Fate -vs- Free Will

Have you ever wondered if your life is ruled by fate or free will?

You’re not alone. Wise men, philosophers and theologians have pondered this question throughout time. When I think of human lives being predestined, I get this cartoon image of the 3-fates as old women, hovering in the mist, holding the thread of a soul’s life in one hand and a giant pair of scissors in the other, cackling with glee. Props to Disney for that image.

I used to be more troubled by the idea of fate. Thinking of some babies being born into turmoil while others are born into peace felt unfair. I can’t be the first to ask why the creator would cast unspeakable hardships on an innocent, new life. The more I studied metaphysics, however, the less troubled I became over the idea of fate. That’s because we are not talking about an either-or equation. Fate and free will coexist.

Free will is given to all humans. When people follow the narrative of what they ‘should’ do or what they are simply told to do, without critical thought, problems arise. Marshal Rosenberg said in his book, Speak Peace, the word ‘should’ is the most violent word in the human language. That’s a bold statement and that can be unpacked for hours, but essentially, what Rosenberg is saying is “should” equals “lack”. When we tell ourselves or others what we “should do” or what we “should have done”, the unspoken words are that we didn’t, or won’t. These unspoken words imbue self-doubt. Mistakes are important for learning, and critical thought is important for everything. In a sneaky way, the word should steals free-will. Instead, focus on the reality of a situation and why you really want to be in it. For example, instead of thinking “I should meditate more” think, “meditating makes me feel calmer”; exercise your free will to think about where you want to be in life and then do your best to get there.

Fate is a bigger concept. Fate implies that a higher power is at work. Metaphysically speaking, a higher power is at work. The universal flow of energy is bigger than all of us, and it’s that flow that mystics tap into to touch divinity; but fate also has a scientific root: causality.

Causality is the science of cause and effect. Things influence other things. That’s a basic statement of any dynamic world where things change. Causality is the study of how things influence one another, how causes lead to effects. †

The universal law of cause and effect tells us whatever is taking place right now, is the effect brought on by a prior cause. This means our fate is influenced by everything that has taken place in our lives, or in our past lives. Another word for causality is karma. Karma is the record of all action, good or bad for any person place or thing. The action you take today, whether physical, mental, psychical, spiritual or emotional, will result in a like-natured manifestation in your future. If you are causing hardship for others, that cause creates negative karma. That negative karma subsequently creates a hardship in your future, either in this lifetime before you leave it, or in a future lifetime. Conversely, a positive action creates a positive manifestation.

Now let’s bring fate and free will together. When we free ourselves from feelings of lack and the idea of what we should do, we tap into our intuitive guidance. That intuitive guidance is free will. On the opposite end of the spectrum is causality, or karma, which creates the factors of our fate. In this way, we find ourselves exercising our free will in a predestined life, all-calculated according to divine mathematics, where nothing is left to chance.

So then…what about that innocent babe, born into peril? A soul reincarnating into multiple, physical lives experiences many iterations of life. Some lives are short, others are long. Some tragic, some blessed. If we believe all life in the universe is connected, and metaphysically speaking- we do, then the tragedies and blessings of one’s life are all part of the fate that teaches us lessons. The lessons, in turn, help us discern what actions to take to either improve or impair our current life-experiences. The choice is ours.

†New Scientist LTD.