Sunday 2 September 2007

Snowparkle's Question


Snowsparkle asked if I could do a poll where I asked whether things happen for a reason, or just happen.

Always wanting to please, that is the poll for this week.

I will comment further on it at the end of the week.
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15 comments:

  1. I have a bone to pick with the question. The sub-text (as I see it) hints that if things happen for a reason there is some kind of being or energy controlling things, kind of like fate or karma. My interpretation of karma is much more practical; if you are nice to someone they will be nice to you, nothing mystical to it, no sudden mysterious 'punishments' from the ether.

    So I answered the poll no. But then I changed my mind, of course the answer is yes. For every action there is a reaction, and that is reason.

    Anyway, so at risk of rambling on and on, perhaps the question should be re-worded. Other wise it is not much of a question, because if the wind blows, the trees will sway, and the reason the trees swayed was that the wind blew, and there is a reason the wind blew too, but I don't think this is what Snowsparkle meant, and if it is who would say no?

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  2. In which case, it would be much more unexpected for things to 'just happen', and the only explanation would be supernatural.

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  3. Indeed. Everything happens for a reason; a physical, logical reason. So I assumed that could not be her intent. The only other scenario is a version of predestination. If you go shopping and meet a long lost friend, was it because you both just went shopping (for quite prosaic reasons) and, by coincidence, crossed paths. Or was there a greater plan in play?

    Perhaps Snowsparkle would like to clarify the question...

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  4. I'm still curious re the last poll. I want to know what possesed people to vote "failed". Surely the answer is succeed.....if you set out with the intent to fail and do so, then you've succeeded.

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  5. hi lee!!! first of all, thank you for responding to my request! what a sweetheart you are! i'm grateful.

    as you can see, i'm not much of a scientist, so i'll appreciate any asssitance you or your readers can give to reword the poll.

    maybe it's like life... a non-boolean question. in science, the aim is getting to the "one truth" and that this can be discovered through breaking things down into "yes" or "no", and eliminating "maybe". but some things in life cannot be easily corralled in that. it's possible that the yin-yang concept of each thing containing a bit of it's opposite is closer to the "truth."

    now that i've completely muddied the waters... i guess what i have to admit is that this is indeed more about viewing life as being random moves that have nothing to do with anything rather than a choreographed dance that we create together.

    big hugs,
    snowsparkle

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  6. I think reason is different from cause, the wind causes the trees to blow, reason implies purpose, some underlying intelligence thingy.
    I am not an unbeliever, but I think most human attempts to find supernatural reasons for things are paltry in the extreme, and strained when it comes to trying to justify the insupportable. Any God I have is a mystery,I prefer to keep it that way. Nevertheless, it is very human to try to find patterns and meanings in things.

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  7. Does organized chaos fit in here?
    I feel a little singed by matters such as these.

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  8. Who knows? It probably depends on our way of thinking at the time.

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  9. I believe the answer is "42". Funny, that's how old I am now!

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  10. The age old question, is life a series of random events, or are we predestine at birth. I think it is the same controvery that rages on regarding the creation or evolution. Does anyone really know? I personally feel it is random.......

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  11. Actually, I wouldn't worry about the re-wording Snowsparkle.

    I was just in a finnicky mood, and saw an opportunity to turn the question on it's head.

    As Lee says, the meaning of the question is assumed, (and further implied by the creepy puppeteer with too many arms) and it seems nobody else had a problem with it.

    It's just that I do think everything happens for a reason, but not for the reason implied by the question, although I am sure I could come up with an argument that they are the same thing. Perhaps.

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  12. Why was Abraham Lincoln playing a squeeze box whilst manipulating a clown ? Was the wind blowing at the time also ?

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  13. Action and reaction: cause and effect. Nothing "supernatural" is needed.
    (And nothing, absolutely nothing,in the final analysis, matters at all)

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  14. everything happens for a reason.
    it doesn't matter why it just does. Even if it doesn't know why

    what is "it"?
    confusing myself.

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