Do you believe in fate or do you think that life is random?

Answer 1

According to Einstein's Theories of Relativity, as an object approaches the speed of light, its mass increases to approach infinity, while the relative passing of time approaches zero. A slightly-less known effect of Einstein's theory is that, if two objects are seperated by enormous distances, a strange phenomenon occurs when the two objects move towards or away from one another (at any, even very slow speeds). For example, if object A and object B are seperated by 10 billion light-years, and object A begins moving away from object B at 10 miles per hour, then the events happening at object B's location at the current moment from object A's perspective, will have happened roughly 150 years ago from object B's perspective. In effect, object A has gone "back in time," but it is of little consequence as the distances between the two object are so great, it would be impossible for object A to have any impact on the "past" at object B's location (the calculations from this example are taken from The Fabric of the Cosmos, by Brian Greene, pp. 134-136).

The implications of this phenomenon are clear. If we consider the universe to be infinitely large, and allow for the assumption that particles of matter exist throughout, and that those particles can move, this means that currently there are objects throughout our universe that exist both in the past and the future from our relative viewpoint. This also means that we currently exist in the past and future from the relative standpoint of an object on the other side of the universe, depending on our relative velocities. The only way this is possible is if the past and the future both exist, just as completely and tangibly as this present moment exists.

Basically, all of time currently exists, and was all created simultaneously at the inception of the universe. Our perception of time passing is more akin to a flashlight, shining and illuminating each moment in time, sweeping along the fabric of spacetime and giving us the illusion of motion.

So, if the future already exists, then one must believe in fate, no? Possibly, but one must also remember that the natural laws of chance still hold true despite them being "pre-ordained," so to speak. In effect, the fact that the future and past already exist has no bearing on the present. Will you decide to turn left or right? Well, you have already decided, so what difference does it make? You could decide to sit at the intersection until you starve to death. The fact remains that you do have to make the decision, and from your point of view, you could have gone either way.

It's a brain-buster, indeed. Because the future does exist, but to say that it "already" exists implies that the future exists right _now_. But that is not true. Right now, only now exists. The future exists in the future. It is only from the vantage point of a totally timeless observer that all of time exists simultaneously. So don't lose any sleep ... if you go to Vegas, nobody will have an edge on you by knowing the future, and you will be responsible for your choice to bet on red or black. If it makes you feel better, though, you can always tell yourself you had already lost your life savings, and you really never had a choice. You were just witnessing a slice of time that had been waiting for you since the universe began. It really makes little difference what you believe or don't believe ... the universe will keep on ticking just fine.

Answer 2

I believe in deterministic fate, not religious fate. There is no grand plan sent down from the heavens, just the rules of causality that the universe works on. The thing is that we don't have the capacity to learn and predict all the causal factors in the world around us and we do not have perfect memories, so it seems random. But nothing can happen without sufficient cause, which have sufficient causes, which have sufficient cause and so on.

Answer 3

I totally believe in fate and destiny. I haved been put in situations, and met people along the way in my life, and I know that there is a pattern...a fate/destiny way my life goes. Very hard for me to explain without pages of details. But trust me, life is not random. Everything happens for a reason.

Answer 4

There's not one scintella of evidence of a pre-ordained plan. What makes a person stand out anyway?

Greatness may last a thousand years for a few and eternally for none. On the scale of earthly time, individual lives are but mere blinks of an eye. We're born, we live, we die and then you're not heard from ever again. There might be a tombstone or family tree made with your name on it, but eventually the tombstone weathers from age and who knows what media your family tree will be used. All the memories and accomplishments will be totally forgotten, unless you're a Hitler or Alexander the Great type person.

In a thousand years, your bones will be dust and no other trace of your existence will be seen, unless, of course you become fossilized for some reason, but even then, after thousands of years more, that will be disintegrated into dust. We influence the lives of our children and others, but they too will eventually die. So what's the point of living?

In astronomical terms, the Earth will eventually succumb to the supernova of our Sun, it's an astonomically certainty the earth will be burned to a crisp.

So does death render our lives meaningless. If we were immortal, that would be the ultimate in boredom, repetition, day after day, of doing the same thing for thousands of years (hundreds may be OK, but nothing beyond that)....but i digress, back to your question.

It all boils down to how creative we can be in the short period of time we have on this earth....Our activities need to be worthwhile for their own sake, not because they fulfill some supernatural transcendental purpose....LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST DAMNIT, YOU WON'T GET A SECOND CHANCE!!!

Answer 5

I don't believe in fate, but I do believe nothing is random, I think we work off of a plan that we created before we were born.

Answer 6

Yes I do believe in fate. Nothing just happens, there is not such a thing as coincidence. Every phase of our life is predestined before we were conceived in our mother's womb but The Lord. We do have a free will to do as we please, but whatever happens, is destined to be so. The Lord knows what we will do before the situation or circumstance even materializes. No life isn't random.

Answer 7

I do not believe that God plays dice with the universe. ..Albert Einstein

Too much falls into nice and neat formulas for the universe to be random. Fate is what we make it. We're put here into a situation and it is up to us how we deal with it. The reward isn't in the journey, but how we deal with the journey by the end of it. I may not be known thousands of years from now or even hundreds of years. But if my grandsons tell their grandsons that I was one heck of a grandfather to them, then I did something right.

Answer 8

for me, fate is predestined. it was the same old existence which you exist over and over. i don't care if they call it reincarnation, but you exist over and over through different times. it's like you'll love the same people and hate the same people on different times or existence. i know, cause, a person hate me so without knowing why and i search for the answer and i believe that she hated me the same from the past existence. so, i think life is not random. i don't know if you believe in soul mates, but its the same people you get together with from the previous lives. and if you happen to miss each other, then you will eventually find each other in this lifetime and then you'd think how much you think you love this person even though you've just met
its the same with the people that hates you for no apparent reason.

Answer 9

My friends an I have had this conversation... they believe in fate... I do not. It all comes down to a matter of faith... do you believe your life is planned out for you... do you think that you are destined to be here and now and that you are there for a reason or don't you.

Personally... I do not... I think things happen by chance or hard work.

Answer 10

I was once told by someone with much greater faith than I have that it is in fact a combination of both. The major things are laid out for you, like a roadmap, but the smaller stuff we can play with.

If everything was predetermined, that would make for a vanilla existence. If nothing was predetermined, then chaos would ensue.