Is life like a game of pachinko, a game of chance rigged against the participants? I don't think this is a yes or no question, as there are certainly aspects of luck in life that can impact the results or overall quality of life. Just thinking about my own experiences, I feel like the odds are in favor or I was dealt a good hand in other words. I'm a white male in a system where that is inherently beneficial. My parents aren't rich, but certainly have enough money for me to have had a comfortable childhood. These are all things I have absolutely no control over, but I think it's important to acknowledge these advantages I have.
On the flip side of this argument is free will, or people having the ability to make their own choices. While the odds may be in my favor, I feel that I have worked hard to get to where I am today. I always challenged myself academically, and for the past 3 years I have worked a part time job with the goal of gaining management experience and make me more qualified for jobs down the road. In fact, I am writing this after an 8 hour shift and am exhausted, but I am hoping all of this work pays off later on in life. Bringing in faith, fate, or religion further complicates this question, depending on your beliefs. You could believe that an almighty power controls everything or that no such being exists, or anywhere in the middle. In the end, I would say that I would say that this is a complex and rather philosophical question, and I think any answer could be justified.
This question is very philosophical and has so many answers. I think in order to answer it properly, multiple perspectives are necessary, which is kind of impossible.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about the difficult of approaching this question. Everyone has a unique experience in life that this answer can be seen is so many different ways.
ReplyDeleteI, too, found myself not being able to decide and arguing against myself while writing and having rebuttals
ReplyDeleteThis is a super complex question, and I appreciate you sharing your perspective. I hope you found time to rest this weekend after your shift!
ReplyDeleteIt was so hard to come up with a solid answer myself, there's so much to really unpack. Way more complex than my initial thoughts.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely a big question, and hard work plays a role for most people, which is good.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, it's hard to define what the right answer to this question is, especially when everyone's experience is different. Hard work and societal oppression are two different measuring blocks, and I feel that comparing the two is inherently unhelpful and pits people against one another.
ReplyDelete