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[Mr Pants]

I've always seen my life as the result of a number of outside forces pulling in different directions. These could be people or just random events many of which would not even be aware of the dramatic impact they have, but lately I've started thinking about this idea further.

What are peoples views on the subject? Are we in the drivers seat of our own lives? Or are our experiences a defined by everyone around us? Can we change anything about our lives? Or are they rife with inevitability?

Edit: I've only just realised they massive amount of errors in this post. I should have proof read it before I posted but hopefully it makes more sense now.

[Nick 2]

What do you mean by 'certain events'.

I'm posting on this forum because I find the alternative - working - a pain in the ass. No outside forces directing me to post.

[Keridwen]

Woah, Andy, a good conversation in the miscellaneous timewasting category? Unheard of!

Its all relative. I'm posting this reply now, because you started the conversation. However, not EVERYONE who reads this will post - my posting is influenced by my own vested interest in the topic.

The factors coming together to make this post include your post (directly), my interest in the topic (directly), having found this forum at the beginning of the year (indirectly) and.... I suppose my existence.

A sort of pointless debate, but those are the best, aren't they?

(Factor influencing the brevity of this post is the fact that I have to be somewhere. Otherwise I could have waffled on for at least 3 more paragraphs.)

[Mr Pants]

This was meant to be a poll. It didn't work for some reason.

[Nick 2]

I used 'posting on this forum' as a concrete instance of the very abstract 'experiences'. Life is a succession of specific events after all, not abstractions like 'experiences'.

So what sort of events are you talking about? The ones you have immediate control over? (going to the toilet, deciding what to eat, that sort of thing)

[Mr Pants]

Its all relative. I'm posting this reply now, because you started the conversation. However, not EVERYONE who reads this will post - my posting is influenced by my own vested interest in the topic.

But isn't your interest in the end the result of someone elses actions? The little South American coffee plantation worker perhaps who harvested the coffee your now drinking.

My question more specifically is, do we have any control over where we end up? Like if we end up in a dead end job or or 'living the dream'. Do we have control over who we become and if so how much is just up to random chance?

[Mr Pants]

I used 'posting on this forum' as a concrete instance of the very abstract 'experiences'. Life is a succession of specific events after all, not abstractions like 'experiences'.

So what sort of events are you talking about? The ones you have immediate control over? (going to the toilet, deciding what to eat, that sort of thing)

Less to do with trivial events and more to do with the things we value like who we fall in love with, what we spend our lives trying to achieve (I could say occupation but most of the time a persons real passion isn't how they make money, the tragic events we experience and how we change as a result of them and, our attitudes towards people and our relationships with them.

[Nick 2]

I think the 'high fliers' of this forum - Pertinax, fritz, SG etc - would all cite their own brilliance as being a leading factor in their successes.

(I also think that they think answering the question is a waste of time. Introspection doesn't get anything done)

Life has a way of throwing odd things at you. You can't control that. But you can control how you choose to respond to it.

Very abstract answer I know.

[Fritz]

I think the 'high fliers' of this forum - Pertinax, fritz, SG etc - would all cite their own brilliance as being a leading factor in their successes.

(I also think that they think answering the question is a waste of time. Introspection doesn't get anything done)

Life has a way of throwing odd things at you. You can't control that. But you can control how you choose to respond to it.

Very abstract answer I know.

Somehow I am not a high flyer. However the perception of me being one is flattering, also your assumption that I am brilliant. Secondly, your downfall Mr Leet, is your assumption that I would not answer it. Your simple lines have baited me to do otherwise.

Thirdly, I believe that you are on the right track.

In short, I do think fate plays a part in our lives. The future holds many endings, however, it is your own will, decision making and ability to learn, which makes your direction to one of these "fates". So as you can see, it is a mix of both. Well that is my high flying, self-opinionated belief anyway. 

[Nick 2]

Mr Leet

there's no need to be rude 

is your assumption that I would not answer it.

unlike your average insurance broker, i chose my wording very carefully indeed. i never assumed you wouldn't answer. i was expecting one of yous to come in and go on about how hot shit you were. so i was wrong i guess, just not the way you were thinking.

[Fritz]

there's no need to be rude 

I thought you liked Mr Leet?

Do you prefer Mr Awesomeness?

[Keridwen]

My question more specifically is, do we have any control over where we end up? Like if we end up in a dead end job or or 'living the dream'. Do we have control over who we become and if so how much is just up to random chance?

Of course we do. Comes down to social injustice, though, doesn't it? I mean, those from high-income families are statistically more likely to be able to attend university, get a "better" job, etcetera. Having said that, there isn't too much stopping people from low-income families attending university (I'm using this as one example) if they have the willingness to get up there.

Less to do with trivial events and more to do with the things we value like who we fall in love with, what we spend our lives trying to achieve (I could say occupation but most of the time a persons real passion isn't how they make money, the tragic events we experience and how we change as a result of them and, our attitudes towards people and our relationships with them.

Huh - we can talk ourselves into anything - our own willpower is astounding. We can talk ourselves into (or out of, if we're accomplished) pain, nausea, mental blocks, and even "who we fall in love with".

What do you mean by 'what we spend our lives trying to achieve'?

As for changing in the face of tragic events, obviously we don't have too much control over the tragic event itself, but we do over how we deal with it, what we take from it and what we ignore.

[.]

My question more specifically is, do we have any control over where we end up? Like if we end up in a dead end job or or 'living the dream'. Do we have control over who we become and if so how much is just up to random chance?

Choose your own adventure:

a) God shines the light on the path he's laid for me.

b) A bit of both.

c) Life is a random lottery of meaningless tragedy and a series of near escapes.

d) I am the Master of my Destiny.


I choose b.

[Pertinax]

I think the 'high fliers' of this forum - Pertinax, fritz, SG etc - would all cite their own brilliance as being a leading factor in their successes.

I certainly wouldn't say that. I've fucked more things than Casanova. My life is littered with cock ups, my first marriage for example.

But I do believe that we can learn from almost every interaction with people and that only the truly arrogant can't appreciate that other people might have an insight or some knowledge that they either don't have or hope to possess.

I agree that its not what happens to you but how you choose (Now lets not get started on recent research into "free will") to respond to those events and whether or not you learn from your experiences.

I don't subscribe to the theories of inevitability, or destiny, or fate or pre-ordination. I believe that our lives are random and that unlike simple agents responding to stimuli, we learn and evolve and bring with us an element of history which guides our next choice or decision.

(I also think that they think answering the question is a waste of time. Introspection doesn't get anything done)

Amen brother Nickos. Excessive introspection acomplishes nothing. A little introspection allows us objective self analysis which affords us a degree of self awareness.

Life has a way of throwing odd things at you. You can't control that. But you can control how you choose to respond to it.

What he said.

[The Rogue Doll]

Does it really matter? I mean, no matter what we're fucked. Life just happens. Do I believe that their is someone controling our lives? Fuck no.

Choose your own adventure:

a) God shines the light on the path he's laid for me.

b) A bit of both.

c) Life is a random lottery of meaningless tragedy and a series of near escapes.

d) I am the Master of my Destiny.

At which point, I pick c.