Philosophical Questions: Fate
Jan. 22nd, 2022 12:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
6. Does fate exist? If so, do we have free will?
These two things are equally true. Their interactions are a lot of what makes life ... interesting.
Aspects of fate include:
* Things that higher powers plan for, such as choosing a follower to address a certain issue.
* Things that souls plan for when setting up a new incarnation, such as a Life Purpose and the traits needed for it.
* The most probable outcome of events that are pressed into shape by many outside factors that would be difficult to change, such as many wars that have complex causes.
* Patterns of development in civilization or other systems, based on things that are easier or harder to find and thus tend to emerge in similar order, like simple flake tools before monofacially knapped before bifacially knapped ones ... but you never know when some genius might jump from A to Q.
Still, people can always make choices, some of which are free and others less so. The really risky, unpredictable situation is when someone simply ceases to give a shit about consequences. Quite a lot of fate gets upended by "Fuck it."
Those of you who have ever been Game Masters are nodding. Well, now you know how the gods feel. That sinking sensation when the characters go ballyhooing off in some direction you never imagined, leaving your plot in ruins after you spent hours prepping all the encounters yesterday.
6. Does fate exist? If so, do we have free will?
These two things are equally true. Their interactions are a lot of what makes life ... interesting.
Aspects of fate include:
* Things that higher powers plan for, such as choosing a follower to address a certain issue.
* Things that souls plan for when setting up a new incarnation, such as a Life Purpose and the traits needed for it.
* The most probable outcome of events that are pressed into shape by many outside factors that would be difficult to change, such as many wars that have complex causes.
* Patterns of development in civilization or other systems, based on things that are easier or harder to find and thus tend to emerge in similar order, like simple flake tools before monofacially knapped before bifacially knapped ones ... but you never know when some genius might jump from A to Q.
Still, people can always make choices, some of which are free and others less so. The really risky, unpredictable situation is when someone simply ceases to give a shit about consequences. Quite a lot of fate gets upended by "Fuck it."
Those of you who have ever been Game Masters are nodding. Well, now you know how the gods feel. That sinking sensation when the characters go ballyhooing off in some direction you never imagined, leaving your plot in ruins after you spent hours prepping all the encounters yesterday.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-01-22 07:15 am (UTC)*laugh*
Date: 2022-01-22 07:20 am (UTC)Re: *laugh*
Date: 2022-01-22 07:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2022-01-22 03:16 pm (UTC)