Questioning Rights, Fun, Work, Leaving, Stupid, and Happiness

 

“If you want to know a person’s true character, observe how he treats those who don’t matter.”

-- Matshona Dhliwayo

Do you agree that rights should be earned, not given? For example, stupid, illiterate people shouldn't have the right to post an opinion?

So, intelligent people who act stupid, shouldn’t have the right to either. I’ve known many “intelligent” people who do ignorant things and think it’s okay because they have a degree that makes them think it’s okay. It isn’t, and they’re intelligently ignorant. Everyone has the right to state their opinion. They have the right to post their opinion. They have the right to have their opinion heard. The people who are ignorant, or “stupid” as you call them, are the people who don’t want “stupid, illiterate people” to have a voice. As I have heard, it seems most of the people that populate the earth are “stupid, illiterate people,” God bless them.

If a person is self-important, does it mean he's not important to anybody but himself?

Pretty much.

Is it considered inappropriate to tell someone that their life has no real purpose or meaning outside of their own perception?

And your perception is perfect? Probably not. I would say, anyone who tells someone this “has no real purpose or meaning outside of their own perception.” But, I sure wouldn’t tell them that. It would make you sound ignorant. 

How do you call a person who lives by threatening others so he can feel good (give me another word other than a bully)?

Asshole? Prick? Son of a bitch?

Will being really nice to every living creature make me pretty, or at least cover the fact that I’m ugly? How do I know if I'm nice and kind?

You are worried about it. That, in itself, states that you will work to make it so. Be “selfless” in all you do. This means you don’t go for the spotlight, you don’t want the accolades or the thank yous. You do “good” and fade into the background. I buy supplies for our local soup kitchen, I work through the manager and have told him to keep my involvement on the down-low. Not even my significant other knows I do this. If you do this and strive to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances, you will know you are “nice and kind.” Pretty? What does pretty do for you, that being nice and kind won’t? I think, not much.

Trust, loyalty, and respect are a must for eternal happiness… Is that true?

These are traits that define a good person. Are they eternally happy? Maybe. But, if they aren’t, I can almost guarantee, they are looked on by most people as a truly good person.

“The reason why there are so many bad people in the world is very simple: It's easy to be a bad person, it's hard to be a good person!”

-- Mehmet Murat ildan

What kinds of fun do you like with your opposite gender?

We go shopping. At 70 years of age, this is about it. We are making a standing “Saturday night date” for wine at the Bistro.

What are the deep-seated needs and desires that drive people to seek out and create shared moments, and how can food play a central role in these experiences?

We are societal creatures. We started this way and still are, though we have forgotten our long-lost history. Food has always been the peacemaker. It makes a good experience where combat may have broken out. 

Would you kill your enemy and his children because he called you a loser?

This would be the action of a coward. It would be better, if you smiled and forgave them.

I don't blame other people, but I often feel lonely which comes suddenly and weighs on my chest to the point of crying, how do I stay stable?

Accept who you are. You are right not to blame those who had no hand in your choices and decisions. This is all about you. When this feeling comes upon you, do something “selfless” to help those really in need. You might find that the weight will leave you as you do "selfless deeds" for other people.

What's your perfect Saturday like? Your current age? Thanks.

Bourbon and a cigar, as I relax at the local watering hole. I am 70+ years young.

I am shy and I am an introvert. I also have low self-esteem and low confidence caused by past experiences. What can I do to help build my self-esteem and confidence? Or, is this part of having a shy personality?

The first thing you need to do is accept that you have past experiences and let them go. You aren’t there anymore. Close your eyes and relax. Now, mentally, forgive everybody who did you wrong. This, instead of, mentally, killing them. You are stronger than you think, and “forgiveness” is the sword of the strong of heart. Being shy has nothing to do with having good self-esteem and confidence. So, snap out of it! Go work at a soup kitchen, or anywhere you can see many people and interact with them. “Shy” will be a historical trait you will dust off occasionally. 

"Let us be shy no longer. Let us go to our strength. Let us offer hope. Let us tell the world, that a new age is not only possible but probable."

-- Ronald Reagan

“If you work hard, you’ll be successful in life” To what extent do you agree with this statement?

It depends on your definition of “success” in life. For me, striving to be truly happy always and in all things, regardless of my circumstances, meets my definition of success. Anything else is just money to live on.

I loved my first girlfriend. She loved me too, but another woman treated her better. What should I do?

Nothing. She is shallow. She wants to be pampered. Now, you can go out and find true love. 

How would you become the best version of yourself?

