Free will vs. Fate

[everythingsxen]

Is everything in life predetermined?

Is it all chaos?

[Cursive_Knives512]

1. I voted for free will,

But when I get depressed, I'm known to quote a line from Yugioh: "No one can change our destiny. We, step by step, move toward the hopeless future where the last light is fading away."

:evilgrin:

[everythingsxen]

2. I myself choose destiny because...

I can't seem to get my brain past the idea that even if I "freely choose" something, I have no way of knowing if I was destined to "freely choose" that option.

[Cursive_Knives512]

3. Ah! Good point!!

[bloodyjack]

4. oooh

i've always thought one can only possess free will insofar as he conscious of every determining factor of his behavior

also i think people tend to confuse free will with unpredictability

[teach1st]

5. Free will exists...

..but it's expensive.

[bigwillq]

6. I voted for fate

I feel everything in life is predetermined.

[Triple H]

7. Free will.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

8. Youe left out a third option: "All of the above:"

From my perspective both fate and free will play a role - fate feeds us a set of options, but we have free will to choose which option we take.

[Nikia]

9. I might sound like a heretic for saying this

This assuming that the Genesis story happened this way or is at least a metaphor. Adam and Eve chose free will by eating the forbidden fruit. They chose knowledge so that they could make their own destinies rather than relying on God to take of everything for them. Of course the Bible condemns it as sinful, but wouldn't most of us choose free will.

[AG78]

10. If it's all predetermined...

what's the point? That would be such a waste of something that seems as precious as life.

[everythingsxen]

11. Not necessarily..

Simply because it is all predetermined.. you still have your role to play out. Who knows what your fate is?

[SOteric]

12. I don't see them as mutually exclusive.

I think some things are destined to happen. Like some phenomenon of astronomy too many light years away for us to visualise is nontheless a fait accompli and hurtling it's way irrevocably toward us, some things will occur. But there is always a matter of free will in how we choose to respond, even to that which is destined.

[Astarho]

13. My thoughts too

Fate and free will are just different sides of the same coin.

[VOX]

14. This response was determined before time began...

And this typo - tpyo - was also predetermined. I have no personal control over this keyboard. And I haven't showered yet today as it's not in the stars.

In fact, the future has already happened. There's no point in even going there.

FOOEY!

But a nap -- ah, there definitely *is* a nap in store!

[mobuto]

15. There is no free will

our lots were all determined before our both. We are players in the grand play, sinners in the hands of an angry Lord. Luther was right!

[Bucky]

16. I chose to vote for Destiny but inevitably my mouse clicked Free Will

Life is predetermined chaos

[Guaranteed]

17. Never found a sufficient definition for what free will is.

People say things like "being able to make choices on your own" and stuff like that...well, it seems pretty darn clear that we make our own choices...but the question is what MAKES us make these choices? What makes us feel and think the way we do?

I'm pretty sure that our behavior is predetermined, in one way or another. But I would like a real definition of free will so I could be sure.