Is there a reason to everything? Options

[datass]

So do you believe there's a reason to everything? Including love?

[Trinie]

yes there is a reason for everything. especially love.

[think!IMAGINARIL...]

Well, not really.
For example, school. If you try hard (which is your own doing, not some other force), you'll get good grades.
Don't know about the love part. I've never really been in love.

[AngelinaTaylor]

You mean as in fate? That everything happens for a reason? Or simply that everything has a reason behind it, such as "The reason people should get married is because the world's simply made for families"? (Not that I agree, I just couldn't think of another example and this is something my friend said a while ago)

[demolished]

The whole world has reasons and influences.

[think!IMAGINARIL...]

Influences, yes.

Reasons, maybe..
But then what would the reasons be?
The only ones I can think of right now are religious.

[*RubeTheCube*]

Depends on whether you're referring to a future driven reason (fate, destiny, something in the future that the pieces are deliberately coming together for) or a past driven reason (the bridge fell because of the years of weathering and use). I personally do not believe in the former, that everything was set up to fall in to certain places to insure future happenings, but I do believe in the latter, though not in a singular sense. I think of the reasoning behind every event as a cloud of numerous influences acting together, which each have various percentages of influential value. An influence that has a high percentage is usually called "the cause" of something even though there is a practically infinite line of influence clouds behind it that caused that influence to exert itself on the event. Seemingly small influences may also make way for larger influences in the future (think the butterfly effect).
Ummm I guess that might be kind of confusing... but I'm going to stick with it :p

The problem with my beliefs on the subject, though, leave pretty much no room for free will , so they aren't very practical. If you go on thinking that free will doesn't exist, things like blame, justice, and righteousness go out the window... but that is a matter for a separate debate

[AngelinaTaylor]

Depends on whether you're referring to a future driven reason (fate, destiny, something in the future that the pieces are deliberately coming together for) or a past driven reason (the bridge fell because of the years of weathering and use). I personally do not believe in the former, that everything was set up to fall in to certain places to insure future happenings, but I do believe in the latter, though not in a singular sense.

Yeah, I was wondering that as well. However, if everything happened for a reason (i.e. fate), then what would be the point of living? If everything was planned out, life wouldn't be very interesting. It loses that excitement that you have about living, as well as the idea of having control over your own life. And I personally hate that thought.

If it IS the latter, then it's a much more philosophical question.

[*This Confession*]

Well to answer just the topic title I believe that everything happens for a reasons, in which there is a reason why everything happend.
-shrugs- It could go for anything, I suppose RubetheCube explained it well at the first few sentences.

[demolished]

Influences, yes.

Reasons, maybe..
But then what would the reasons be?
The only ones I can think of right now are religious.

Elaine, what makes who you are?
Who makes who you are?
Why are you like that?
Why do you act like that?

These questions are base on experiences that influences who you are.


Why do most guys overlap their laps?
Why girls cross their legs?

What are the reasons to these genders doing things?
In China, guys would cross their leg. Why? They're being influenced.

How come in America, you don't see many guys crossed their legs?

Again, it's influences. Influences are the reasons that represent their actions.


It's not only about influences.
It's about inspiration or what drives who you are.

[think!IMAGINARIL...]

So you're trying to explain that influences are reasons?

But then.. Influences are like things that affect you. Reasons are answers to why things affect you.
I think.. Ergh. You made me confused.

I guess influences can be called reasons, but there have to be answers to why.

And influences are inspirations, aren't they?

[demolished]

So you're trying to explain that influences are reasons?

Influences is consider reasons.

But then.. Influences are like things that affect you. Reasons are answers to why things affect you.
I think.. Ergh. You made me confused.

Can i say ...

i was raised to eat vegetables.
My mom forced me to eat it.
Because i didnt like to eat vegetables, but now, i like it.

I guess influences can be called reasons, but there have to be answers to why.
And influences are inspirations, aren't they?

My examples:

Elaine, what makes who you are?
Who makes who you are?
Why are you like that?
Why do you act like that?

I dont think influences are inspiration. idk.

[think!IMAGINARIL...]

Why is it that you think influences aren't inspirations?
The way I see it, influences inspire you to do things.

Likee.. Your example. You were forced to eat vegetables as a kid, but now you eat it without someone forcing you to.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that inspire can be used in both a negative and positive way? Yeah, I think so..

And your examples are really specific..
When I first read this topic, I thought it would be something like why the universe exists or why do humans exist.

[*RubeTheCube*]

Yeah, I was wondering that as well. However, if everything happened for a reason (i.e. fate), then what would be the point of living? If everything was planned out, life wouldn't be very interesting. It loses that excitement that you have about living, as well as the idea of having control over your own life. And I personally hate that thought.

If it IS the latter, then it's a much more philosophical question.

The funny thing is that the only real difference between the two is acknowledging a higher power ;) Either would result in stuff playing out with only one path of possibility (not necessarily the same path but an equally inevitable one).
Either way previous events make the future events happen.

It should be noted, though, that the inevitability is placed outside of our realm. This means that even if it turned out that all things are set to happen in an inevitable fashion (which we could never actually know), knowing that would be useless. If it drastically changed your life, then everything that influenced you until that point of realization would have made the change because it set you up to be influenced. If you were unaffected by the knowledge, you obviously wouldn't end up in the same place as if you lost your will to live as a result of it.

