If destiny exists, there is no responsibility

Almost all of us have fallen into the temptation of attributing some of our achievements and failures to “destiny.” Nothing is easier than blaming fate for what happens to us and stops happening to us. It is an almost magical formula, which explains everything and justifies everything.

Phrases like “SIf destiny wants it, we will meet again“, either “Fate prevented everything from going well”, are frequently used. Thinking that everything is written in advance is something that comes to mind when we encounter coincidences. or seemingly fortuitous situations, which determine important aspects of our lives.

The problem is that If we accepted that there is a fixed destiny, practically everything we do would be meaningless. Well, as it is going to happen, whatever we do, we would be freed from our responsibility.

What is destiny?

If we refer to the strictly literal, the word destination It simply means a point of arrival. The place where we are going or the end of a journey. However, Destiny has been defined in many ways. Philosophy, mythology, religion and esoteric beliefs have assigned various values ​​to it:

For philosophy, destiny has to do with the theory of causality. Everything that happens has a cause that generates it. For Greek and Roman mythology, she was the personification of a goddess who had the power to determine everything, even what should happen to other gods. For religions, it is also a divine disposition. In Hinduism, an effect of karma. In Christian and Muslim religions, a will of Providence. For esotericism, destiny is a reality imposed by the influences of the stars, or, on other occasions, an amalgam between the concept of karma and divine disposition.

The truth is that, since time immemorial, men have asked themselves questions about destiny: “where am I going?”, “where should I go?”, “why am I not reaching the point I set out to be?” ”. The question about destiny is the question about the meaning of our life. Hence it is a constant concern, which has run through our entire history as human beings.

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What is destiny for?

The concept of “destiny”, understood as predestination, would not have survived over so many centuries if it were not useful. And boy is it useful. Through the word “destiny” most complex situations can be explained and understood, at least in appearance. of the life. The concept of destination serves, among other things, the following:

It allows us to understand adversity as an inevitable reality, which may well be the product of a punishment for our bad actions, or a test that, if passed, will later be rewarded. It allows us to associate successes with a strong component of luck. The “good” comes into our lives because our star is shining.It allows us to place responsibility for what happens to us in forces other than ourselves.. This avoids possible feelings of guilt or, eventually, making the necessary efforts to get where we want.

And the responsability?

The worrying thing about accepting that predestination exists, or a destiny written by a higher force, is that you give up control over your own life. At first it is just a belief, but over time it becomes a lifestyle.

Without barely noticing it, you begin to see your suffering as an unapproachable reality. You settle into the idea that it is not possible to change what happens to you.. In fact, your thinking does not produce ideas for change and you feel that all the doors are closed.

The same thing happens with success. A real triumph does not come from a chance situation, but from long and patient work. But if you believe in destiny, you will be busier looking for some factor of good luck, rather than a method to advance. If destiny existed, prisons would not have to exist. How could someone be judged for stealing or killing, if those acts did not depend on him, but on something that was already written?

Actually, everyone builds their own destiny. Although there are factors that are beyond individual control, there are always different alternatives to act in the same situation. To accept that everything is written in advance is to renounce freedom and life itself.

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Images courtesy of Christian Schloe