Quotes That Get Up My Nose - 001
On Predetermined Predetermination
When I was on Facebook I used to write a series which I called 'Inspirational Quotes That Get Up My Nose'.
I started doing this because of the huge number of quotes that were blindly posted with no thought as to the implications of their meaning, nor any personal thought on behalf of the poster as to whether or not it was actually meaningful to them.
Then I would offer my antidote.
This Stephen Hawking quote is a great example that gets bandied around all over the place without much thought.
"I have noticed that even people who claim everything is predetermined and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road".
- Stephen Hawking
)
This quote gets up my nose because it doesn't make sense.
If everything is predetermined then whether people looked or didn't look before they crossed the road would also be predetermined?
Gillian’s Antidote:
Think for yourself. Even Cambridge University professors can get it wrong! 😂
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Ehhehe, very interesting doubt, indeed. it' looks like those people don't believe in their own theories. Speaking of theories, here's one of my favourite quotes:
That's a great quote @trinscowski. I reckon both might be true. 😂
I think what he's trying to say is that those who CLAIM that everything to be predetermined, THEMSELVES still look before crossing the road. So he is asking why are they bothering if they claim that everything is predetermined! It makes perfect sense to me. LOL!
Ah. I see what you're saying @dmcamera so he is actually making the same point as I made.
Oops. Sorry Prof! 😂 I should have known better. 😊
Yes, you are on the same side. :-)
😂
So, Hawking didn't go far enough, eh? If everything is predetermined, then looking as you crossed the road would also be predetermined, and therefore, would not stand as proof that someone who believed in a predetermination still was cautious (what—in the case they were wrong, thus proving they weren't really that big of believer?)
In other words, if they were meant to die crossing the street, which is what you presumably avoid if you look both ways, they would die regardless of any action to the contrary they took.
But what if they weren't meant to die at the crosswalk, or get seriously injured, or have anything adversely affect them. They could blithely cross the street without a care in the world. So, looking not looking, crossing, not crossing—getting hit, not getting hit. Doesn't matter. All predetermined.
I suppose then, the true trick of this would be to know what your fate/destiny truly is, and then act accordingly. Not knowing would just make you paranoid all the time. :)
Or conversely, if they weren't meant to die and wanted to commit suicide by walking in front of a lorry they wouldn't be able to do so. Perhaps they would trip up and thus get the timing wrong. Or the lorry driver would not be paying attention and would run out of fuel and come to a grinding halt.
Blimey. I must have got out of bed the wrong side this morning. My mind went running off there and I ended up deleted a load of what I'd written. 😂
But how could you act accordingly if it was predetermined. That's my point I think. either it is predetermine or it isn't. There is not in between. 😊
What I meant by accordingly is basically you would live your life and whatever happened happened, just like it was suppose to. Which is really a lot like how we live our lives anyway, not knowing what's going to happen, fate or not. :)
Exactly @glenalbrethsen. I think we all like to think we have a lot more control than we actually do. 😁
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