your future ?

life is what we make it.
i can look back and see my missteps. and i know had a zigged instead of zagged i wouldnt be sitting where i am right now. i believe we have free will insofar that we choose our moves but there are oppositional forces that might not align with what we envision. so its under our control to act but not to choose what results from those actions.

In my view it has to be ours to create. I don't buy the idea of every action being predetermined. It kind of makes existence pointless in my mind.

BinFrog wrote:

In my view it has to be ours to create. I don't buy the idea of every action being predetermined. It kind of makes existence pointless in my mind.

I'm not a predeterminist but I lean towards determinism. I've read about it and had some very interesting discussion about it with a poster here, who sadly doesn't post anymore.

Determinism says - simplified - that every action or event was caused. It means we, much like everything else in this world, are also governed by the laws of nature, cause and effect. It says free will is an illusion. That does not take away the point of existence, or the beauty of existence, imo.

When we look at society and we see the succesful, happy people and the sad, unsuccesful people we might think, according to the free will mindset that one chose to work hard and to study hard to finally reach his current position. However, it becomes clear that his road to succes was "determined" by many factors, and the other's "fall" was also determined by a great number of factors, many of which we cannot identify. We might refer to them as "bad luck" or "good luck".

We all know and we've all witnessed that life makes its own choices, regardless of your efforts or faith. I guess a simple comparison is driving a car, you are behind the wheel, in control. You can choose your own way and you determine how you drive - carefully, recklessly, drunk - even your speed. So, you can be the most careful driver, abide by all the traffic rules (let's for the sake of the argument call these your own choices), another driver (outside factor over which you have no control whatsoever) can be drunk out of his mind and slam right into you.

Now, if you accept that we have no control and that free will is only an illusion (remember everything is caused by previous factors, including your 'choice' to drive carefully) some might say that's a bleak view. What's the point of trying, what's the point of living when you're not in control?

Right. What is the point of living or existence when you're not behind the wheel?

To enjoy the ride, I guess. Determinism can be looked at from a nihilist perspective, but it can also be looked at from a different point of view.

It gives us a humility. My succes isn't here because I made that choice. It's here because of a number of previous events, who were caused by other events. The same goes for the less succesful, they aren't there because of their own will. They are there because of outside factors.

We're all created equal and we all play with the cards we're dealt with. If we understand that one is only doing the best he can with what he has, judgement goes out the door.

Furthermore, just because we are part of a system that governs us doesn't mean we loose are humanity.

i think its both

CHANGEinWAVES wrote:

care to elaborate?

sure, life is what we make it to be, the future is ours to create AND discover. you create your own destiny and will discover new things about you and the world. they will intertwine with time and you can only be the best you can be.

life is like a pearl jam concert, you never know what you'll get next.

sit back. enjoy the ride. make it what its worth

CHANGEinWAVES wrote:

but there is a set list to follow;)

^^^ would that be fate/destiny??

well to the guys.

we dont know! its like pearl jam is god. they see whats gonna happen.. we dont

CHANGEinWAVES wrote:

but there's a plan as to what WILL happen.

OK maybe pearl jam wasnt a good choice of words

CHANGEinWAVES wrote:

LOL! that's just how i see it...there's a destiny that's laid out for us, and our choices determined how and when things happen for us...but those things are meant to happen. and sometimes Fate steps in and helps us along the way.

just listen to no code. lyrics are all about this kind of stuff

CHANGEinWAVES wrote:

Do you think that the future is ours to discover or ours to create?

meaning:
The future is what it is and we just have to experience it, our choices and decisions will ultimately bring us to the same conclusions (not meaning death). Or that every choice we make changes what our future will be, there is not one Ultimate out come (again not talking about death). What are your thoughts on this?

Not meaning this to be a depressing thread:D
just wondering what others think on this!

Some people want to discover the future, others want to create it for themselves. I would say 100-200 years ago people created their futures more than now. Everybody is just sitting around watching tv and playing on the computer these days, not really thinking whats important in life. Ultimatly life is about helping your fellow man/women. Now a days people are just helping themselves and lost touch with what matters.