Does destiny exist? Can we defy it?

[an anarchist]

I have this in religious debates because I want metaphysical takes on the title questions.

Does destiny exist?

Is the concept of freewill compatible with the concept of destiny? If there is freewill, then we are the authors of our own conclusions, are we not? So, destiny does not exist. Or perhaps, destiny and freewill can exist together, idk...

What is destiny anyways? Is destiny inevitable, or just an option? Suppose I was destined to be great (globally impactful). Can I reject that destiny? And someone who is not destined to be great, can they never be great, even if they try?

 

[sun rise]

In the East, the concept of "karma" is close but different. The Bible says that we reap what we sow and that is karma. For most it's mechanical but not simple. If someone saves my life, I don't necessarily save that person's life in the future. I might pay that debt in another way.

But that's different from destiny or predestination. We may have a talent that could lead to becoming a great musician but not develop that talent, for example. Or we might have a strong inclination to drug addiction but not become an addict.

But there's another related point "becoming globally impactful". Sometimes someone does something that winds up being impactful. There's a poem about this. The point of course is that a tiny act on our part can have massive consequences.

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

 

[1213]

Does destiny exist?

If destiny would only mean that certain things are meant to happen to a person, then there can in Biblical point of view be destiny. But, in that case I don't think it is against free will, if free will means the ability to want whatever person wants freely.

 

[chinu]

I have this in religious debates because I want metaphysical takes on the title questions.

Does destiny exist?

Is the concept of freewill compatible with the concept of destiny? If there is freewill, then we are the authors of our own conclusions, are we not? So, destiny does not exist. Or perhaps, destiny and freewill can exist together, idk...

What is destiny anyways? Is destiny inevitable, or just an option? Suppose I was destined to be great (globally impactful). Can I reject that destiny? And someone who is not destined to be great, can they never be great, even if they try?

Destiny exists, and no one can defy it, its like a moth who loves die in the flame.

Does a moth loves to die in the flame unwillingly, or wilfully ? isn't unwillingly and wilfully one and the same in this scenario ?

 

[Twilight Hue]

I have this in religious debates because I want metaphysical takes on the title questions.

Does destiny exist?

Is the concept of freewill compatible with the concept of destiny? If there is freewill, then we are the authors of our own conclusions, are we not? So, destiny does not exist. Or perhaps, destiny and freewill can exist together, idk...

What is destiny anyways? Is destiny inevitable, or just an option? Suppose I was destined to be great (globally impactful). Can I reject that destiny? And someone who is not destined to be great, can they never be great, even if they try?

It's just another feel good term.

I figure whatever happens, happens. The only destiny I can think of is just going forward.

 

[chinu]

It's just another feel good term.

I figure whatever happens, happens. The only destiny I can think of is just going forward.

What makes you think that its NOT feel bad term ?

 

[Twilight Hue]

What makes you think that its NOT feel bad term ?

I suppose it could be that too. Depending on how its viewed. I think most see it through a nobel romanticized lens.

 

[ChristineM]

I have this in religious debates because I want metaphysical takes on the title questions.

Does destiny exist?

Is the concept of freewill compatible with the concept of destiny? If there is freewill, then we are the authors of our own conclusions, are we not? So, destiny does not exist. Or perhaps, destiny and freewill can exist together, idk...

What is destiny anyways? Is destiny inevitable, or just an option? Suppose I was destined to be great (globally impactful). Can I reject that destiny? And someone who is not destined to be great, can they never be great, even if they try?

I would say destiny does not exist, people are people and what happens at any specific time is without foreknowledge unless specifically planned.

 

[Stevicus]

I have this in religious debates because I want metaphysical takes on the title questions.

Does destiny exist?

Is the concept of freewill compatible with the concept of destiny? If there is freewill, then we are the authors of our own conclusions, are we not? So, destiny does not exist. Or perhaps, destiny and freewill can exist together, idk...

