Questioning Understanding, IQ, Honesty, God, and Marriage

 

“I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

-- Steve Jobs

Is it impossible to ever find another job if I was fired from my first one over misunderstandings in the workplace?

No. You will find a better job. I would mention why you were fired, and what you learned. The next employer will not have to worry about your misunderstanding, thus, he won’t have to fire you. This was a learning experience that you were supposed to learn from.

Why do some people like to be embarrassed or humiliated?

They are submissive and like to be ordered around. These people are fodder for a “mistress” or a “master” looking for some nighttime fun. The spankings will commence!

Why do most people brag after helping someone in dire need?

A selfish ego. If they were selfless, this would not be an issue.

How do I deal with bullying and mockery?

Stand up to it. Oh, you’ll get your ass beat, but you’ll have it done with your pride intact. Bully’s are immature assholes looking for some “machismo” that they will never find. Strip everything away from them and you have a coward in a wolve’s clothing.

If someone is getting beat up and you just watch, are you just as guilty as the assaulter for not doing anything?

No, but you show valid evidence of cowardice.

Why do good people do a horrible job at preventing fistfights since the beginning of time?

They are "good" people. As good people, they probably have little experience with fist fighting and know they will end up getting their ass beat. The most they are willing to risk is a police report of the fight. I don’t blame them. They are the antithesis of evil. There must be balance in the universe, and they provide it.

“I had a familiar, nervous sensation, one that goes all the way back to elementary school. It's the simultaneous realization that I may have talked my way into another fistfight and that I had not spent any time learning to fight since the last one.”

-- David Wong

I think that I am a very high IQ individual whose brain messes up super quickly and can’t grasp anymore anything. Should this change?

Yes. Give your brain a chance to catch up. It sounds like you thinking faster than your brain can assimilate the process. Your baggage has hit a conveyor belt log jam on the way to the plane. Slow down a bit and think things through, one by one.

My boyfriend is back talking to other women on video chats, I've told him time and time again this bothers me. Should I continue being with him or have a talk with him yet again?

He ignores what you have to say. What do you think? 

Why do people who hurt me don't get their karma?

Karma is busy. It will get to them, one way or another. You might not be aware of it. I'd be worrying about wanting karma on someone.  You are opening yourself up.

Does being naked help you think clearly?

Yes! I think clearly about why my parts are cold. 

Does love still exist without heartbreak?

After 23 years, I still love my ex-wife after she demolished my heart. If you truly love someone, you can’t simply flip a switch. Love abides.

Is it better to fail than not try at all?

Yes! Failing is one of the best ways we learn. To quit after you fail is a waste of the lesson being presented to you. You must persevere in the face of failure to proceed forward, otherwise you waste precious time.

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

-- Maya Angelou

How should one handle a lack of honesty in a relationship?

If you aren’t a fan of dishonesty, end the relationship.

Are atheists angry over why God never does as they want him to?

People keep giving atheists emotions about what God does or doesn’t do. Get a clue. Atheists don’t believe in God, so why would they be angry because a deity they don’t give credence to doesn’t do something?

Reader's comment: It’s a bit like a child raised up in care after neither parent wanted them. Nothing can convince them they have biological parents.

My reply: But we do have proof of childbirth, so, if they are human, they must have come from someone.

Should other people respect personal freedom and are there any limits to it?

Personal freedom is limited by the rule of law.

How can individuals avoid becoming part of an angry mob or cult-like group mentality?

“Individuals” can avoid this by choice. A mob, on the other hand, has no choice. Make a choice.

Is atheism based on flawed reasoning?

As much as theism is. Both sides of this argument have faith that they are right. Faith is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof. Both sides are guilty of using flawed reasoning. The only proof of this argument is waiting for both sides at death. If theists are right, there is life everlasting. For atheists, there is nothing… except more room in the afterlife for the theists.

What is the meaning of a remark capable of being misunderstood?

It means the remark is not clear enough to not be misunderstood.

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. — 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' — Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.”

