Is life random?

[Rosevn]

Why do I come up with this question today...Life is random???

Regarding my questions at Would you... (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=106354#post106354) yeah that whether there is a fate set for everyone?

Many say there is not...and they believe they themselves decide their life and make up their fate. Well I am not so sure all for now...Things I have experienced and undergone so far have given me a confusing view. Yeah you can make changes to your own life, career, friendships, love, ect., by striking hard with your efforts...yet when it comes to the matter of life and death, is it you the one can make choice and decision?

In some extents, you can. Like you can decide to die for your country as a some politic reason, or you can save a human life who is going to die of sirous illness or who decide to leave this world by making some stupid actions, yeah you can make some changes to such situations. But life is not always like that, there might be things coming all of a sudden like accidents, crashes and you might die in such cases...YOu also in life may experience some strange incidents, coincidences, sudden deaths...things you have planned don't go as you expect etc., Is this to say there is no real explaination for such accidents, sudden coming things? They come because of sudden causes...

well I've made sense to you as saying those things? not sure maybe.

[subterranean]

Maybe this thread woul get more response in philosophy books section?!

[Logos]

Rosevn refers to another topic in General Chat, and has made no specific reference to any one philosopher or text, so I think this topic is fine where it is :) this is the highest traffic area of the site.

[Logos]

Oh and I believe in synchronicity, that everything happens for a reason, even "accidents".

[B-Mental]

I believe that all living things follow a line, a sort of flight plan that you cannot predict. There are those slightly attuned to their future, and those flying blind. Randomness for some reason hearkens of mathematics, statistics, physics (chaos theory). Chaos theory would argue for a lack of randomness. A whole theory attempting to predict complex systems. So I guess that life is less random than we suspect.

[adilyoussef]

Is life random? This is a good question. To answer it, one should answer this ones as well: why am I here in this earth? What is the perpose of my existance? Once these questions answered, one can know if his life is random or not. If you live to eat, drink, and have sex, your life is not worth living. But if you live to accomplish a purpose and give meaning to your life, your life would not be random. But there is that question about fate. Fate exists in our life but not in totality. If there is only fate, why the human exists then, and why is he/she their to think and trouble him/herself to solve his/her problems? Just let it go as it is, it is fate? No, fate is there because there are things out of controle. That's why the brain works. That means to live; to have things out of controle and try to make them in controle. Once those things are in controle we look for others out of controle to make them in controle, and so on till the end of ones life. Life is what it is and have no meaning if we don't give it a meaning ourselves. That's life for me. Whether you believe in God or not, whether you set a purpose in your life or not, it is always your life, live it the way you like: spoil it, destroy it, make of yourself whatever you want, it is your life and you have but one. After life is another thing. Whether there is a connection between the too or not.

[subterranean]

Yeah, the babblers fav spot :D


...I think this topic is fine where it is :) this is the highest traffic area of the site.



...yet when it comes to the matter of life and death, is it you the one can make choice and decision?

When you think of suicide, maybe...Understand preassure and desperation may become the trigger factors, but it's your choice and decision to jump from the bridge. Or maybe "someone" is indeed playing dice, yet there's a math formula to predict how many times a number will appear.

[baddad]

Oh and I believe in synchronicity, that everything happens for a reason, even "accidents".


"...synchronicicty" ..."synchronicity..." a nice sounding word as well as quite a popular philosophy............ *nods to the "Lo" man*


But to answer the question of this thread....Yes. I believe Life is random. Life is random in that we have no idea of the system of connectivity that runs through our existence. I believe that everything that exists is connected on a spiritual level (imagine a giant web intricately threaded), but not because of some figure head, or a 'god', but instead, there is connectivity between all aspects of existence because the universe is unique, at least in our minds. And considering the size of the known universe and everything within it, randomness is the only thing we puny humans are capable of discerning within this truth.......

.......or something like that...........or not...........

[B-Mental]

OK if life is random then you go to the supermarket for a loaf of bread, a quart of milk and a stick of butter, but when you get home you find you have anchovies, a six pack of jolt, and a cute little puppy in your bag. That is randomness. When I look at this question in this manner, life is definitely not random. On the other hand my front door is extremely random... one day I open it up and I'm at a 7-eleven in California, but the next day I'm in the desert of New Mexico. Granted its the front door of my car, and I'm living in it at the time, it is still as random as I choose to make it.

[Satine]

OK if life is random then you go to the supermarket for a loaf of bread, a quart of milk and a stick of butter, but when you get home you find you have anchovies, a six pack of jolt, and a cute little puppy in your bag. That is randomness. When I look at this question in this manner, life is definitely not random. On the other hand my front door is extremely random... one day I open it up and I'm at a 7-eleven in California, but the next day I'm in the desert of New Mexico. Granted its the front door of my car, and I'm living in it at the time, it is still as random as I choose to make it.

Now THAT is some good stuff right there. Loaf of bread, container of milk, and a stick of butter. That takes me back. I think they STILL play that one on Sesame Street (but most the characters have changed and I'm slightly annoyed by that...why can't they just all look and talk the same as they did 20 years ago? I don't ask for much, people...)

Anyway, to answer the question, sure, there are may random aspects of life, but I'd have to say that most of it is just the result of the choices we make. I mean, if I get up this morning and choose to eat 15 bowls of cocoa puffs, I am pretty sure within a few hours I'd be yarfing up brown stuff in the potty. Nothing random about that. I made a dumb decision, I suffered the consequences.

