Questioning Stupidity, Quotes, Characteristics, Truth, Evil, and Caring

“Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.”

-- C.S. Lewis

What do you do if you're the most stupid person on the planet?

If I’m that stupid, would I be cognizant of how "stupid" I am?

What do you do if you think your death is going to be better than your life?

Your life is what you make of it. If you haven’t made your life what you like, what makes you think you’ll be more energetic in your death?

Why do I like showing people that I give myself "pleasure"?

You’re an exhibitionist.

What do you do if you're just waiting to die?

Nothing. You’re just waiting to die. If you do something else, you’re not just waiting to die. If you have something else to do, you are living life... which is always the best choice.

Do women date men who don't enjoy physical involvement?

Only if the woman also doesn’t enjoy physical involvement.

Why are some people not afraid to die?

Some people are cowards. It is so much easier for them to commit suicide than to be brave enough to correct the bad choices and decisions they keep on making in their life. Life is all about making choices and decisions and learning from them. Some people don’t want to understand this.

“There comes a time when you look into the mirror and you realize that what you see is all that you will ever be. And then you accept it. Or you kill yourself. Or you stop looking in mirrors.”

-- J. Michael Straczynski

What do you think of the quote, “A bad day for the ego is a good day for the soul?”

No one is perfect, and this reminds us so.

I tried my hardest, to pass my courses but I failed and now I'm going onto academic suspension. They all had high hopes for me, and so did I. But how can I let my family know that I'm a failure?

You’re not a failure. I squeaked by graduating from high school. Turned out that the curriculum in high school wasn’t what I wanted to learn. I majored in psychology in college, never cracked a book, and earned a 3.2 GPA. I was drafted for Vietnam and was accepted into Air Force Intelligence. My point is, not to be so hard on yourself. You probably haven’t taken the right courses that tickle your soul.

I am writing a text about consciousness, the soul, and magic. What do you think of it?

They are three subjects that seem to not have much to do with each other.

Can a person be extremely arrogant and genuinely intelligent, or does arrogance hinder intelligence?

Arrogance hinders intelligence. Being “genuinely intelligent” you will find no reason to hold your intelligence over everybody. Being “genuinely intelligent” wisdom would remind you to keep your mouth shut so the “extremely arrogant” can make fools of themselves.

How would you respond to someone asking you, “Why on earth would you know that?” Is this likely a way to trigger insecurity and/or discredit you, more so, than genuine curiosity?

“I would know that because I’m a fount of trivia bullshit.” The only “insecurity” would be with the person asking the question, since I know what they don’t.

Which quote resonated with you the most, and why?

The “why?” is self-explanatory:

"Faith is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof. Christians have faith in life after death, in the next great adventure, in an omnipotent power in the universe. There is no proof and there is no proof to the contrary. Atheists, well... they provide the balance the universe requires."

-- F.A. Villari

I adopted some characteristics of a group I liked as a form of identity and not personality. I feel very uneasy and unwell. What can I do?

Try being yourself. It is a concept that will help.

Why do all problems and questions have answers?

Problems have answers, even if we aren’t aware of them yet. Questions require more information, and some context, than simply asking, “Why?” The obvious non-answer to this question is to say, “Because.” Most people, with a brain, would look at you and answer, “Why what?” Questions don’t all have answers. The question must have some context to uncover an answer.

Do people sometimes eat snacks and more food out of boredom?

If the people were focused, they would have little time to snack.

How can we address the belief that intelligence makes someone superior without causing offense?

“Intelligence” only makes someone “superior” if they know how to wield it. Thinking that your intelligence makes you “superior” will invite all those who know they can take them down a rung or two.

Why do stupid people argue with intelligent people?

Why do "intelligent people" allow it?

How do you deal with stupid people who think they're actually smart?

I don’t “deal” with them. I smile,  keep my mouth shut, and wait for somebody else to “deal” with them.

“I am not perfect, but if I looked perfect to everyone I must have been rocking imperfect perfectly to a few imperfect souls that seek imperfection vs. perfection, in an imperfect world where God asks us to seek perfection for our imperfect souls.”

-- Shannon L. Alder

Is "the truth" something that we find, or something we create?

The truth is what it is. To try and make it something that it’s not is counterproductive. It can be found or created, but it will always be the truth, or someone will prove it false.

Why are people who are purely factual and adhere very close to the truth so dry, boring, and often slightly angry, while those who run more on imagination are light and full of life?

