Fate. Destiny. Providence.
I just finished watching the pilot episode of Dead Like Me, which I was very impressed by. Among the main themes of the story therein are the concepts of fate, destiny, and predestination.
These ideas and concepts have long been a part of my own existence. I’m one of those people, I suppose, who has no choice but to see that things do happen in a progression and with some element of purpose. It’s really pretty obvious when you think about it. It’s not really a question of whether or not, but of why. Aye, there’s the rub, as young Hamlet might say. In point of fact I don’t think I really need to prove the existence of such forces to all of you. Kharma, God’s Plan, the will of Allah, whatever you like. It’s there, and I think we all know it. But whyso? Who plays those changes, daddy? to coin a favorite reference of mine.
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but someday the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightened position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because I didn’t write it. I only wish I did. This is the opening paragraph of the Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft and if you haven’t read it you should. I think that sums it up there. There was stated in a rather famous piece of text (it was the Bible actually, also a decent read even if you don’t buy into the religion) which stated “he who increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” The Man in Black in the Gunslinger (the Dark Tower I) has an excellent commentary that also is quite similar to Lovecrafts words about the nature of man’s place in reality. That one’s pretty long so I’ll spare you it, however, read the book.
I run in some pretty intellectual service sometimes, I suppose, living in a town possessed of two institutions of higher learning. Of course, beyond that I have children and I also sometimes entertain wonderful philosophical conversations with high school aged punk rockers and men old enough to be my grandfather. Through all these conversations, particularly in this town, such philosophies as to muse at the nature of existence often arise, be they religious or simple ideologies formed of wondering at why things turn out the way they do. All of these conversations tell much about the individual stating, and often nothing at all. The point is nobody knows, and I think we’re all better off that way. Perhaps there is some beauty in that great mystery that may never be solved. Perhaps it keeps us aware that science will never defeat the greater power of the unknown, that which supports the power of faith, the necessity of it.
I’m an artist, a writer I suppose falls into such a category, but I am also, I suppose, an amateur philosopher. Often I find myself considering the nature of such things as Fate, Destiny, and the nature of why it all goes down. There’s a contradiction there of course. See, I’m a zealot (not a fanatic – there’s a difference folks), a person of extreme faith. So I don’t really worry about it, I generally just go with the flow. However, I love philosophy, I love theology and I love musing about existence. I’m very entertained with considering such things, It’s kind of a hobby of sorts. One that I share with most of humanity to some extent i suppose. I think if there were an incarnation of fate, it or they as the case, would be whimsical and erratic. Of all the gods and incarnations that exist and that could be applied to the Cycle of Existence, I’ve never been able to pin down whatever fate might be. So there we have the one (or two) oddities of the theology. Ana and Levi, the twins. effectively these are the only gods I conjured up, because in point of fact, they don’t matter. They serve fate and are the keepers of it. Fate itself I think is linked to the almighty Will of Existence, and chooses who it pleases to order its affairs. In point of fact, fate is a thing that you and I may never even grasp a fraction of understanding of. But I think in the end it’s better that way.
From Denton, TX 13 March 2006
– Ashe
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