Do you believe in fate? Or do you feel like everything that happens is by either human design or chance? I can tell you that I have had so many odd coincidences happen in my life that I simply can’t believe they are just accidents, and there’s no way you could convince me that human intervention caused it. So that just leaves fate. But what is fate, and how is it affected by free will?

This week, on the podcast, we’re talking about “Serendipity vs. Synchronicity,”what they are, and whether they are just coincidences or are predestined in some way. We even talk about some very odd synchronicities in our own lives. I don’t want to give any of those stories away, so I’ll just say here that I’ve had some doozies. But I’ve never been able to decide if they are synchronicities – a pure coincidence through which I’ve spotted seemingly related patterns – or if they are destiny – something pre-ordained to happen or a karmic connection that draws people and circumstances together. And still I ask, what is fate? And can a belief in fate exist without a belief in a higher being or some kind of faith?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, fate is

“...the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.”

So then, believing in fate inherently means believing in a supernatural power, doesn’t it? 

But wait…if we can’t have fate without believing in a supernatural power, can we believe in a supernatural power without believing in fate? Doesn’t it seem highly unlikely that some omnipotent being with the power to create all of the universe would just sit idly by and watch it play itself out? Could you do that? So it would seem that if there is a God or gods (or a fully-connected universe) he (she/it) would be compelled to tinker here and there to make sure the grand design actually works as planned. But to what end I might find a dime on the ground just when I need one, I can’t even begin to imagine.

And then there’s coincidence, which I’ve already mentioned as being highly unlikely. There are just too many, and sometimes they are way too specific. But we’ve already theorized that fate can’t happen without some supernatural power pulling the strings, and I get that a lot of people don’t believe in God or any other supernatural power. So then how do we explain these weird bits of things that happen to us just in the nick of time, or that people discover weird connections with new people they meet? How can luck or synchronicity exist in a world comprised of only free will and accidents? If everything is based on free will, why do bad things happen? And if it is all only an accident, are we ever really in control of anything?

I don’t like the idea of not being in control. At the same time, I’m often comforted by the idea that someone else, call it God or the Universe, has at least a little control over things. I like the idea that someone is out there looking out for me, making sure I’m where I am supposed to be, but also giving me enough room to explore and learn, to make my mistakes, and to get a few things right once in a while. I take comfort in believing that some bad things happen purely by chance and are not the result of my own stupidity or carelessness, nor the consequence of spiteful vengeance or some wrathful God’s punishment. So maybe there’s a mix. A little accident, a handful of fate a la divine intervention, and a lifetime of making my own choices, whether for good or for bad. Either way, I think I’ll be celebrating the Serendipities and Synchronicities when they come my way, and if I have to take the blame for a few bad mistakes, well…then at least I probably learned something from it, right?

What do you think? Do you believe in fate? Is serendipity or synchronicity part of a divine plan, or is it just a happy coincidence? Share in the comments below, or post over on the MMC Chat Facebook group.