Do you believe in fate?

[Nathanial Essex]

8 years ago I was at university finishing up on some work. Eager to go home, I packed my bags and headed for the exit in a rush. Just by chance, I bumped into a friend who asked me to come back with her as she was going to study with a few other people. I had already finished most of my exams and literally had no reason to go back and study with her. For some reason though, I did. I went back and spent most of the time dossing around on my phone and such as I had nothing to do.

One of the guys who was there mentioned he got a job at a new bank and would start once he finished university. Having failed a number of interviews, I thought I would also apply for the same place as it matched my skills sets. I got the job and met my future wife and mother to my children at the same place. A couple years later in that job, I started getting frustrated with my manager and started looking for other opportunities. A friend of mine just so happened to be offered a job but turned it down and recommended me. Ended up getting that job, meeting some very close friends and it boosted my salary to a point I could afford to get a mortgage and buy the house that I was in.

Then disaster as I was made redundant the day before I exchanged contracts on my house. However, this led to an even higher paying job that allowed me to flexibility. The redundancy payment was also much needed to furnish the place I was in. 10 days before my child is born I end up securing yet another role which again paid me even more, enough to cover my salary whilst my wife was off work. I get let go from that job but secure another the day my wife returns from maternity leave. Not the most exciting of stories about me job hopping but a case of luck as things were conveniently falling into my lap at the same time.

I am not a religious person at all but there are times I do reckon if there is something along the lines of fate. No necessarily having your whole life planned out for you, because that would only really matter if you knew what that plan was. Otherwise, it just happens. But more in the sense that something, sometimes, maybe, guide you slightly in the write direction. Then again, maybe I could have had all the above but better if things went in another direction.

 

[ShenGCH]

Preordained in the cosmos? No way. Sounds like a sentimental cop-out to me. The serendipitous result of decisions, coincidence, and things falling into place that make instances appear to have been written in the stars, on the other hand? Sure thing.

It's kind of like karma; there is absolutely no reason to believe there is a supernatural set of scales sitting above the heads of each and every human being currently living. What there is reason to believe, however, is something that stands to reason: if you do enough bad shit, the chances of something coming back to bite you on the arse one day are astronomical. The combined weight of all those actions will eventually squash you.

 

[RyoHazuki84]

I don’t know what you want to call it, but I’m still the type of person to believe everything happens for a reason whether it’s good or bad. Like you, I’ve had my fair share of experiences to the point that I could make a book about it. I have spent most of my adult life in Japan and I’ve live in eight cities throughout the country and have visited a good majority of it. I’ll admit Shenmue played a huge part in that (along with being a huge anime fan). I went to a high school in Gilbert, Arizona that offered Japanese courses and I spent a majority of my compulsory education in special ed because I was diagnosed with a learning disability as far back as pre-school (yes, I was on Ritalin in my early years in elementary but my parents got me off them as soon as possible). I was discouraged by my parents and my advisors because the idea of me taking Japanese seemed ridiculous. I said I was motivated to try and I if I failed, I was willing to accept the consequences. They trusted my judgement and came to support my decision.

Most of my classmates in that class were overachieving honors students and I was there as the sole anime fan and gamer. I was by no means intimidated because I was there for my own personal reasons and I felt I had a reason to be there other than to look good on college applications. I knew I had more opportunities to practice and applied what I learned. As crazy as it sounds, I, a special ed student, managed to get the highest grade in the class and maintained my position as I took Japanese throughout high school but I was still getting C’s in lets say English and math (I was actually pretty good at science and art, however). During the summer year prior to my senior year of high school, I got the chance to do a home stay in Hiroshima and as an adult, I’ve spent my life here. If my high school didn’t have that Japanese class, who knows what I’d be doing right now. I’m still in contact with my teacher to this day. I don’t know if it was fate, but I’m thankful I was in an opportunity to find the foundation to further enjoy my hobbies and eventually pursue my dreams.

 

[Mr. Frozen]

No. Humans are ridiculously good at recognizing patterns, even when there is no pattern. What you may think is preordained is just the logical conclusion determined by the actions of yourself and others you interact it, with the addition of a few random occurrences.

 

[Mittens2317]

No. Remember that time you thought of someone and then they didn't show up? Of course you don't. But I bet you remember the time you thought of someone and they did show up.

 

[Kiba]

I'm fated to disbelieve in fate.