knowledge

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The Six Principals of The Ten Commandants

10-commandments

Religion is a sensitive topic to write about…and I am sure that I will offend some/or most…but that is not my intent.  I asked myself prior to writing this piece “How many religions are there in the world?”…so I Googled the question and was surprised at the multitude of answers. The answers ranged from 11 to over 4,000…in terms of organized human religious beliefs.  Obliviously in the end it boils down to the acceptance of one’s own definition of religion and belief….which brings me to this point…

With so many contributing factors that create wars and unrest in the world that stem from a combination of politics, greed, power, and suppression why is it that the religious aspect always seems to be attached to the conflict regardless of the complexity of reasons.

I was taught that religion is a spiritual belief of faith…and that there is a better life after this world…if one believes. So why should there be so much conflict about religion in this world…that is a matter of another world?  There are elements of each “religion”…that end up producing a better afterlife…if you believe. I find it interesting that the people that “do not believe”…find religion annoying and want to alter the principals of the “believers”… and the “believers” want to impose their beliefs on the “non believers” or other religions that are different from theirs. . Confusing?…yes it is, but in the end it is not about religion on this earth…it’s the fear that each is going to dominate the other and impose their values, beliefs and life style on their way of life….its about political structure and the fear that the one with the most power will rule over the other.

My Son pointed out to me in a conversation that we were having…that the last 6 of the 10 commandants really have more relevance to respect, goodness and human rights than a reference to an afterlife affirmation.  Even though I am ignorant of the teachings of the different religions I do recognize the goodness of individuals that try to live by the principals of those six commandants.

If each individual…regardless of religion… adopted the “last six commandments as principals” to live by…this world would be a much better place.

Johnny J.

 

DISCLAIMER: The information presented is either my opinion or information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and factual; however, I make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. Any errors, including misuse or misspelling of words is either due to my fingers hitting the wrong keys, oversight, or my own ignorance.

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BMFD

ImageWhat do a pre-school child (4 to 5 years of age) and a super senior have in common?

There is a good possibility…it’s a Brain to Mouth “Filter” Disorder (BMFD).  In one… it has yet to be installed and… in the other… it could be worn out.

When you were four years old you probably had a tendency to repeat things that you had heard that may not have been appropriate…or innocently expressed how you felt without any consideration of others.  If you are in your super senior years…you may have a tendency to verbalize what others would consider inappropriate…but you don’t care… “you say what you mean…and mean what you say”.

Somewhere in between these ages most people develop a “filter” within themselves… that prompts them to ask “Is this an appropriate thing to say”?  Now of course…we all know some people that have traveled through life without any “filter” at all…which could be more disturbing that we care to explore.

As one ages the “filter” that processes the intake of information prior to responding becomes less effective and results in quicker, honest, and sometimes hostile and more direct responses.

Example: (Joe at the age of 40 having a conversation with his 40 year old friend Fred).

JOE:  “Fred what do you think of the political structure in today’s society”?

FRED:  “I believe that we have a good check and balance system…etc…”

JOE:  “That’s very insightful…I have never viewed it from that prospective”.

Joe 40 years later asking the same question… to a “forty” year old friend Tom.

JOE:  “Tom what do you think of the political structure in today’s society”?

TOM:  “I believe that we have a good check and balance system…etc…”

JOE:  “You stupid SOB…I can’t believe that anyone could be so damn stupid to think that way”!

 …I believe that you get the point.

The real question is: Has Joe gained more knowledge to change his point of view or has aging just brought on a more aggressive behavior?  We could continue with more questions…but the complexity of the answer is never simple and would need to be analyzed on an individual bases.

I recall a certain individual that I meet in college…and after several conversations…I thought that he was the stupidest individual that I had ever met (please do not confuse intelligence with education).  By circumstances I had the opportunity to meet him again 40 years later in a business environment…and in spite of his education and life experiences…in my opinion he is still the stupidest individual that I have ever met.  Aging does not always bring wisdom with it…sometimes it’s just a process of getting older.

Have you checked your “filter” lately? Check it for tolerance and understanding…but never let it filter out truth and honesty.

Johnny J. 

 DISCLAIMER: The information presented is either my opinion or information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and factual; however, I make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. Any errors, including misuse or misspelling of words is either due to my fingers hitting the wrong keys, oversight, or my own ignorance.

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Good Decisions vs. Bad Decisions

3-4-2013 9-24-20 AMI am a firm believer that the more facts you have…the more prone you are to make intelligent decisions.  We sometimes tend to fool ourselves about our preexisting knowledge of everything. You may be very knowledgeable about a particular subject matter which will create a high level of  confidence in yourself…but when you allow that high level of confidence to gravitate to something that you know very little about…the old adage takes over “I little knowledge can be a very dangerous thing”.

We are all “ignorant” of various subject matters…but we become “stupid” when we don’t realize or acknowledge that fact.  The best advice you can give (if asked) when it is outside your rim of expertise is simple… “I don’t know…but if you would like…I can help you find someone who is knowledgeable in that area.”

I have been in sales all of my adult life…and to me…sales is a simple matter of identifying the need or pain and arriving at a solution that benefits the recipient.  Sometimes it takes more than your knowledge to achieve that objective. Get over it…you are not an authority on everything.

I have always found it interesting when talking with someone about a particular subject matter (that I do have some expertise in) that they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about…but they do it with such confidence, conviction and authority.   This supports the old adage “when someone thinks you are stupid…remove all doubt by opening your mouth”.

It is not always the right thing to take advice or use someone’s service from someone that you like and respect.  The example that I often use is: “I have a friend that is a doctor who I like and respect his knowledge and ability…but I would never consider using him if I needed a life threatening operation”…because he is a dentist.

Knowledge is the most powerful thing when properly applied to your decision making process.

 

 DISCLAIMER: The information presented is either my opinion or information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and factual; however, I make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. Any errors, including misuse or misspelling of words is either due to my fingers hitting the wrong keys, oversight, or my own ignorance.