Do you believe in fate

I believe in it to an extent, but I think it has more to do with us not being able to explain everything in the respect of how and why? Everything happens for a reason because there are events that occur that set possibilities into motion. So in essence, yeah everything happens for a reason. I think we call it fate moreso when we can't find understanding or an explanation. I'm sure "everything" can be explained, but it's impossible for us to understand or even know "everything" so it's easier for us to call it fate...destiny...what have you. It's a nice thought...cause everyone at one time or another wonders what if...I had never gone to that club? never met my wife? slept with what's her name? moved to Seattle? etc...But to think "everything" is ordained?? What's the point? IF that is true then there really are NO choices in life. Fate is our inability to foresee all the other consequences and possibilities of our actions/inactions. To me fate is a little like a storybook with characters that have freewill except there's no writer planning ahead for the character's life from beginning to end.
 
Yes, I believe in "fate" up to a given point. I think that we are ultimately our own shapers of our own lives for the most part though. We each have the power to make our lives whatever we want them to be. If we chose to have the true desire to do so. Sure, you cant avoid some things like the family, or circumstances you are born into, but you can still shape, and change your own life. Too many people let life happen to them, vs. take life by the horns, and try and make their lives what they want them to be.
 
[This is, at least, what I believe.]

There are three factors that together affect the course of one's life; namely fate, effort, and time.

The example is given of a farmer planting crops. There are three main factors: planting, rain, and time. Planting represents effort, and rain represents fate. If the farmer plants and there is no rain, there will be no crop, and if the farmer doesn't plant and there is rain, still there will be no crop. Time is also required for the seeds of fate and effort to fruictify.
 
Stuff_ said:
[This is, at least, what I believe.]

There are three factors that together affect the course of one's life; namely fate, effort, and time.

The example is given of a farmer planting crops. There are three main factors: planting, rain, and time. Planting represents effort, and rain represents fate. If the farmer plants and there is no rain, there will be no crop, and if the farmer doesn't plant and there is rain, still there will be no crop. Time is also required for the seeds of fate and effort to fruictify.
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Good stuff, Confucious. Or, rather, that is Good Confucious, Stuff.

I like that analogy- never heard that before. But what about having a flat in the morning (vandal slices your tire) that throws you running late for work. You speed to work after fixing the flat and run through a yellow light only to run over a homeless man who drunkenly stepped off a curb. You can get convicted of vehicular manslaughter and lose your job. Your wife leaves you due to your unemployment and your newly acquired taste for alcohol and self-loathing. You further spiral downward after she takes everything (including the German Shephard) and you find yourself living on the street. One morning in a drunken fog you stumble off a curb and- WHAM!! you get plowed under by some guy running late for work because he had a flat caused by some vandal who slashed his tire the night before.

Fate? Did the vandal's act happen (to you) for a reason? Basically, I'm saying, "What about the random (but are they really random? I guess that's the point here, huh?) things that don't involve effort or time?"
Is it fate that I am on the computer, writing this post (instead of still being in bed asleep? Is there a higher reason you are reading this at this very moment?

I am not trying to poke fun at anyone; I do believe things happen for a reason.
 
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Texan said:
Good stuff, Confucious. Or, rather, that is Good Confucious, Stuff.

I like that analogy- never heard that before. But what about having a flat in the morning (vandal slices your tire) that throws you running late for work. You speed to work after fixing the flat and run through a yellow light only to run over a homeless man who drunkenly stepped off a curb. You can get convicted of vehicular manslaughter and lose your job. Your wife leaves you due to your unemployment and your newly acquired taste for alcohol and self-loathing. You further spiral downward after she takes everything (including the German Shephard) and you find yourself living on the street. One morning in a drunken fog you stumble off a curb and- WHAM!! you get plowed under by some guy running late for work because he had a flat caused by some vandal who slashed his tire the night before.

Fate? Did the vandal's act happen (to you) for a reason? Basically, I'm saying, "What about the random (but are they really random? I guess that's the point here, huh?) things that don't involve effort or time?"
Is it fate that I am on the computer, writing this post (instead of still being in bed asleep? Is there a higher reason you are reading this at this very moment?

I am not trying to poke fun at anyone; I do believe things happen for a reason.
Click to expand...

That was what I was saying...once one thing occurs it occurred because a series of events and choices were set into motion/made...it's sort of like ball is in your court now...you don't have to become a drunk...you didn't have to
speed to get to work on time...you could have just chose to do something else...got a cab...asked for a ride...took the bus...then something else might have happened however...you can't plan for these things...you can only make the choices that you see available to you. Something catestrohic doesn't happen to everyone every single day, but we do make decisions every day that might affect others and eventually ourselves somewhere down the road...we just can't possibly see it coming all the time.
 
Fate is in part due to previous actions, so yes. I think that things that happen due to fate are meant to teach us a lesson that we as of yet do not understand, and that we show which lessons we need to learn partially by our actions.

The way things actually unfold isn't completely due to fate, but rather a full combination of fate, effort, and time; so that makes it more difficult to see which portion of it was due to fate, and which was due to effort on your part.

Edit: So this means that our personal effort can change the outcome of our future, and others. What happens is not set in stone by fate, but fate plays as much of a role in it as our efforts. There is order to everything that happens in life, down to the smallest particle.
 
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