[ text - un: athelstan ]

[pietistic]

I'm curious how many people believe in fate here.

If you do, do you believe fates can be changed?

If you don't, what do you believe in?

Comments

@necromantica // text

[burntbridges]

What do you define as fate? The idea that everything has already been decided for you, or the idea that you have a destiny?

I'm not sure whether I believe it; I've never put much thought into it. It's rather dreary, isn't it, imagining there was no choice but for you to suffer as you did?

Why do you ask?

[pietistic]

Personally, I believe in a purpose but I am not sure I would have called it fate. It does have different meanings for different people, I hadn't thought of that when I wrote this.

That is true. I have always believed in free will. It is possible to not fulfill your destiny or purpose by your own choices.

It's my thought of the week, I suppose.

[burntbridges]

We are all destined to die. I suppose I believe that what we do in the meantime is up to us. I definitely like the idea of having a purpose... but if I have one I can't say I did a good job of fulfilling it.

Unless my destiny was to come to this place, and meet those from other worlds. Then perhaps there is a place for me.

This is an awfully grim subject, though. I always think of such things as my territory.

[scoutsniper]

Fate's the bullshit excuse people use to not have to step up when things get bad.

[pietistic]

I have seen people use fate as the reason that they must step up.

[scoutsniper]

Same fucking point.

You need something outside you to tell you whether to stand up or sit down, you're fucking wrong.

Voice - UN: lolococo416

[threatenwithcuteness]

Um, I guess I believe in myself, and my friends?

Fate is just... I dunno. It doesn't feel right.

Voice

[pietistic]

What about it doesn't feel right?

Those are good things to believe in, though.

[threatenwithcuteness]

Like, if everything is already determined, it means worrying over choices and what you do is meaningless. And if all those feelings are meaningless why do we have them?

Everyone is who they are, but... we still get to control some things about ourselves.

text; @chronicler

[scholiast]

I don't, but I'm not sure what I believe in in its place. My own ability, I suppose.

I think changing your 'fate' rides heavily on knowing what it is in the first place, wouldn't you agree?

[pietistic]

It is good to know that there are quite a few who seem to believe in themselves this way.

I do see how that can be true. I think that in the way that I grew up in a life dedicated to God that I thought for most of my early life that I had one purpose. It's hard to know if it is changing one's fate or purpose or simply it was meant to be that you find the change all along.

If you believe in it, in any case. I am not sure if it would be freeing to not believe. There is some comfort in feeling there is a guiding hand and purpose to your choices.

[scholiast]

Sure. I... think that divine interfere has its place. I've heard of the gods meddling purposefully, tipping certain things in their favour from time to time. I wouldn't rely on any guidance of the sort, though. It would be far too easy to let that kind of thinking become a crutch.

'Freeing' isn't quite the right word; there's a morbid comfort to being able to hold yourself accountable for your own actions. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Thinking that there's a certain path I'm supposed to be following just makes me feel... helpless.

video; un: youradhere

[buildingcastles]

Fate? You mean some great power pulling you to a certain event, like destiny and chosen by gods? Or like a person making you do certain thing?

I don't know that I believe that sort of thing applies to everyone equally.

[pietistic]

I think that it could be either of those things, depending on the situation but perhaps more so the former.

why is that?

[buildingcastles]

Because everyone has their own fate. We have our own versions of fate. Some of us are guided by people or gods if that's your thing, and some people are guided by something else. We get as much as we put in.

Some fates can be changed. To answer your question, I'd say yes. There's always a way to change.

text. @z.hyrule

[hylights]

There are some fates that cannot be changed. But I don't believe everyone has a determined one. Nor should the dread of it consume them. It is not the whole sum of a life.

[pietistic]

Why do you believe that not everyone has a determined one?

UN @ wild.links

[wildlinks]

I was having a discussion on this the other day myself. I still do not know what to believe

however

I think you can choose your own path and that eventually, your own fate is in your hands

[pietistic]

Do you mean whether you fulfill your fate or not or what your fate is itself?

text; gypsygirl

[likeacoupon]

I believe in fate.
Are you just asking as a general thing or is there a reason?

[pietistic]

There's not really a specific reason at the moment.
Just a curious thought.

text | @j.snow

[northerndragon]

I don't.

And anyone who believes fates can be changed doesn't believe in fate or prophecy.

I believe in the old gods as far as it goes. They were my father's gods, and my father was the best man I've ever known. But I also believe in the people around me, where I come from, and their determination to fight to live. I believe in alliances and in my brothers and sisters, by birth and by promise. Not one of us can do it alone.

If you were told that a terrible fate awaited you, wouldn't you do everything you could to fight to change it?

[pietistic]

That is a very distinct way to think. I find it difficult to agree that believing that it can be changed means that you don't believe in it at all. Especially with prophecy, it is never quite exact and no seer or prophet sees all.

You do believe in many good things, though.

That is the burden of men, is it not? We have free will to fight, chase or run from our fates -- perceived or otherwise. And all men do have one fate in common, death,
after all.

@a.holdo

[protectingthelight]

I believe in a kind of fate—not some path that is laid out for us by some mystical power, but the destiny we make for ourselves with our actions. And that is something we can always change.

And I believe in the Force.

[pietistic]

I see. That is a good way to put it.

What is the Force?