(no subject)

[grim23]

A former student of mine wrote: "Destiny is what/who we are meant to be. Fate is what happens to us when we turn our back on fulfilling our Destiny."

I'm curious for other perspectives. I'm opening up my lj for this. Respond if you will.

Comments

[mingdestiny.livejournal.com]

i had to reply just because i finnaly can...

i like the quote, but i am not sure its my thing though, i think you end up exactly where you are suposed too even if it takes a few lifetimes...

[jic]

The definition of destiny begs the question: "Meant by whom?"

[nericksx.livejournal.com]

Kinda of branching off of what jic said, it DOES sound a little punitive to me. Sort of, "I can't be responsible for what happens to you if you don't do what is planned." So to me it sounds like a veiled fundamental Christian philosophy. Blech.

[sienna555.livejournal.com]

Destiny is unknowable until after the fact. I could say that my destiny is to work until I retire, but what happens if I win the Lottery? Is that Fate, because I wasn't looking, or Destiny, because I was meant to win the lottery? That just doesn't clarify anything for me.

I have to agree that those words are bandaids put on to make people feel better about fucking up. And, hey, I'm all about making people feel better. But let's recognize the concept that redefining words so that they edge over into a new meaning, while comforting, still does not make it so.

If you want to know what Fate and Destiny mean, grab a Websters. If you need to find a reason for the position you are in, don't call it Fate or Destiny...call it Experience.

[jesse-avila.livejournal.com]

For me they are concepts of the ego trying to understand its presence/ purpose in this reality. They are part of the dream, the societal programming that we buy into when incarnated.

[tigresssky.livejournal.com]

I have to disagree with the comments that your students quote is a "cop-out" to not dealing with things. I think its a bit confusing. Maybe reworded it would make more sense:

"Destiny is what we strive for. Fate is what happens when we turn our back on our destiny."

I have to say that rewording it this way makes it become us being responsible for the outcome of our life or not. It says we can strive to have the outcome desired or we can sit on our duff and hope fate will make things happen.

However, it still doesnt address the times when Fate steps in and smacks you down hard and says "hell no you are not going there."

Fate isnt only what happens when we arent looking. It is also what was meant to happen, even if we rail against it.

~TigressSky~