The truth is not as much fun as imagination and fantasy. The truth is what it is.

What is it like to live alone and die alone?

My worst fear. I hope I never find out.

Why are liberals so deeply amazed by my knowledge of politics when I have an educated debate with them?

It is an “educated” debate. That, alone, will throw them off their mark.

Do some people get enjoyment from going to the doctor?

It depends. Is she going to probe? 

What do you think about how people perceive you?

I don’t think about it because I don’t give a shit. I am who I am. I have no filter, so I say what I think. If people have an issue with this they don’t have to listen to me. I’m 70 years old, and I’m not changing for some creampuff who doesn’t like what I say. They are usually members of the League of the Perpetually Offended.

"We must not allow other people's limited perceptions to define us."

-- Virginia Satir

Which trait brings about more evil, greed, or pride? Which of these traits more than the other causes a person to go down a dark path in life?

Greed answers both. I pride myself on trying not to be greedy. And, since I’ve been down that dark path in life, I am much happier being back and sharing wisdom.

Why do people say they rather be respected than feared, when being feared is easier but once you're respected and that person loses respect for you it's almost impossible to get their respect back, why not just be feared?

It takes nothing to threaten someone and instill fear in them. It takes a lot more work to be respected. Any “jackanape” can puff up their muscles and give you that “you’re going to die” look. To not be bothered by them is the challenge. Shoot them in the leg and they cry like anyone else. The only thing about “fear” is that you can be conquered by it. They can beat the crap out of you, but, sooner or later, they have to get drunk or go to sleep. This is when revenge kicks in and “respect” is learned. Being a “jackanape” is a sad way to go through life. Learning is why we’re here. Even the “jackanape” can learn.

What is there to know about the knowledge people don't know?

The knowledge. We are here to learn, though most people don’t realize it. To know the knowledge, that we don’t know, satisfies our reason for being. We learn.

I'm considering becoming evil because I've been repaid with evil for my good far too often. I feel it would get me farther ahead in life. Why should I change my mind?

So, evil has won you over. It is how evil keeps in the game, by winning people over. It takes a strong will to tell evil to go back to hell. I’m not here to change your mind. There must be balance in the universe, and you will “turn” to keep the balance. Like most people without strong wills, you will sacrifice yourself for the common good. You will become fodder on the field of battle. Not something I would do, but, if fodder suits you...

I am in the mood to give away most of my things but I have "bad trust and discernment." Who do I know who is bad or good?

Why are you asking us? 

Does science know the truth about Mel's hole?

Science probably doesn’t want to know about “Mel’s hole.” I’m sorry I’ve heard about it. Tell me that “Mel’s hole” is not on his body. If science comes snooping around any of my holes, they’re in for a surprise.

"I forgot where I initially encountered Mel's hole (though it wasn't through Art Bell or his radio show, which I have never heard), but I have been fascinated by the whole hole phenomenon, and not simply the impossible hole itself, ever since."

-- Doug Harvey

Why don't good people care about what you have to say?

A plethora of good people, care what I have to say. They “upvote” my comments all the time. The only people I have problems with are members of the League of the Perpetually Offended.

While everyone exists due to reproduction, does everyone exist because their parents necessarily wanted to have children?

No. Some exist due to rape.

I created a new identity for myself that feels unnatural and I don't want to assume. How do I become my authentic self?

You were probably your “authentic self” before you tried to create a “new identity” for yourself. How about being who you really are? When you rip away all the false bullshit you have decorated yourself with, you will see your authentic self. Every time you see yourself doing something that is not who you are, stop it. Tell yourself, “This is not who I am.” None of us can tell you how to become. You know, better than any of us, who you really are.

Why is everyone in the world dumb except me?

Because your opinion is not just wrong, it is really wrong.

What do you do, if you realized you might be wrong all along in your thinking all these years?

Try being right. Everything that has gone before, is in the past. Now is the time to change your thinking.

I am overly obsessed with perfection: perfect days, perfect hair, perfect everything. How do I get over this? Should I seek professional help?

You need to admit that nothing is “perfect” in the universe. There are “levels of excellence” to strive for, but “perfect” does not exist. What you have are excellent days, excellent hair, excellent everything. You can seek “professional” help, but they’ll charge you for what I gave you for free. Oh, and stop being obsessed or you’ll never find true happiness. Strive for true happiness always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances. It is a choice.

“If you look for perfection, you'll never be content.”

-- Leo Tolstoy

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