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Who can stop God from doing anything?

Maybe, another God. But that’s another story.

What is the meaning behind the term “love wins”?

True love always wins. Even when we think it loses, it has won. Even in death, true love proves itself. True love always wins.

My wife puts soy sauce on her pads. Why?

Does she think you like Chinese food? Just saying.

Can a person be in love with someone but still cheat on them?

Not truly in love, no. If they are truly in love, any thought of cheating will die a painful death in the Shuoldawoodacoulda Desert.

Can God fulfill all human hopes?

It is not God’s job. God gave mankind all that is needed to fulfill human hopes, all mankind needs to do is try. If he fails, God gave mankind perseverance in the face of failure. Mankind needs to use the tools God gifted them. If mankind needs support, this is where God comes in.

How do you know if a woman is worth marrying?

When you fall truly in love with her.

“So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, every day. You and me... every day.”

-- Nicholas Sparks

What factors may influence a woman's decision to marry a poor man instead of a rich man?

True love.

How do I make the right decision? When do I listen to intuition, and when do I use reason/logic?

Neither can lead you to the “right” decision. Your intuition can be flawed, and your reason/logic, though correct, can be as wrong. What is right and good, is all that matters. Do what is right and good, and you can sleep with no nightmares.

Can someone love someone deeply without feeling the need to be with them?

Yes. 

How do you find out if your mother has deep feelings for you like a woman loving a man?

When she gives you a tongue-searching kiss or gropes you sexually. Either would be a good sign.

Is it possible for a relationship to be saved if one partner no longer loves or respects the other?

Not if you want quality. 

What would you do if you found money in an old wallet? Would you try to return it or keep it for yourself? Why?

I would want to keep it, but my personal code of ethics would force me to find the owner if I can. If not, it is mine. But, I would have to really try to find the owner, or I would feel like a little shit for not giving it my all.

"I've lost a lot. I've lost money, and my reputation has taken a hit for taking the high road to protect my dignity, to protect children, and for other good causes. But I don't think there's ever too steep a price for doing the right thing."

-- Gabrielle Union

What If your wife says she never wanted to marry you?

She did, 25 years after I married her. I was her escape from her home and family. After two kids and a quarter of my life trying to make it work, I finally conceded that divorce was the only option for happiness.

What would happen if a child suddenly appeared with no memory of their past or family?

That’s what concerns you? If I’m in the middle of a wasteland, I want to know how the child just “suddenly” appeared out of thin air. To your question, though, I’d shit myself.

When should a guy start giving a girl money?

Experience says that money changes hands before sex.

Why do we not perceive our movement but only a change in movement?

“We” is not all-inclusive. I think about movement before I do it. When I do it, I perceive the movement as I would perceive any change in movement. The brain must send signals for movement to begin. A movement that isn’t a movement is a cramp. I also perceive those those, and they don’t need any movement.

Author's comment: I mean, if I close my eyes, I won't be able to tell motion from standing still (or if our Earth, the solar system, the Milky Way, or our group of galaxies had different speeds... I don't know the difference), but I can perceive a change in motion (acceleration).

My reply: Ah! Context. Thank you!

If you were put in a room full of everyone you’ve ever been in love with, who would you run to?

Everyone I’ve ever been in love with. An uncomfortable scenario. 

Is it better to have a moral code based on religion or not?

It doesn't matter.  What matters is that your personal moral code of ethics is good, and you will always do what is right. Spiritual beliefs can get you a place in heaven, but without those beliefs, it does not prevent you from doing what is morally correct. Whether you are a theist or an atheist, both can lead morally upright lives, or not.

“The terrible error in the course of human civilization is undoubtedly the defective judgment that allowed religious authorities to usurp the foundation of societal morality, in which all collective ethics of humankind must take a cause. This appalling blunder is comparable only to assigning the leper exclusive franchise to run beauty clinics in the society; this can only lead to cycles upon cycles of common infection syndrome.”

-- Adebowale Babatunde Ojowuro

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