One of my persistent fascinations is fate vs. free will. My high school history teacher showed us a PBS film about Oedipus Rex (complete with ominous drums, etc.) He summed it up like this: Oedipus was destined to sleep with his mother; he couldn't help it; but he could choose what he was going to do about it. (He chose to blind himself.) In other words, my history teacher continued, we have a certain amount of destiny that puts us in a box, but we can choose what to do in the box.

Related: if I could know everything that is going to happen in my life, I would do it. I hate surprises, and I like to be prepared. But even if you came across some omniscient gypsy who could see into the future...could s/he really predict it accurately? Maybe just the boxes, but not the choices inside.

Comments

Rachel Federman said…
OMG would you really want to know? Like if there is some tragedy looming ahead you'd rather know about it? It would be so hard to enjoy the time between now and the tragedy whereas the innocence is bliss route could give you many happy years otherwise steeped in melancholy about what will eventually happen.
7:44 AM
Bearette said…
i really would rather know. uncertainty is always worse :)
8:34 AM
judy in ky said…
I think I would like to know what's coming. Then I could plan around it. For example, if I knew I didn't have long to live, I would spend the rest of my time in Hawaii. Instead of spreading your "bucket list" out over years, you could fit it in all at once!
9:58 AM
Bearette said…
exactly.
10:05 AM
Rachel Federman said…
but what if you found out something truly horrible. wouldn't it just ruin all the fun you are having now?
11:04 AM
Bearette said…
Hmmm. probably not. i think i would just be like, "Okay, horrible thing X is going to happen, but at least i know that horrible thing Y will not happen, and i know the timing so i can prepare."

Though you have a point. People would probably dread the day horrible thing X was going to take place.
11:24 AM
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