Fate or Self-Determination?

[gorfle]

Do you believe that your situation in life is mostly a matter of fate, or is a product of your own actions?

edit to fix spelling.

[noamnety]

1. I had control over the details

but the biggest things are a result of being white, being female, being born into America, having the parents I had.

[MercutioATC]

16. That's not necessarily fate...it could also be viewed as a random event.

It's true that you don't pick your race or nationality or parents...but I consider those things random chance, not "fate".

[noamnety]

20. Agreed, but it wasn't a choice.

I stumbled over that wording myself, and then decided it wasn't intended to be a poll about religious views. I took the liberty of reinterpreting the choices to be "result of my actions" and "Not a result of my actions."

[MercutioATC]

22. Fair enough. I agree under you definition.

I interpreted the choices to be "a result of my actions" and "The result of predestination" (which is how I interpreted the word "fate").

[Odin2005]

2. Fate.

I'm a determinist and think "free will" is an illusion, an oppressive one at that, one that leads to blaming the victim.

[AllentownJake]

3. Both

Opportunities are given to some its how they capitalize on them. Some people don't get opportunities others get.

[gorfle]

8. But which do you think is more important?

Do you think the opportunities or the ability to capitalize on them mostly dictate your situation in life?

[AllentownJake]

10. Opportunities of course

W wouldn't have become President if it wasn't for who his father was.

[gorfle]

13. Sounds like you'd vote for fate then n/t.

.

[MercutioATC]

17. Given by whom (or what)?

[sharesunited]

4. Is oppression by forces of wealth, religion and skull cracking included under Fate?

[gorfle]

14. Whatever you consider to be fated.

Is oppression by forces of wealth, religion and skull cracking included under Fate?

If you believe that these things are what control your destiny, then yes.

[vadawg]

5. everything is already written, we think we have free choice but we dont really

culturally i am very fatalistic, perhaps one of the reasons i am content, no matter what happens it is fated.

[Deja Q]

6. As was said: BOTH

I can do everything perfectly to a "T" but fate might have gotten herpes from a hooker and now I'm screwed too. :shrug:

[tularetom]

7. For the most part the book on you has been written before you were born

You aren't going to change very much. Your destiny may be altered by your being in the right place at the right time (or vice versa) but for the most part it's a done deal.

Your happiness depends to a great extent on your ability to accept this and make the most of it.

[vadawg]

9. yup find contentment, and joy from simple stuff that happens every day

being able to enjoy simple stuff like having a good dump or having ice cold water to drink makes life much more enjoyable...

[BlooInBloo]

11. If you had said "history" instead of "fate", I'd say both.

[sam sarrha]

12. my situation is basically the Product of the ReThuglican psychotic Narcissistic Cult... but i'm

luckier than the Millions of Innocent people they have murdered for another dollar in the last 50 years

No0thing inherantly exists tho.. we just let them do it, same as today

[bananas]

15. All three.

To a degree, our lives are partially pre-determined.
To a degree, our lives are a product of our own actions.
To a degree, our lives are influenced in ways which are neither pre-determined, nor a product of our own actions.

[Liquorice]

18. We give ourselves too much credit for our accomplishments, and

too much blame for our failures. We have very little (if any) real control.

[MercutioATC]

19. My own actions, "Fate" doesn't exist.

That which I have no control over (like who my parents are) isn't predestined, it's random chance.

Random chance passively affects our circumstances, but it has nothing to do with fate or predestination. There's no intelligent force or design shaping it.

[Occam Bandage]

21. Product of my own actions, inasmuch

as I was provided many opportunities in my life, and my current position in life for good and for ill is predominantly due to decisions I have made, with the results of those decisions being approximately what a reasonable person with the information I possessed could have believed would have ensued.

Product of fate, inasmuch as I believe the universe (or, to be more precise, the multiverse) is deterministic when viewed across all dimensions. "Fate" isn't a good word, though, as it implies design.

[proteus_lives]

23. A mixture

My dad used to say, "You're dealt a hand but you decide how to play it."

[apocalypsehow]

24. Who'd uh thunk that Calvinism was such a big hit with DU'ers? Standing at 31% as I type. Curious. nt

[Liquorice]

26. Calvinism is much more involved than that. nt

[apocalypsehow]

28. TULIP me, baby. n/t.

[johnaries]

27. LOL! Not Calvinism.

Although some who voted "Fate" may see it as a form of pre-destination designed by some sentient being (but still far from what Calvin envisioned), many would also consider it "randomness", because without any pre-designed direction it is still out of their control.

[johnaries]

25. Both.

Sure, I made decisions and either enjoyed or suffered the consequences. BUT, the decisions I made were based on things that were out of my control - both environmental and genetic factors. Further, even the circumstances that led to the need for the decisions themselves were beyond my control.

So, even though I made the decisions my situation today is more the result of Fate - or as Ian Anderson said "an accident of birth".

[Mythsaje]

29. Most people don't take their own choices seriously

enough to affect their own lives on a regular basis, instead choosing to sleepwalk through everything and wonder why "fate" side-swiped them. Many of the negative things that happen to people are the direct result of someone's choice, often with no regard for how that choice will affect someone else.

So, in reality, both. But only if you pay attention.