If we have free will how can we also be destined to do something too. I was just wondering on this topic after I heard something and was just wondering.
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"Everyone and everything around you is your teacher." -- Ken Keyes Jr. -
Re: was wondering
Who said we are destined to do anything? We might have some things we are meant to do, but that's not the same as being "destined" to do it.Sleep, my friend, and you will see
That dream is my reality -
Re: was wondering
I think that destiny is mearly what could happen ... We choose our path with each decision of action or inaction ... There are endless possible outcomes to any situation ...
Now we might have a propensity for certain actions or be of a certain mindset and/or abilities which in turn would have fair odds of certain outcomes ...I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them ... John Bernard Books
Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official; "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."
The Chief nodded in agreement.
The official continued; "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"
The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied.. "When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine Man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."
Then the chief leaned back and smiled; "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."
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Re: was wondering
The way that I would express it is this:
"Destiny" is hindsight. The sum total of all your decisions, all your responses to events, all your interactions, your personality, etc. = your destiny. In order for there to be "something you are intended to do" would require the actions of intending agency. People who choose not to be in control of their own life tend to put that agency somehwere outside themselves, and invent "god" to bear the responsibilty.
However, since even "obeying the Gods" requires the individual to make a choice (To be, or not to be: that is the question...), each individual - in reality - creates his or her own destiny. If you want a particular destiny, or you want to change your "destiny," change yourself. If you want your destiny to just run it's course, then go with the flow.Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.
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Re: was wondering
I don't know about destined but I do think that the gods guide us in one way or another towards some end. It's up to us how we get there they just put us on the right roads to get there.Originally posted by TearDropStar View PostComment
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Re: was wondering
I don't think everyone has a destiny. Only some folks. Usually those who end up Doing Something Important, like MLK or Gandhi. Of course, they probably didn't realize they were Doing Something Important until they were doing it.The forum member formerly known as perzephone. Or Perze. I've shed a skin.Comment
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Re: was wondering
I don't believe in fate, or destiny, or anything like that. I don't believe that anyone is destined to be/do anything, it's the choices we make using our free will that form our lives - for better or worse. 'Fate' is fluid, not set in stone.Comment
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Re: was wondering
i agree. there are an infinate number of possible outcomes for each and every action and the choices one makes determines the thread one travels. eveyones possible threads are knotted with other peoples so if there was destiney it would be a universal destiny not individual. so either all events are predetermined and unchangeable (destiny) or no events are supposed to happen, they just may happen. i personally think all of the universe (both tempral and spatial) is fluid and if you choose to belive in free will by logic destiney dosent exsist.Originally posted by Gardenia View PostCirce
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Re: was wondering
As my sig says. Destiny is a game. You make the moves to decide the outcome."The fire could not be tamed with the wind,
nor the wind suppressed by the flames.
As blending the Light with the Dark
merely results in Grey." -Ville FrimanComment
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Re: was wondering
I believe in the balance of choice and destiny. It is hard for me to think that something IS or ISN'T 100% of the time. That is the problem I had with Christianity. In Pagan philosophy everything has an equal opposite. Choice : Destiny, Evil : Good, Male : Female.sigpicComment
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Re: was wondering
I seem to be with the majority here in not believe people have one written destiny. I don't think someone is assigned one great destiny at birth, or at any point in their lives. While not everyone is going to be the next Ghandi, everyone is capable of great things. Like many have said: I think it's about choices.
I also really love what Corbin said: "'Destiny' is hindsight." That's a great way of putting it.Comment
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Re: was wondering
I also seem to be with the majority here. I don't believe in destiny and agree that life is all about the choices we make. Any good diviner will tell you that the cards/stones/runes etc are only a look at what might happen based on your current choices. Nothing is guaranteed.Comment
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Re: was wondering
I think that destiny is based on the choices one makes...like cause and effect...or pretty much verbatim how Corbin put it.Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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Re: was wondering
In the interest of manufacturing wierd analogies, I'm going to put this in terms of a chess game. The link below is an absolute blank board, you have a crapload of options at your disposal. Freewill is the ability to move any piece in any legal manner you like.
case 1
Case two (immediately below), I've taken the board several moves into a game. You still have the ability to make any legal move you like but if you understand the position then you will automatically discount all but 4-5 moves as instantly suicidal.
case 2
Destiny works a little like a chess game, yes, you have the ability to make any choice you happen to like but the position of the other pieces combined with your personality is going to dictate some of your choices, funneling you into specific pathways. Whether you want to credit divine and/or demonic influence as being part of the game is up to you but by living you are in a game already in motion, different situations you run into in life will influence your moves just as the Bishop, Queen line-up in the second scenario forces the Black player to defend in one of a couple very specific and predictable ways or lose the game.life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous
"But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."
John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper
"You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."
Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
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Re: was wondering
This is the way a classic tragedy works - At the opening, the subject of the tragedy has unlimited options. However, each time the subject makes a bad choice, the number of options becomes increasing smaller, until, finally, he/she arrives at the inevitable bad end. In this case, "fate" works because the subject keeps making decisions that limit the available future choices.Originally posted by MaskedOne View Post
Most of us, I hope, won't end up like Romeo (what would have happened if he had paid attention to his sense of foreboding and hadn't gone to that party?) - but it's useful to consider the idea of the tragedy...
I find it best to try to make the kind of choices that allow MORE options in the future, not FEWER.Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.
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