupid?

Ya think?

Why is it important for leaders to have confidence in their team members, even after a mistake or failure?

If the leader has confidence that the team knows to learn from mistakes or failures, the team will be very careful not to make a similar mistake twice. Leaders, if they are good, understand that mistakes and failures are the best way for people to learn.

If you lose a million dollars, you probably won’t make the same mistake again. Unless you are truly an idiot, why would the company fire you just to hire a person who has never learned this expensive lesson that you have learned, at a great cost?

“We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.”

-- Steve Maraboli

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