<p>Do you think fate determined (or influenced?) many of the outcomes that have brought you to your present situation?</p>
<p>I believe we make our own fate.</p>
<p>If there is a fate, our choices lead us there, making it irrelevant. </p>
<p>But no, I don’t.</p>
<p>I believe in coincidences and that people are naturally inclined to look for patterns where there are none. Does that count? ;)</p>
<p>Do things happen which are beyond our control? Clearly that is the case. In fact we find ourselves to be very small specks in a huge or infinite universe. Most of the events which occur in the universe are outside of our control. When we look at our universe from a scientific perspective, we look for cause and effect, patterns, and laws which govern the universe. Our scientific approach allows us to learn more and more and has been very useful. When we look at ourselves as animals controlled by organic brains, we must consider that human behavior follows laws and our behavior comes from our genes and the effect of the environment. By logical extension we must consider that everything follows laws and hence is pre-determined. If we look at our own behavior, we can readily detect that we often behave in predictable fashion, depending on our personalities (genetics) and the events which befall us. We want to reject this conclusion. We have an overwhelming sense that we can make decisions - that we have free will. We know we have a sense of free will, but we are not sure what it is. Does it in fact imply some sort of randomness in the universe? If people have free wills, do animals? Watch a monkey. A monkey has a lot less intelligence than a human, but it does appear to investigate its environment and make simple decisions. And, why not? Our genetics and brains are in fact very similar. If a monkey has free will, does a dog or a cat have free will? What about a mouse or a worm or a bacteria?</p>
<p>Trying to defend a concept of free will gets us into all sorts of problems. Usually the simplest explanation is the best. We should reject the concept of free will, but we cannot.</p>
<p>I am shocked by the uncanny “coincidences” in my own life. Too many things, where I think, if we were five minutes later, this wouldn’t have happened, etc.etc.</p>
<p>Don’t know that I attribute that all to fate, but as I said, there are these weird coincidences.</p>
<p>Well, not so weird when you think of all the times that you DIDN’T have something happen because you were late, or missed connections, etc. I mean, in the overall scheme of things, it would be statistically improbable for there to never be coincidences… though of course it can be delightful and wonderful when these things happen. Sometimes the magic works… and sometimes it doesn’t.</p>
<p>I believe it is abundantly clear that some of us have free will, and some of us don’t. ;)</p>
<p>Curm: does that mean that you have free will, but others don’t?</p>
<p>I definitely believe that everything happens for a reason. Is that a belief in fate?</p>
<p>For example, when I was in my early twenties I was in a relationship that ended very badly. It was one of the worst emotional experiences of my life at the time.</p>
<p>The thing is had it not ended there is no question my life would be drastically different than it is today. I definitely would not have my twenty-five year marriage to someone who is not only my wife but my best friend. I almost definitely would not have a college degree or a successful (at the risk of sounding immodest) teaching career. I would not have my three children. </p>
<p>The thing is I have no other way that I can explain it than fate.</p>
<p>Last night I went to a musical revue. I had wanted to go to the matinee, but my son convinced me that the evening show would be better. As we were waiting for the show to start, an unfamiliar woman came over and addressed me as Beth. It was SOOZIEVT!! We’d never met, and I still don’t get how she figured out who I was (I’ll e-mail you Soozie), but what fun to meet her in person! Of course, VT is a small place and the performing arts piece of it is much smaller. Soozie and I both knew the person sitting next to me and many of the people on the stage.</p>
<p>As for fate, I recommend the book, “Life on the Other Side” by Sylvia Browne. I believe we plan a lot of our lives in advance.</p>
<p>I believe that where we are in life is determined 99% by the choices we make. About 1% is out of our control, but it is also our choice as to what we do with that 1%.</p>
<p>Totally, completely agree with Bay.</p>
<p>Great. I had plans for outdoor activities tomorrow, but it is supposed to be a cold, rainy day. Would one of you two please control the weather?</p>
<p>edad, there is absolutely no reason you cannot keep your plans for outdoor activities tomorrow. All you have to do is change your attitude about cold and rain - which is entirely within your control. It’s very simple. :)</p>
<p>EDad:
They did. Which is why you are getting that cold, rainy stuff.</p>
<pre><code>It would pay to stay on their good side…
</code></pre>
<p>LOL…actually, there are two ways to be happy. You can (1) get what you want, or (2) like what you have. </p>
<p>Edad’s challenge is to learn to LOVE cold, rainy days. :)</p>
<p>I wonder how some kid born into abject poverty in some South American country would feel about that philosophy. But, I forgot, you are 99% in control so you would never need to worry about such a fate.</p>
<p>That kid would immigrate to America, go to free public schools, get straight As, and end up at HYPS!</p>
<p>Edad, I’m 100% in control - you’re off by 1%. Now, if I cannot control the weather, I can certainly control how I choose to let it impact me. </p>
<p>It’s sort of like, if you cannot SOLVE the problem (the weather), you can certainly CHANGE the problem (your attitude specific to cold, rainy days). It’s your choice - and you’re in complete control of that choice.</p>