There's this sentimental and spiritual side of our brain that seems to be locked in a constant argument with the logical observant side. Logic is the truth of observation, while belief seems to be some combination of hope and supposition.
Science is a product of logic, religion of belief, and the conflict between the two breeds philosophy.
In theory, I believe in nothing, but the very belief in nothing implies a belief, and thus is paradoxical. In reality, I believe in nothing until the moment dictates it.
The reason why philosophy is so subjective is that it requires a person to reconcile what they know versus what they are capable of believing, and thus these theories of life are rarely applicable in all situations to all people. The inherent individuality of the human experience dictates that each person have their own philosophy map for life.
In practice, we are far more lazy and suggestible then we are stubborn and observant, and so rather then create our own belief system, we adopt one that seems most likely to be true.
Thus the existence of god, heaven, hell and fate.
Logically, I have accepted that nothing happens for a reason and absolutely everything we may ever encounter is random. It is only our propensity for myth and spirituality that connects these random events into a web of destiny.
Fate supposes that our paths are predetermined to some extent, thus allowing us to abandon direct control of our lives, but the most powerful feature in the belief of fate is the abandonment of mortality. If people die because it "is their time", then we are not forced to accept our own completely random demise.
This is what I was thinking about as my car was hydroplaning towards the steel barricade last night on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
A quick series of maneuvers swerved my car's path away from twisted destruction with only a few feet to spare...
but I missed my turn.
As I was driving down the expressway towards my alternate exit, I checked my pulse and found that it had not risen in any perceptible way. Why is it that I can narrowly avoid possible death without any excitement, yet a simple conversation with an attractive woman might send me into palpitations? I suppose everyone fears something different.
As I was driving back in the other direction later, I noticed a mangled car being loaded onto the back of a flatbed truck at the same exit.
