The first school is that these things exist in a daily capacity in our lives. That everyone we meet, we were destined to meet them... fated to be friends or lovers or whatever, it was determined for us by previous events on this planet that we should interact in some meaningful way, or not. That everything that happens to us, happens because it was determined that it should.
The flip side is that things do not exist. There is no reason for anything that happens; the world is just a giant Random Number Generator.
I don't buy into either one of those mindsets. In fact, I think I fall squarely into the middle of the road on this one.
Perhaps it was Destiny, Fate or Determinism that led me to send the chat message that started the longest, most meaningful relationship of my life. It's entirely possible that it was... But it was by my choice that I have continued to work so hard to maintain that relationship.
Perhaps karma has a say what external influences are placed upon us. Karma throws us into situations that we need to learn to handle with grace, love and forgiveness. We both know that I've certainly been thrown into a situation.
For the last six or seven years, I've been railing against Destiny, Fate, Determinism. It wasn't until this morning that I realized that not only have I believed in free will and the power of human choice (and have been spouting off about it to those inclined to listen)... but I can apply this simple fact of existence to any situation that I find myself in.
I can choose to do nothing, and whine... or I can choose to do something, and succeed.
So, I am choosing to set aside the "woe is me" mentality that I've felt stuck in. I am choosing to give up the whole, "I just need someone to throw me a bone." excuse that I've been hiding behind. It's especially flimsy when I honestly admit to myself that people HAVE thrown me bones (even people whom I hardly know), and I've ignored or dodged them.
I am choosing to give up fear.
And like everything else in my life, it's my choice... and nothing can make it for, or take it from, me.
I always figure that it doesn't really matter if there is fate and destiny. Because if those exist then there's little to nothing we can do about them. What DOES matter is what DOES happen - not why it happens just the reality of the happening - and how one reacts to it.
ReplyDeleteWell, that's Determinism's point... that even your reaction has been pre-decided for you.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I'm not buying.
Hmmm then I'm on the train with you - or I would be if I wasn't a nihilist. My nihilistic point of view requires that I say it all doesn't matter, whether what happens AND your reaction are predetermined. Because it ALL doesn't matter. It is nothing, we are nothing and essentially everything we trouble ourselves with is nothing so why ponder it. Then again the humanist part of me desperately wants to be on the train and connecting and engaging because it ALL is EVERYTHING.
ReplyDeleteSo . . . that was exhausting. You're right.