I’m already there. “Strive to be truly happy, always, and in all things, regardless of your circumstances. It is a choice, a life choice.” I came up with the saying, and I live by it. Anything else is contrary to progress in life. 

I made my wife cum for the first time. What should I do?

Drink champagne with her, take her to dinner, come back home, and do it again... better.

How do I act when she comes back?

From where? If she’s having an affair, change the locks and slam the door in her face. She thinks she can come back? She must think you will forgive her. She will continue to have “trysts” if you let her.

How do we cope with a relationship to maintain a strong and peaceful marriage?

If you have to “cope,” there is already a problem. If you have to cope, you shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place.

“Happy is the man who finds a true friend, and far happier is he who finds that true friend in his wife.”

-- Franz Schubert

My boyfriend behaves very rudely with me and without physical touch he doesn’t even talk to me. I always behave well with him. What should I do?

Leave him. It isn’t rocket science.

Why are Republicans promoting ignorance, stupidity, and lies?

They’re trying to catch up with the Democrat’s ignorance, stupidity, and lies. It seems a little counter-productive, to me.

What should I do if I want a better life?

Get a better job. Or, move from California to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

What are the effects of saying "I don't love anyone" or "I don't have any friends"?

The effect of saying, “I don’t love anyone,” is the response, “Sucks being you.” The impact of saying, “I don’t have any friends,” is the response, “What am I?” Before you consider saying any of this, consider the person you’re saying it to. They may have a snappy comeback, or they may take offense.

Why does it bother other people when someone thinks highly of themselves?

If they misplace their ego, what else have they misplaced?

How can my husband tell everybody including me that he loves me more than anything, yet takes off on me constantly, never home at night, and refuses to respond to a single phone call or message? Why can he respond to others, yet not me?

Do you think he’s full of shit? It sounds like his love for you, is lip service… and not the “lip service” you need. Maybe it’s time for you to stop cutting bait, and think about fishing for a man who pays attention to you. Mention “divorce” and see what his reaction is. One way or another, you might be happier.

“If I was married to a guy like that, chances are good he’d wind up being a suspicious smell in the attic”

-- G.A. McKevett

What is the best way to handle a situation where people constantly call each other stupid?

Don’t get into it. They are, constantly, trying to outdo each other with their obvious ignorance. And, this is the point. There is no stupid person. They are only ignorant. Name-calling simply pisses people off. I try not to get into it, thus, my advice: Don’t get into it.

Should I stay at a job I am not happy with?

No. A simple answer to a simple question.

Is it okay to have one thousand questions?

It is okay, but they may not be answered all at once. One thousand questions will take a while. Actually, it's kind of a job a person needs to be paid for. One thousand questions… Jeeze!

Do I really need a serious relationship?

No. 

Why can't people understand that race does matter to you?

They are really racists, and they think you are. Or, they think you have made some racist statement, which you haven’t. Or, they just don’t give a shit, one way or another… you are guilty. The fact that I think the illegal aliens need to be rounded up and be ejected out of this country, is not racist. They are illegal and they have invaded my country. They need to go. It isn’t racist. It is protecting our border, which the waste of a President hasn’t done.

Why do I always pick the shitty girls to date?

You like the “shitty” girls. No problem with that. Everyone needs to have fun.

“Was she a bad person? She didn’t know. She didn’t feel bad but…she didn’t feel exactly good either. Not that she knew what those things really meant anyway. Who decided?”

-- Lexie Talionis

What is your opinion on the quote, "Happiness is not in possessions but in appreciation of what we already have."?

It is my quote: “Strive to be truly happy, always, and in all things, regardless of your circumstances. It is a choice, a life choice.”

Why aren’t many people responding to my questions?

If I have not responded, please send the questions to me.

Why is almost no one helpful on here?

It depends on the basic question. If there is no meat, there will be no reasonable nibble. Are your questions asking for more than a one-word answer? If not, a one-word answer is what you get.

Why would a guy stop to eat you out in the middle of sex?

Uh… he’s hungry?

What does it mean when your son does not like your boyfriend?

It means he doesn’t like your boyfriend. Not rocket science. It means that the boyfriend will put up with rejection from the son. If this doesn’t change, marriage is a serious problem.

My father got my wife pregnant. What should I do?

Tell your father he’s on the hook for all the bills, and you need to divorce your wife. 

“Why didn't I feel that I belonged to my parents? How could I have known that I was not right? I think it has always been part of me. Can a newborn sense her parents' disappointment, and feelings of frustration, at not being able to change the unchangeable?”

-- Joan Frances Casey

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