What makes you into the person you are today, is it all destiny or do we play a hand in shaping who we are?
At first glance, this question seemed to address the old Nature versus Nurture dichotomy. At a closer look, however, I realized that it's much deeper than that. Are We the Product of Destiny or Our Own Work? Though I could not offer a definite answer, this topic is certainly worth a bit of pondering.
What is Destiny?
Is it the sum of all outside forces shaping the path we walk on? In that case, it should include everything, from our genetic code, to the parenting approaches of our parents, the kids who ended up in our first class with us, down to the weather on our fourteenth birthday. The more you think about it, the more independent factors you'll notice that had an effect on you, one way or the other. What can be even more shocking, is that the great majority of these factors is completely random, that is, following no apparent plan or great order. Some of them may be more memorable than others, some will have a more profound effect on us than others, but even the most benign and mundane factor played its part in making us who we are.
Playing Our Hand
On the other hand, you can't ignore our own participation in our destiny. In the extended sense, this can also be said about the destiny of others, or rather the overall destiny of all of us, but let's just focus on ourselves for the sake of simplicity. To everything that happens to us we react in a certain way. That had to be our own doing, opening up one of many potential doors, and going through it rather than any of the others. Or even before said even happened to us, we had made a choice, or rather a series of choices that got us into the position where whatever it was happened. So both the origin and the outcome of the even was our own doing. The more we analyze it, the clearer it becomes, that the majority of the things happening to us are to some degree a result of our own choices and actions. Amazing, how much power we have!
A Non-Binary Setup
So which of the two explanations applies? On one hand, you could argue that free choice is an illusion. Even if think we are free to decide, our decisions are based on our likes and desires, our needs and goals. We may think that we do what we want, but we can't ever want what we want. Hence, all of us are 100% in the "hands of fate", like falling domino pieces, being affected by others, and affecting others, in a grand pattern that may look amazing from far away, but for us it is just an immediate chaos.
On the other hand, we could just as well argue the opposite: that destiny is an illusion. Each of us are shaping the world with all the individual choices we make every day. There is no great scheme of things, no master plan. There aren't even any small, individual plans, as we all are prone to change our minds based on the dynamically changing circumstances around us. Sure, we all affect each other in various ways, maybe even thinking that it'll all make sense in the end. But only after the curtain falls will we realize that there has never been a director, no audience, and even the script was made up on the fly, by each individual actor.
Looking at these two options, I don't think I like either of them. The first one takes away my free agency, the second one the grand plan behind all things. (Curious, how both of these seemingly contradictory notions are key parts to Christianity and other religions!) But are they mutually exclusive? Or can they be combined somehow?
What if I was the creator?
Okay, so how about this: I was the one responsible for all the little factors that make up this world. Then I placed myself in this game, reacting to all the things I conjured up to "happen to me"? This would leave me my free agency, as well as the grand plan of destiny. Not bad, but what about all the others? Did they do the same? So who's responsible for the thunderstorm wrecking my picnic? Did we all plan it in? Or did we vote on it? Or did some of us have a stronger will than others?
This train of thought leads us into extremely complex areas, where it is impossible even to see part of the picture without being distracted by other parts... until we consider another interesting notion:
We Are All The Same Person
Okay, so let's say, we're originally all the same person, taking up different manifestations. It was this great combo of all of us who designed the game, with all its minute factors acting upon each other. Then, this primal entity split itself up into various forms, kaleidoscope-like, with different backgrounds (genetic, social, educational, cultural, etc.) and placed these manifestations all throughout the world, into various relationships with each other. Give that it's the same original entity, but in different forms, each decision of each of its manifestations will react in his or her own way to the circumstances around, which at the same time corresponds to the great plan.
Finding One's Own Explanation
Since this is just a game of thought, it's impossible to say for sure which is more likely. Ultimately it comes down to belief, and what we're most comfortable with. My proposal might not be to everyone's satisfaction, and even I am not sure what to make of it. It feels better to me than either extreme of the spectrum. But I encourage each and every one to come up with their own worldview, and keep filing away at at. In the end we may never know, or it may be revealed to us, but that is another question of belief.
All images are from Pixabay.
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I loved this topic because everyone really looked at those two angles - freewill vs determinism - and most came away INCONCLUSIVE, or at least - hey, there's a bit of both. You write so clearly and simply, questioning whilst arriving at your own possible conclusion - I like your style.
I love that image to emphasis how we're all connected and influencing each other in all sorts of ways as part of a collective whole. The thing is, some people have far more power than others - so much so that they impact on the freedom of choice we have. Ah, who knows. I just try to do the best I can on the wheel. xx
H-m-m that's a different viewpoint that we all originated from the same being and respond individually to the different circumstances.
It kind of makes me think of how a baby is born with the cells spitting and reproducing itself.
I like that you bought to the forefront
It is surprising the power we have when we take a close look at it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this question!
Originated from, or you could say we still ARE the same being. People say "I can't split myself in two." or "I can't be in two places at once." Well, what if you could... be in many places at once? Would you also react differently to things?
I think the neat part here is to brainstorm cosmologies. Not that it would actually make it so, but it's always a good exercise to break away from the norm to try a new vision.
Whatever road one travels it helps to have a more positive attitude. Maybe one can't change or escape destiny but we do have a choice on how we experience it. This world can be cold and merciless but anything can be turned into an advantage
That's right: we can only do what we can, but that much we should! Where did I see this...? Give me coffee to help me change the things I can, and wine to accept the things I can't.
Life is a mixture of both Free will and Destiny. Both play their roles equally. While I too strongly believe that we can shape our life with our intentions and efforts but there are something that just do not happen or happens even if you try hard not to. For e.g. when I shifted to a new country I was all set to take up a job. I was applying with all the possible companies in the city. For 2 full years I must have tried giving my 100%, I may have covered up almost 80% of the companies in my field for the job, there was not a single day where I did not put my effort, but it just did not come through for me and I had to change my direction.
Changing my direction must be a plan of my destiny so anything that I worked on did not shape up for me in getting a job. This was one lesson that I learned that sometimes things are just meant to happen and no matter whatever you do it will happen the way it is planned for you.
Enjoyed reading your thoughts. Thanx for sharing.
Right... on the other hand, under different circumstances you barely even have to look, the job finds you. That's why it's so much harder for people who feel like they could take on the world. They could, but working with it is much more efficient. That's why I like to see us in the roles of co-creators, working on the world, but not on our own.
So well said, it's best to go with the flow of the Universe and allow things to happen just the way it is meant to be
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