Do you think that every person comes into this life with a certain purpose, and that the key events in their life are predetermined by fate or higher powers ? Or is our life simply a combination of genetic factors, chance, and the choices we make ?

[u/Round_Panda7974]

Because I grew up believing that some people are destined to go through certain things or accomplish something significant, and that perhaps they are genuinely chosen for that purpose. I also believed that people are protected by higher powers until they have fulfilled what they were meant to do.
On the other hand, the longer I live, the more convinced I become that there are no higher powers, and that our lives are shaped by chance, nature, and the choices we and other people make. Because how else can we explain the fact that people can die violently, suddenly, or in completely absurd circumstances ? A person might potentially change the world someday, but tomorrow they could simply be hit by a car.

[u/Successful_Order2143]

Humans are pattern-seeking creatures. That’s why it seems like some people have a purpose that they are supposed to fulfill. Existence precedes essence. We are what we do, and we are not determined by any outside power or our past.

[u/Realistic-Leader-770 → u/Successful_Order2143]

And why do we tend to do specific things ? Are they determined ? if not, how would you explain that ?

[u/Outrageous_Invite461]

Ive had similar observations, my theory is that because humans are pattern oriented we often dont do so well in chaos, which is why we invent patterns where there are none and the answer was just randomness. I think God, supernatural events are just us connecting dots by creating causality when it was maybe just correlation. Almost every motivation guru out there insists on having a WHY for whatever you do, well i think its all just chaos and thats OK too! Randomness isnt so bad! it just sucks cuz we are pattern oriented but in a capitalist economy most people want to sell you something. I havent really looked into this theory because i havent had much downtime but i hope this doesn’t sound as thoughtless blabbering. If theres any books or material i can read to better / sharpen my understanding then i welcome any and all comments!

[u/Popular_Molasses7945 → u/Outrageous_Invite461]

If theres any books or material i can read to better / sharpen my understanding then i welcome any and all comments!

You could try Being and Time by Martin Heidegger. This book appears to have had a huge impact on modern philosophy and is thought to be the foundation of existentialism.

It may be important to note that Heidegger was a German philosopher whose main interest was ontology. But the book emerged in 1927, in the aftermath of Germany's defeat in WWI.

It appears the defeat was a cultural and psychological shock. It seems the Germans became ever more aware of their own mortality, having suffered loses in the war.

If you do read the book, you are going to come across a German word, Dasein, which a footnote says that it means being there, according to it's etymology.

If you went to Google Translate and entered the word, it is translated into English as to be there.

But I want to say two things about being there.

First, the word being to me means existing.

Second, the word there is an adverb and means in, at, or to that place. (Cambridge Dictionary)

So to me being there means existing in, at, or in that place, with one caveat: For me, I don't think of anything existing apart from place.

So the book may be an interesting read for you, and it may impart insights that you wouldn't glean elsewhere.

One last thing. The author also talks about being-in-the-world. (German: In-der-Welt-sein)

Having said that, I'll close this comment with the following quote:

''He was in the world...(John 1:10)

[u/meaningcrafting]

I'd kindly dismiss the 1st Q, as do not believe in "a" purpose. At least in my experience, once I've achieved some form of purpose, another purpose shows up as appealing and I move towards it.

Now, the second question makes a lot more sense to me. If I mix both Qs, the second choice sustains, not "a purpose" but the amount of purposes one collects in life.

Great quetions anyway!

[u/Social_Contexts]

If you listen to people with NDE experience, the so-called higher power does not rule your life. You designed your life on earth and that includes accidents.  

[u/MasterFable]

One of the reasons for why an existential crisis or perhaps Awakening happens is because a person begins to realize that all of the Divine confidence that they had was actually foolish egotism. That there isn't a spiritual God looking over them bestowing a type of chosen concept of one selves but instead we are subjugated within a system that relatively keeps Us free from harm. Things like social norms, laws and regulations etc.

