What Fates Impose That Men Must Needs Abide.
 

Of late, I have been thinking about the various and sometimes strange turn of events that have affected my life. For reasons to be forever unknown, I enjoy an existence which, by all rights, I do not deserve. I was nothing short of a heathen in my younger days but now have a fabulous family, an interesting and prosperous professional life, and many friends - some of whom are actually pretty cool peeps when sober.

Anyhow, this period of reflection has caused me to think about the concept of destiny and whether or not such a force or principle or power actually exists. Throughout the centuries (perhaps since the dawn of mankind, womankind, kidkind, and sadly midget kind) human beings have conceived of a supernatural force known as destiny or fate or fortune (both good and bad) that leads us through our lives.

I wonder ... do Planeteers believe in destiny? Some unseen, strange power that predetermines the course of our events? Or, do we wander willy nilly through the willies and nillies of our existence occasionally bumping into circumstances that merely appear to us to be somehow fateful?

So I ask you, Planeteers ... do you believe in destiny?

FAX THE THOUGHTFUL

Disclaimers: Sorry if repost.

No. I believe in self determination that God already anticipates.

That will make no sense to some folks here...

I believe in destiny. I believe that everything happens for a reason, good or bad. We may not understand it now, but things that happen to us today shape who/where we will be in the future.

Karma...

I don't believe in destiny, but I do believe that the circumstances of our birth propel us toward certain outcomes and act to constrain us within certain spheres of possibility. The propelling force is weak, but the spheres are rather strong. Nonetheless, they can be escaped.

This is a tough question to answer, Mr. FAX. I believe that we, as individual and independent persons, are the sole directors of our final outcomes. Sure, there may be variables along the way and there may be a higher power that is observing these events from afar. However, there are multiple paths that are created from the individual choices that we can or cannot make. I like to think of it as a never-ending Choose Your Own Adventure® book.

Yes, but "karma" is not the same as "destiny" or "fate", Ms. luv. Surely, we reap what we sow. Either for good or bad - our futures are, to some extent, determined by our past and present actions. That's how come our prisons are packed with midgets.

Destiny is something different ... a course that is plotted in advance by powers beyond our control or understanding. Sort of like predetermination, but different in the sense that fate is neither good nor bad nor spiritual in any sense ... just a script that is being acted out in which we play a part.

FAX

So, you believe that "destiny" is pre-packaged to some degree in our genes, Mr. Rain Man?

FAX

Yes, but per my spheres and vectors theory, everyone is born with a different book.

So, your philosophy holds no room for uncontrollable destiny, Mr. Crush?

I think of the many peeps who are, for example, married to a person whom they met purely by accident. These wacky peeps spend the balance of their lives affected by another peep whom they could just have easily never known. Of course, that is merely one of the paths you speak of. Still, is it possible that something we call "destiny" causes those individual paths to cross?

FAX

I believe that who we are meant to be is predetermined. The things that happen to us, especially those things that are beyond our control, are meant to happen.

For example, I chose to move into the apartment I live in. Maybe one of my neighbors will end up being Mr Right. Maybe I will lose my job and lose this apartment. It would make me that much more aware and appreciative of what I had. I don't know, but someone or something does.

Our genes and our circumstances of birth.

Some kid born in Appalachia to impoverished parents may have a sphere of possibilities that is significantly weighted toward "tobacco farmer" or "asphalt worker", while an Arab sheikh's son may have a sphere of possibilities that is significantly weighted toward "international partygoer" or "racing camel stable owner" Could the Appalachian kid end up owning racing camels? Yeah, maybe, but the odds are a lot lower, and probably almost zero.

To me, "destiny" is nothing more than people playing connect-the-dots with events in their life.

The Calvinist perspective is interesting. Still, it almost seems as though they have co-opted the ancient concept of "fate" and used biblical interpretations to place "fate" in the hands of God, Mr. ClevelandBronco. To my mind, there's very little difference, really - except for the fact that predestination includes an aspect of morality that I don't think "fate" entertains.

FAX

I do not beleive in destiny, I believe what happens in life is by the choices you make.