On Overcoming Fate: And hence, I ponder, how does man overcome his fate? Ever since the days of ancient Greece and its deterministic mentality, fate has played an important role in the religious and cultural experience of mankind. One such example is the concept of predestination in the Protestant (Christian) sect of Calvinism whereby man is called to the Earth to do a specific duty in life. Likewise, Calvinists believe that man's afterlife condition is also predetermined. In other words, life (and afterlife) for man has already been preordained and there is nothing he can do to change it. On the whole, it's fair to say that man is inherently fatalistic due to the predetermined circumstances that dominate his being-in-the-world. His class, religion, race, location, and family are established by the time he's born. After recognizing the limitations placed upon man at birth, he must bow down to the ways of his ancestors and the workings of the world for they will teach him how to act. At some point, however, man must destroy the customs he has acquired for they will only hinder his future progress. The final step in overcoming fate involves becoming profound. Man must therefore grow down in addition to growing up. And once man has struck this impeccable balance, he has forever broken the chains of his self-imposed triviality.
Friday, March 16, 2007
On Overcoming Fate
On Overcoming Fate: And hence, I ponder, how does man overcome his fate? Ever since the days of ancient Greece and its deterministic mentality, fate has played an important role in the religious and cultural experience of mankind. One such example is the concept of predestination in the Protestant (Christian) sect of Calvinism whereby man is called to the Earth to do a specific duty in life. Likewise, Calvinists believe that man's afterlife condition is also predetermined. In other words, life (and afterlife) for man has already been preordained and there is nothing he can do to change it. On the whole, it's fair to say that man is inherently fatalistic due to the predetermined circumstances that dominate his being-in-the-world. His class, religion, race, location, and family are established by the time he's born. After recognizing the limitations placed upon man at birth, he must bow down to the ways of his ancestors and the workings of the world for they will teach him how to act. At some point, however, man must destroy the customs he has acquired for they will only hinder his future progress. The final step in overcoming fate involves becoming profound. Man must therefore grow down in addition to growing up. And once man has struck this impeccable balance, he has forever broken the chains of his self-imposed triviality.
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