What is destiny anyways? Is destiny inevitable, or just an option? Suppose I was destined to be great (globally impactful). Can I reject that destiny? And someone who is not destined to be great, can they never be great, even if they try?

I think destiny is the belief that, whatever happens was meant to happen. That would imply that there's some conscious driver or controller of events to make things happen. This also relates to a commonly-expressed notion that "everything happens for a reason," but without really saying whose reason.

I sometimes think about this whenever some hypothetical question about history is asked. Like the Battle of Midway where it almost seemed as if fate was on the Americans' side when the odds were against them. Was it simply dumb luck, or was it destiny? Events like that might prompt questions about destiny, but they're hypothetical and speculative at best.

 

[Bear Wild]

I have this in religious debates because I want metaphysical takes on the title questions.

Does destiny exist?

Is the concept of freewill compatible with the concept of destiny? If there is freewill, then we are the authors of our own conclusions, are we not? So, destiny does not exist. Or perhaps, destiny and freewill can exist together, idk...

What is destiny anyways? Is destiny inevitable, or just an option? Suppose I was destined to be great (globally impactful). Can I reject that destiny? And someone who is not destined to be great, can they never be great, even if they try?

Both free will and destiny/fate are both true. This is one of the great paradoxes of our world. The Norns weave the web of the world (the wyrd) or if you like the chaos of our world is all around us interconnecting everything in such complex ways that it is beyond our control. Even many of our decisions have already been influenced by the wyrd/chaos around us. And yet being aware of our world does allow us to make decisions that are at least in part independent of our world. Both are true.
/

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

Destiny exists. Free will doesn’t. Some people are lucky enough to sense which way the current flows.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I have this in religious debates because I want metaphysical takes on the title questions.

Does destiny exist?

Is the concept of freewill compatible with the concept of destiny? If there is freewill, then we are the authors of our own conclusions, are we not? So, destiny does not exist. Or perhaps, destiny and freewill can exist together, idk...

What is destiny anyways? Is destiny inevitable, or just an option? Suppose I was destined to be great (globally impactful). Can I reject that destiny? And someone who is not destined to be great, can they never be great, even if they try?

Things we cannot control such as death, sleep, hunger, old age and disease are part of everyone’s destiny. However with regards to choice of lifestyle, beliefs and behaviour these things are in our control. We can choose to be good or bad or moral or immoral or believe or disbelieve. We can harm or hurt and so on. Potentially we all have the ability to achieve a level of greatness within our own individual capacity but this also depends on effort. However, I believe certain people such as Prophets are chosen by God but still were given every opportunity to reject their mission.

 

[Trailblazer]

Is the concept of freewill compatible with the concept of destiny? If there is freewill, then we are the authors of our own conclusions, are we not? So, destiny does not exist. Or perhaps, destiny and freewill can exist together, idk..

I think that destiny and free will exist together since what we choose to do fulfills our destiny.
In other words, what God has predestined for us is what we will act out with our free will.

Some things that happen to us are not a choice we make with free will and those things were also predestined by God.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Destiny exists. Free will doesn’t. Some people are lucky enough to sense which way the current flows.

So if you swim against the current, you are defying destiny? Or fulfilling it?

 

[The Hammer]

Does destiny exist?

Define

Is the concept of freewill compatible with the concept of destiny?

Define destiny

 

[The Hammer]

I figure whatever happens, happens.

Yup. That's Fate..

 

[The Hammer]

So if you swim against the current, you are defying destiny? Or fulfilling it?

Yes.

 

[RestlessSoul]

It's just another feel good term.

I figure whatever happens, happens. The only destiny I can think of is just going forward.

Yeah, but what about all the stuff that could happen, but doesn’t? What happens to that?

 

[RestlessSoul]

Yes.

But it only becomes destiny after it happens? Before that, it’s just possibilities, right? But when it’s done, it’s determined…

 

[Twilight Hue]

Yeah, but what about all the stuff that could happen, but doesn’t? What happens to that?

It didn't happen then. "0)