Do you believe in fate?

icklemiss21

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We had this conversation over lunch at work yesterday

Do you believe life is predetermined by fate, that each of our decisions makes a difference in our lives or a mixture of the two?
 

natalie_ca

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Actually I believe that our lives are mapped out for us despite what we do in our day-to-day lives. I believe the decisions that we make daily are the decisions that we are meant to make so that our lives follow the predetermined path meant for us.
 

lmunsie

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I think we have complete free choice, and our choices and their implications are our own.
 

trillcat

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I do not believe our lives are predetermined.
If so, why even bother with it at all.
 

spudsmom

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Originally Posted by Trillcat

I do not believe our lives are predetermined.
If so, why even bother with it at all.
Bingo! i couldn't have said it any better.
 

white cat lover

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I don't believe there is a god or higher power. I believe a mixture of both - I believe in fate, but also that we can determine our own destiny through our day to day actions.
 

snake_lady

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Actually I believe that our lives are mapped out for us despite what we do in our day-to-day lives. I believe the decisions that we make daily are the decisions that we are meant to make so that our lives follow the predetermined path meant for us.


I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason, every choice is made for a reason, and that when its our time, nothing we can do will stop it or could prevent it.
 

trillcat

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Originally Posted by Snake_Lady



I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason, every choice is made for a reason, and that when its our time, nothing we can do will stop it or could prevent it.
I believe along with you everything happens for a reason but, if we choose to change out destiny from what we believe will happen, does that not change our destiny?
 

snake_lady

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Originally Posted by Trillcat

I believe along with you everything happens for a reason but, if we choose to change out destiny from what we believe will happen, does that not change our destiny?
I don't believe that one can change their destiny.

I believe they can choose which roads to take, but ultimately all roads will lead to the same place.
 

trillcat

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Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

I don't believe that one can change their destiny.

I believe they can choose which roads to take, but ultimately all roads will lead to the same place.
If all roads lead to the same place, and all we do to be better people leads to the same thing, nothing we can do will let us escape, I will take a gun to my head right now. What are we livng for?
I evolve as a human all the time. I have changed my future.
 

cococat

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Originally Posted by icklemiss21

We had this conversation over lunch at work yesterday

Do you believe life is predetermined by fate, that each of our decisions makes a difference in our lives or a mixture of the two?
Big time mixture.
There have been WAY too many huge and important coincidences beyond my control for me not to think of something along the lines of fate.
But also I know that little choices that I make daily control my future, in big and small ways daily.
 

swampwitch

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I believe that our decisions make our lives. If anything is predetermined, it would have to be like millions of branches on a tree and our decisions take us along certain branches (or not).

To say everything is already set and we are just going through the motions and there is no cause or effect and we can't do anything to make our lives better, well then, Trillcat, pass me that gun, please.
 

ut0pia

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I believe in free will, no fate. The things that aren't in our control are the result of someone else exercising their free will....
Actually I feel like free will implies that you are an agent in your own life, as in our conscious actions determine everything, while I believe in this as well I also think actions that don't have a specific motive or purpose, things that are just routine and we don't think twice about- determine even more than our conscious actions do.
 

nekomania

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Urgh I remember having to write a paper on Fate Vs Volition for BritLit in highschool.

Volition being obviously the ability to choose or determine your course of actions. Free Will basically.

I ultimately picked Volition over Fate because I don't like to believe that I don't have control over my own life. I feel like giving up to fate would mean that I just roll with the punches, good or bad, and shrug it off to a higher power.

Though there have been instances in my life where I have said "This must be fate!" But in the back of my mind, I know deeply that the choices I made in my life directly affected the point that I am at now.

For instance, it is not fate that I have heart problems, it is bad genetics and horrible eating habits that got me here.
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by Trillcat

If all roads lead to the same place, and all we do to be better people leads to the same thing, nothing we can do will let us escape, I will take a gun to my head right now. What are we livng for?
I evolve as a human all the time. I have changed my future.
Originally Posted by SwampWitch

I believe that our decisions make our lives. If anything is predetermined, it would have to be like millions of branches on a tree and our decisions take us along certain branches (or not).

To say everything is already set and we are just going through the motions and there is no cause or effect and we can't do anything to make our lives better, well then, Trillcat, pass me that gun, please.

To say that free will doesn't matter, and all is predetermined destiny.... Ok.... So.... Let me just sit my butt on the couch, never apply to a job in my life again, not send another resume out, not talk to anyone, never go to another interview, because the job of my dreams will knock on my door one way or another regardless of what I do... Right? How can that be even be considered possible? I firmly believe you get what you work for. There are no victims, everything is a consequence of your past actions... Unless you inherited some genetic disorder from your parents...
Actions, consequences.... otherwise why get off bed? Why go to school? College? Be good? Why do your best?
 

snake_lady

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Originally Posted by Trillcat

If all roads lead to the same place, and all we do to be better people leads to the same thing, nothing we can do will let us escape, I will take a gun to my head right now. What are we livng for?
I evolve as a human all the time. I have changed my future.
You have your beliefs, and I have mine.


This thread was a question about your PERSONAL beliefs....not a debate, not which is right/wrong, and I stated my beliefs and am leaving it at that. If I wanted to argue or be insulted LOL, then I'd go to IMO.
 

skippymjp

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Not in the classic sense, no, I don't. I don't believe that anything is predetermined for individuals. But, I do believe that the ultimate destiny of the human race is dictated by humanity itself, as a whole, with individuals having very little say in the matter. An example being; as long as humanity prizes power, profit and creature comforts over the environment, the environment is going to lose, regardless of what human sub-groups or individuals do to protect it. When enough humans are convinced a prophecy is supposed to come to past, they will, either consciously or sub-consciously, do everything in their power to ensure that it does.

I guess I'm saying that "fate" and "self-fulfilling prophecy" are likely the same thing.
 
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