If I'm walking down the street and a big ol' scoop of ice cream falls onto my head, is that random, or was some idiot not paying attention to his ice cream and standing too close to an open window? Hmmm...deep thoughts here. And it's still morning. I'm just getting started. :p

[Rosevn]

hello all you there,

Thank you very much for your responses. I have been so busy for several days and didn't think my thread would receive a interesting discustion like this. As I was posting this thread, my mind was in a confusion and could not think of any thing clearly but those stuff.

Well I have read your replies, you have given your own so interesting reasonings to me that I'd like to quote below.


Anyway, to answer the question, sure, there are may random aspects of life, but I'd have to say that most of it is just the result of the choices we make. I mean, if I get up this morning and choose to eat 15 bowls of cocoa puffs, I am pretty sure within a few hours I'd be yarfing up brown stuff in the potty. Nothing random about that. I made a dumb decision, I suffered the consequences.


....it is still as random as I choose to make it.



Yes. I believe Life is random. Life is random in that we have no idea of the system of connectivity that runs through our existence. I believe that everything that exists is connected on a spiritual level

Most of you seem to agree that whether or not life is random depends partly on our choices or decisions. I also like what adilyoussef wrote:


Is life random? This is a good question. To answer it, one should answer this ones as well: why am I here in this earth? What is the perpose of my existance? Once these questions answered, one can know if his life is random or not. If you live to eat, drink, and have sex, your life is not worth living. But if you live to accomplish a purpose and give meaning to your life, your life would not be random. But there is that question about fate. Fate exists in our life but not in totality. If there is only fate, why the human exists then, and why is he/she their to think and trouble him/herself to solve his/her problems? Just let it go as it is, it is fate? No, fate is there because there are things out of controle. That's why the brain works. That means to live; to have things out of controle and try to make them in controle. Once those things are in controle we look for others out of controle to make them in controle, and so on till the end of ones life. Life is what it is and have no meaning if we don't give it a meaning ourselves. That's life for me. Whether you believe in God or not, whether you set a purpose in your life or not, it is always your life, live it the way you like: spoil it, destroy it, make of yourself whatever you want, it is your life and you have but one. After life is another thing. Whether there is a connection between the too or not.

Yes. “Fate exists in our life but not in totality”. Yes, whether we believe in fate, in God or not, you should live the way you want and like it, should make your life become useful, meaningful to you, to your loved ones. Life is only random when you lose your control of yourself, your acts. I hear many saying “let things roll” or “let it be”. I myself have said that for many times, and in fact I have never been able to do that, that is to say, I still want it, I still need it so that I can’t let it all go…

It’s now not a matter of fate to me any more, I just think we must try best of our ability to accomplish our needs, our designs, our wishes…no matter what the results will be, at least we know we have exerted our best, succeed or failure at the time should be blamed on fate or God.

[adilyoussef]

It’s now not a matter of fate to me any more, I just think we must try best of our ability to accomplish our needs, our designs, our wishes…no matter what the results will be, at least we know we have exerted our best, succeed or failure at the time should be blamed on fate or God.

Glad that you like my answer Rosevn.

That's a good way to deal with your life. God, for me, is here just to test us. Fate is a test also. So I never blame anyone but myself. In this way, I try to make of myself a better person. Whether I succeed in my life or not, as Rosevn wrote, "at least we know we have exerted our best." Life is a schoul. Without mistakes and difficult stuff to deal with, without fate and guidence, without purpose and destiny, and without all the things and people that we encounter, with whom we sometimes fight and love, there will be no life at all.

[EmmyB]

I believe that we are here on purpose, everything we do is on purpose.
we are each here for a reason, the reason unfolds itself through each coincidence,each experience,and when we have served that purpose....who knows???

[YellowCrayola]

Life... never has there been so much wonders triggered by just one word. Well, I concur with some, that we are here on purpose, however, we are not born knowing this purpose, whatever it is. As we go through life we must find out for ourselves why we are here, in... everything--family, friends, work, etc. I always say that as long as you have a purpose, even if it's tiny, the important thing is that it's still there. :)


That's a good way to deal with your life. God, for me, is here just to test us. Fate is a test also. So I never blame anyone but myself. In this way, I try to make of myself a better person. Whether I succeed in my life or not, as Rosevn wrote, "at least we know we have exerted our best." Life is a schoul. Without mistakes and difficult stuff to deal with, without fate and guidence, without purpose and destiny, and without all the things and people that we encounter, with whom we sometimes fight and love, there will be no life at all.

My answer. You couldn't have said it any better, adilyoussef. A pineapple for you! http://www.abestweb.com/smilies/pineapple.gif

[Rosevn]

hello you all there,

YEs, "life is a schoul" :D, I can't agree with you more, adilyoussef. And it is also nicely put when you, YellowCrayola say "that we are here on purpose, however, we are not born knowing this purpose" -> humorous :p ! So there in that school, we must learn and find out such the purpose. "we" is still a main and decisive factor of all.

Life is various, colorful and unexpected at times. We might wish it is always as sweet as candy for ourselves and our loved ones, well but it will never be like that. And as for me, I prefer a varios spicy life to a plain easy one :cool: :goof: .

[FORTUNATO]

Nobody seems to address those living, dead and those yet to be born, who never had, or will have a chance to have a choice.
The galley slave, the two year old raped and beaten to death, the untold millions who are born into and die from lives of misery, disease, filth, hunger, and endless pain and despair with no hope of ever escaping their destiny. To name a few.
No one will ever convince me that there is a supreme being who intentionally created this random lottery of horror which will always be the reality for the majority of humanity.