What I'm trying to say is: even if everything that has happened makes what is now and will inevitably make what will be with no room for choice, spontaneity or free will, we still have the ILLUSION of free will/choice/etc. so we might as well use it and make the most of our lives :D

EDIT:
Hold it, I think we need some definition clarification here:
Google define:reason says (first two):
# a rational motive for a belief or action; "the reason that war was declared"; "the grounds for their declaration"
# an explanation of the cause of some phenomenon; "the reason a steady state was never reached was that the back pressure built up too slowly"

I think Elaine is using the 1st and Spiritual Winged Aura is using the 2nd.

Also, regarding inspirations/what makes you who you are... looks like we're going into the whole nature vs nurture thing here ;)

[demolished]

^I have no clue what you're talking about. but, it's okay. k, i get it now. ;]

Why is it that you think influences aren't inspirations?
The way I see it, influences inspire you to do things.

Likee.. Your example. You were forced to eat vegetables as a kid, but now you eat it without someone forcing you to.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that inspire can be used in both a negative and positive way? Yeah, I think so..

And your examples are really specific..
When I first read this topic, I thought it would be something like why the universe exists or why do humans exist.

I view, "inspiration" as a positive thing.

And "influence" as a positive or negative thing.



Okay, i checked the dictionary. Influence is inspiration.

[timeflies51]

The whole thing really depends on whether or not you believe there's a higher power.

I don't, to start, so here is my view:

I completely and utterly believe that everything is a coincidence. The way the world has shifted and changed, the way people meet each other, your genetic makeup.

Everything that happens is all a coincidence of what everyone else does. It's kind of hard to explain...

Example:

The crosswalk light turns green.
Someone starts to cross the street.
Someone in a car doesn't see the red stoplight...and hits the person, killing them.
That person in the car affected the "fate" of the person crossing the street. But it was only a coincidence that they were there at the same time.

And why were those people there in the first place? Because of someone else. And them? Because of someone else... A chain reaction of coincidences. You are sitting at your computer reading this right now because of other people. Don't agree? Okay, who bought your computer? Who sold it to them? Who made it? Who came up with the idea for a computer? Dozens of chain reactions.

When it comes to love, it depends on the best person that you find and meet. Who knows? There could be somebody on the other side of the world who is more compatible for you. It's just a coincidence you haven't met them.

I don't think that everything happens FOR a reason, but you can look at things the way they happened and MAKE them have a reason.

For example, if a child touches a hot stove and burns themself, the act of touching the stove wasn't premeditated to teach the child not to touch it, but the child should now use his or her brain to remember, "Okay, that's hot, I don't want to touch it again!" The child GAVE the act a MEANING.

Honestly, I really don't understand why a higher being would want to plan out our TINY, LITTLE, INSIGNIFICANT acts.

[mznikki]

it obiously depends on what you believe in. especially fate and god. i belive that everything in life happens for a reason and it is up to you to do something about it or dwell upon it. but that's only what i belive not want i want everyone else to belive unless they agree. also it depends on your point of view.

[pinacoolada]

I think it's superstition versus religious beliefs, or just beliefs in general. But I think there are some things the human mind can't explain.

[Laughsalot]

yeah i think there's a reason for everything. from something so little such as tripping. you trip becasue you didn't tie you're shoes. or to something so complex. i can't think of an example

[vash1530]

if you mean in the cause = effect terms, for instance
i do [blank], [blank] will happen, the yea.

but your prolly asking a more philosophical question. the answer is no.

[twinkles6801]

I beleive that there is a reason for everything, even the bad things that happen, they may be just a blessing in disguise.

[sweetangel2128]

I believe that good & bad things happen for a reason, everything happends for a reason. You may not understand it at the time, but there is always a reason.

[Kontroll]

So do you believe there's a reason to everything? Including love?

Well, if God exists then yes. He is all knowing, therefore nothing is out of chance.

[Mr. Slowjamz]

i believe something happens for a reason ... but i also believe we are predetermin or testing ourselves or God is testing us .

from all the close relationships , the friends , the situations i`ve been laid on too yes. i also believe that our intuition plays a great part in our role and wether we recognize it or not during our life is what affects something .

[kipani1984]

No. I don't think theres a reason for anything. I think we've evolved from bacteria into what we are today :) Evolution.

I think we can give ourselves reasons, but they wont all be the same.

My reason is family.

[Kontroll]

No. I don't think theres a reason for anything. I think we've evolved from bacteria into what we are today :) Evolution.

I think we can give ourselves reasons, but they wont all be the same.

My reason is family.

The bacteria would die out before it became something useful or something else.

[viugiufgjhfhjfhg...]

If by reason you mean "causation" then I would feel forced to say that there is always an apparent cause for every effect, as far as human perception goes.

Physics on the other hand, have a more vague definition of causality and it's potential effects, same happens with engineering, medicine, and many other disciplines. It would probably be better to say that each field has it's own theory of causality, rather than trying to find a global theory that could enclose all the cases.

All in all, to answer the first post I would say "Yes, but also depends."

[xBUTTMUNCHx]

COURSE.

well thats just what I think. tetete, there's a logic, then there's a scientific reason to everything...

[sweetangel2128]

Yes, there is a reason for everything rather it be bad or good things. Even though most people don't see it at first, later on they will understand it.