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Early last year I "came out" as an atheist. This should not have come as a huge shock to anyone, since I stopped praying a long time ago, and hadn't been to a temple in almost a decade. But for some reason it came as a surprise to my mother, the self-appointed religious arbiter of the family.
I was rather disappointed by the inevitable arguments that followed. My mother - the university-educated college biology professor - made the same trollish non-sequitur goalpost-moving non-arguments I've heard repeated ad-nauseum on youtube and other online forums. But one point caught my attention: Why do good things happen to you?
This point has also been mentioned recently here on fratching. Someone here said that were it not for an injury that kept them out of the military, they could have been just another nameless statistic in the war on terror. That was apparently a sign of God's plan. But what about those "nameless statistics in the war on terror?" Did God not have a plan for them?
Make no mistake, I begrudge no one their fortunes in life. But how is it not incredibly arrogant to believe that an all-powerful supernatural omnipotent god or gods, responsible for the creation of all of existence, singled out one single human for providence? Does God not have anything better to do? How does God decide who's side to pick?
I propose a much simpler explanation that doesn't rely on such self-aggrandizement. The non-magic formula for our good fortunes in life?
A combination of our skill, and luck.
"Skill" can encompass many things: our skill at understanding people, at abstract concepts (math), even our strength of will. But this category ultimately means anything that we have influence or control over. Someone may not be good with computers, but they can learn if they choose to. This category can include our choices. Which of our skills do we choose to develop? Mental or physical? How do we develop them? How do we learn from our mistakes? How do we choose to deploy our skills? We have control over such decisions.
"Luck" encompasses any number of factors which we have no control over. Our genes, the circumstances of our birth & upbringing, our environment. You could be one of the best professionals in your field, but if the economy goes south, you go with it, regardless of your skills. You could have the intellect of Stephen Hakwing, but you'd have very little chance to develop it if you were born in a squalid shantytown, or a warzone. You could be killed in a car accident tomorrow, regardless of how good a driver you are. Someone else you had no control over made a bad choice, and that's it for you. One day you happened to pick the winning numbers, and BINGO! You're set up for life... right?
I can support my assertion with real-life examples. I don't think anyone could seriously argue that it was God's plan for someone to win the lottery. It was luck, plain and simple. But what about after the "big win?" Some people go on to be financially successful, but others do not. What separates the two? One group chose to develop skills on how to handle a windfall, and made smart choices. The other group did not.
Skill and luck, that's my non-magic recipe for success. Luck plays a factor, but not the sole factor. Our skills and choices take us the rest of the way, and make success happen. But sooner or later, our luck will run out.
I was rather disappointed by the inevitable arguments that followed. My mother - the university-educated college biology professor - made the same trollish non-sequitur goalpost-moving non-arguments I've heard repeated ad-nauseum on youtube and other online forums. But one point caught my attention: Why do good things happen to you?
This point has also been mentioned recently here on fratching. Someone here said that were it not for an injury that kept them out of the military, they could have been just another nameless statistic in the war on terror. That was apparently a sign of God's plan. But what about those "nameless statistics in the war on terror?" Did God not have a plan for them?
Make no mistake, I begrudge no one their fortunes in life. But how is it not incredibly arrogant to believe that an all-powerful supernatural omnipotent god or gods, responsible for the creation of all of existence, singled out one single human for providence? Does God not have anything better to do? How does God decide who's side to pick?
I propose a much simpler explanation that doesn't rely on such self-aggrandizement. The non-magic formula for our good fortunes in life?
A combination of our skill, and luck.
"Skill" can encompass many things: our skill at understanding people, at abstract concepts (math), even our strength of will. But this category ultimately means anything that we have influence or control over. Someone may not be good with computers, but they can learn if they choose to. This category can include our choices. Which of our skills do we choose to develop? Mental or physical? How do we develop them? How do we learn from our mistakes? How do we choose to deploy our skills? We have control over such decisions.
"Luck" encompasses any number of factors which we have no control over. Our genes, the circumstances of our birth & upbringing, our environment. You could be one of the best professionals in your field, but if the economy goes south, you go with it, regardless of your skills. You could have the intellect of Stephen Hakwing, but you'd have very little chance to develop it if you were born in a squalid shantytown, or a warzone. You could be killed in a car accident tomorrow, regardless of how good a driver you are. Someone else you had no control over made a bad choice, and that's it for you. One day you happened to pick the winning numbers, and BINGO! You're set up for life... right?
I can support my assertion with real-life examples. I don't think anyone could seriously argue that it was God's plan for someone to win the lottery. It was luck, plain and simple. But what about after the "big win?" Some people go on to be financially successful, but others do not. What separates the two? One group chose to develop skills on how to handle a windfall, and made smart choices. The other group did not.
Skill and luck, that's my non-magic recipe for success. Luck plays a factor, but not the sole factor. Our skills and choices take us the rest of the way, and make success happen. But sooner or later, our luck will run out.
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