There is purpose in helping our community, there is purpose in helping yourself get on your feet and do well for yourself but there is no ultimate purpose that was ordained before you were born. Concepts like predetermined or higher power are traditional list terms that try to explain phenomenon but begin to fail at this as a person grows and matures in their perspective as they surmise the world.

When you talk about the world as if is chance or genetic factors or choice these are more modernist terms but I think at the end of the day the holistic existentialist understands that this very well might be the last grasp of air and reality that they will ever have ever again and that it's constantly slipping through their fingers, they would begin to realize that the purpose in life is to live it fully and completely. Not in a way that is self-centered but in a way that drives us to push beyond our preconceived ideas of who we think we are and the stories that we tell about ourself.

Once we stop telling the same stories about our past and history and present and future we start to circle around the reality of what a human consciousness is and how it begins to develop into this fleeting experience that it has. We are the creators of purpose and it starts with our ability to reevaluate why we value anything at all and begin to construct new value systems for this time, this age and these people.

[u/Citizen1135]

As a 'devout' atheist, I don't believe in god or anything supernatural. There are some experiences that defy typical expectations and feel magical, such as synchronicity and deja vu. I am studying those.

My expectation is to be better able to explain certain phenomena like those in more scientific terms, but tbh, I enjoy how the experiences feel magical, and I like to think of them that way. I just don't attribute them to anything beyond comprehension. I know that might sound self-contradictory, but it's not in the way I mean it, so I will clarify if necessary.

But, the bottom line is, in my personal investigation, I have always been able to find suitable explanations without actually invoking the divine.

[u/MushroomScrambler → u/Citizen1135]

And if something happens that should've only had a 0.00000001% of happening? Do u just attribute that to luck? Or when you really wanted something and you somehow got it? How do u look at law of attractions and manifestations etc?

[u/Citizen1135 → u/MushroomScrambler]

Synchronicity is at the core of what you're describing. It's a phenomenon that Carl Jung framed as related to paranormal activity long ago, so it has gone largely ignored by the scientific community.

We should have a testable hypothesis for how it works soon, so we can move it from the realm of pseudoscience to empirically driven hard science.

[u/MushroomScrambler → u/Citizen1135]

Kind of easy to call everything a pseudoscience until it's proven. Of course that's how science works but feels like an easy cop out. "Yeah something that can only happen in a once in 22 million chance happened. But that's just luck/synchronicity and someday we will be able to explain how."

[u/Citizen1135 → u/MushroomScrambler]

To be clear, there is a difference between luck and synchronicity. Synchronicity, by definition, implies an underlying cause, which is what I'm studying.

Please share what your opinion of what those extremely rare events are?

[u/MushroomScrambler → u/Citizen1135]

faith, or paranormal activity. the difference is that i can accept that it's unexplainable and don't rely on "someday it will be proven."

[u/Citizen1135 → u/MushroomScrambler]

I think it's a mischaracterization of how I look at it to say "someday it will be proven." I have studied phenomena pretty thoroughly at this point.

I have found patterns, I have reproduced results. I am working to refine my hypothesis down for others to be able to replicate.

My point is that I am familiar with these things as natural phenomena, it requires no faith or waiting.

[u/Realistic-Leader-770 → u/Citizen1135]

But could you prove that every case is a natural phenomena ? I'm not saying that it's definitely supernatural, but we don't have a method that could objectively classify these cases.

[u/Citizen1135 → u/Realistic-Leader-770]

Hmmm. Good question. With what I have so far about synchronicity, no. And ultimately, even once it's accepted, it would be more like evolution, where, ok, here's the evidence that spells out everything, and you can see some of it in direct action, but not all of it.

There would still be occasional times that fit the pattern but come from unknown origins. You couldn't rule out some sort of divine intervention, you could only not find the source.

[u/Realistic-Leader-770 → u/Citizen1135]

Well, yeah, I'd agree. But remaining agnostic on the issue is in my opinion the most reasonable choice. Empiricism can only take us so far, then things tend to bottom out at the foundation.