I have those random parts of the day when something just pops into my head. For example, this afternoon, almost finished with work and the song 'I kissed a girl (and I liked it)' by Katy Perry popped into my head. Why did it? I haven't the slightest idea. I (or my wife) do not own that song. I don't listen to the radio, so it wasn't heard by my ears. Ever really. There is no real reason for this song to come into my mind. This has really nothing to do with what I am going to focus on, this is just an example.
I thought about fate and free will last night. I woke up around three in the morning with it kicking around my mind. Yeah, what were you thinking about at three in the morning? Not fate and free will. I woke up thinking about whether or not I believe in fate, free will, or if there is a nice little middle ground for us to believe in and/or live in. I took a philosophy class in college and it was interesting, but it focused more on the beginnings of philosophy, the different schools of thinking, and the important people about it.
Fate. Destiny. Karma. Whatever you want to call it, it's out of your hands. Your life has been scripted and there is nothing you can do about it. There is something scary about that. No matter what you think you are doing because you want to do it, you are doing it because you are suppose to. There is no ability to do anything you aren't suppose to be doing. I do not like that idea. I would like to think that what I am doing I am doing it because I want to and not because it's has been chosen for me to do.
Free will. Choice. Say so. Every thought, every action, every inaction is all up to you. It is a free for all. It's just the world and we are the ones that are making it spin. Being able to make any decision you want allows for some comfort in knowing that what you are do is because you want to do it and not because you are suppose to be doing it. Free will gives you the opportunity to look at a situation and weigh the pros and cons. With fate, it has been decided for you. You will (or will not) push the proverbial big red button when the time comes not because you want to, but because you were meant (or meant not to) push it. That is some scary stuff to think about. Wouldn't you want to be able to look at that button and think about not pushing it? Wouldn't you want to be able to think of the outcome of pushing that button? Free will. It gives everyone a chance to think about and act on your thoughts and feelings. But to what means?
The middle ground. Can both free will and fate exist and not just because there are people that believe in either? Can someone live their life having part of it being predetermined for them and also be able to make decisions of their own making? That is the life I believe we have. Somewhere in the middle of it all. Here's an example of how fate and free will can coexist. When I was applying to colleges, I applied to three separate schools (fate). I believe that it was chosen for me to pick those three specific schools. I was accepted to all three (it's nothing major, they were not private schools or big schools), and I was able to choose one of them (free will). When I got the packets in the mail, I sat down and looked at all three of them and weighed to pros and cons of each one. It was eventually up to me to pick which school I went to. Thinking back at it now, I know I made the right decision but there can be those days when I think, 'What if I went to one of those other schools?' What would my life be like? Would it be better or would it be worse? That's how I know there is free will in this world. If this world was meant to be predetermined for everyone, I would not think about the other schools that I could have possibly went to.
We obviously cannot determine when we are born, that is slated for us. We can control when we are no longer on this earth. Living a dangerous life leads to a shorter time here. Living a happy, healthy, safe life let's us be here with our family and friends a little bit longer. Everything in between? That's up to us.
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