Destiny and Free-Will Influence Feelings of Significance
Updated on April 28, 2007
Beliefs about free-will and destiny shape the way in which we feel significant. If you believe that you are in total control, you may feel empowered to change your life, and that may make you feel significant or it can make you feel like you have no value or meaning. If you believe that you are destined for things, you may feel important, like you are here for a reason, or it can make you feel helpless.
Types of Destiny and Free-Will Theories
Chaos theory is the idea that everything is a product of random accidents. We have no control. We have no destiny. We're just lucky or unlucky. This can make us feel helpless.
Total destiny theory is the idea that everything, one hundred percent, happens because it is a part of a supernatural plan. This can be a freeing theory because you don't have to take responsibility for anything. You can do whatever you want because your choices have no affect on the outcome. What happens would have happened no matter what. Like chaos theory, this can make you feel hopeless and powerless.
Free-will theory is the idea that every person has complete control over their lives. If a tree falls on you, you chose to stand under it. If you win the lottery, it's because you chose to buy a ticket. This is an empowering theory because you get to avoid being a victim of luck or destiny, but it can also fill you with feelings of overwhelm and guilt when you make mistakes. It can also make you feel like your self-worth is based completely on your productivity.
Partial destiny theory is the idea that some parts of life are destined while others are completely based on free-will. Perhaps you were destined to marry your spouse and have your kids but your choice of job is up to you. Or, perhaps you were destined to find the cure for cancer, so you felt compelled to work in medical research. This theory gives you the ability to let go and feel empowered at the same time. It can also create doubt, though, and leave you wondering, "Do I really deserve credit for my accomplishments, or were they just products of destiny?"
How Your Theories About Destiny Affect Your Life
If you believe that you are poor, and you're always going to be poor because you are destined to be poor, you will probably not do much to change your financial situation. If destiny exists, then perhaps you are always going to be poor, no matter how hard you try to crawl out of poverty, but here is the problem: what if you're wrong?
What if you really do have free-will, control over outcomes in your life? What if you can choose to be rich? What if you have wasted your life being miserable about being poor when you could have been working toward building wealth?
So, how do you figure out if destiny exists? You don't. Nobody, no matter how
many conversations they claim to have had with
God or how knowledgeable they seem, nobody has the answer.
Your best bet is to pretend destiny doesn't exist. If destiny exists, perhaps you were destined to try to become wealthy and maybe even succeed through your efforts. If it doesn't, then you will be taking control of your life and making a difference.
Related Items
Similar topics
See other Kristen's Guide topics in this category.