If my parents had never met, I would not have been born, right?
Also the same for my grandparents on both sides; great grandparents and so on. So it seems that I was extremely "lucky" probability wise to ever have been born, since if any one of my ancestors never met their future "spouse" I (as I am now) wouldn't exist
..so the odds seem one in, I don't know, billions that I (defining "I" as the result of all those specific pairings) being born, and so I beat the odds...
BUT--this is true of course for everyone--and not just everyone who lives now, but who EVER lived, so the odds that each of us to have ever been born, multipled all together seem so incredibly vanishingly small, that it seems that some other explanation is necessary--?
Maybe even the opposite--in that if it is too unlikely to believe that something one out of a trillion to the trillionth power occurred, maybe instead it was 100%, or "had to be" the case...
Thoughts?
2006-08-23 04:39:27 · 10 answers · asked by robert b 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Well you are confusing two concepts. You are right that the chance that your mother and father should meet is small. But the chance that your father and mother alone would meet somebody is much higher, almost 100%. So if they hadn't met each other, they had met somebody else. And people who have met are also likely to get more than one children, which is consistent with the increase of the world's population.
So what you are saying, interpreted correctly, is _not_ that the chance of someone getting born is very low, only that the chance of someone with your genetical composition getting born is very low.
And that's very true indeed, you can't predict that your son-son-(etc.)-son-son's son (Or daughter) will have the genetical composition xyz. The only thing you can say is that it is likely you will descendants through many generations to come. (You can predict that it _will_ happen not _how_ it will happen)
2006-08-23 04:52:58 · answer #1 · answered by nitro2k01 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I have thought the same thing before. I have come to the conclusion that you are not your body, you are your soul. If your parents, grandparents etc etc had never met, you would still be you just in another body. Like if your mom met some other guy you would still be you with the same soul as you have now, the only difference s that your physical features would have changed. You would also probably have a few different points of view on things because of your different parents influence and so on. and because of where you would have been born, different opportunities etc. But I think there are so many souls and you would have been born regardless~ your soul makes you who you are as a person ~ not your body.
2006-08-23 11:55:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's the strong Law of Large Numbers âº
But, seriously, what you refer to as 'yourself' is merely the sum of a very long chain of probabilistic events. However....... If any of those events had been different, there would still be a person where 'you' are now or there would not. If there were a person where you are now, that person would be 'you' (since you have no knowledge at all, except for speculation, of what you 'might have been') And, if there were no person where 'you' are right now, then it would be a truly meaningless question since there'd be nobody to ask it.
If you want to ask some really deep questions, find an old copy of 'The Fabric of Reality' by David Deutsch.
Doug
2006-08-23 11:49:18 · answer #3 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
we as a race of human beings are only the best of the best, our personalities are just recycled from left over souls if you believe in re-incarnation then we have survived to become what we are, now is our chance to fix all the wrongs we have done in the past as who we are now or who/what we have been in the past, and to do this all before judgment day, so how much do you think you need to fix/resolve before that time has come upon us. just something else to ponder. lighten up and have a good life, play hard, live hard, die hard.
2006-08-23 11:57:31 · answer #4 · answered by dizzie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I strongly believe that you and I would have been born no matter what.
Even if our dads married different women, we would still be here, maybe look a little different, but, otherwise still here.
We were destined to be here.
Now, go do something wonderful with this precious chance at life you have been given.
2006-08-23 12:07:21 · answer #5 · answered by Peach 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Makes you feel very special, doesn't it. Outside your parents and g-g-parent, etc meeting up, you were also the fastest swimmer out of another billion swimmers.
Life is precious, and should not be taken for granted. Live every moment, and be thankful you're here.
2006-08-23 11:52:49 · answer #6 · answered by twowords 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I feel about the same when I buy lottery. But just some one got to win, right ?
2006-08-23 13:05:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you didn't beat the odds you wouldn't be here to ask the question.
2006-08-23 18:13:30 · answer #8 · answered by Scott S 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe your mother should have gone ahead with that abortion?
2006-08-23 11:43:35 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
wow...that's pretty deep.....useless information (no offense)....but very deep....
2006-08-23 11:44:47 · answer #10 · answered by Yogaflame 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