Destined to be ...?

[brian]

       One of the biggest questions of life has haunted people since the beginning of time: Do we have destiny? Do we not have a say in how our lives will go? Do we simply follow a preplanned path to our demise? "In Cold Blood" takes a stab at answering this unanswerable question. During a post murder meal at a Kansas city diner, Perry brings a point to the table that can't be discounted in this debate. Perry says, "Once a thing is set to happen, all you can do is hope it won't. Or will – depending. As long as you live, there's always something waiting, and even if it's bad, and you know it's bad, what can you do?"(92). Perry wants to show Dick that their future is up to destiny. While he did have mixed feelings about killing the Clutters, Perry believed his future, whether it be an easy life in Mexico or, quoting "Pirates of the Caribbean" ,  "a short drop and a sudden stop", was set and now they just had to live with the hand that destiny dealt them.  

    I, on the other hand, refuse to accept that our lives are merely toy cars set on a permanent undeviating track. We are all born with free will and the choice to decide our own destinies. What would be the purpose of life if there was no freedom to choose? It is our decisions that make us who we are. One is not simply born and immediately destined to be the world's next Steve Jobs. It is through his or her actions and decisions that will determine who that person will become and how they will contribute to society. We do not have destinies, rather we have a future shaped by our actions and experiences. 

[16carnohanc]

I think Brian has a point. It is never really is made clear to us if we have a destiny or not. I think it's up to us to figure that out. If we listen to others and don't make decisions on our own we will fulfill other people's destiny for us while if we take risks and create our own life we will create our own destiny or "not have a destiny"

[kandahar]

I think Brian hit it on the head. I would like to add that most people that think destiny runs their life won't think as hard over important decisions as people that believe that it is their actions that cause things to happen. Like I said in my answer to this question, Dick and Perry could have just gone to Mexico instead of killing the Clutter's. They, on the contrary to what Perry believes, could have massively reduced the chance of them getting in trouble or if they did, not having to face the death sentence for them killing a family.

[bigmike]

I agree with Brian in every way. I think that it is up to us to decide how we will carry ourselves and what we will do with our lives. THE ONLY ONE TO CONTROL THIS IS YOURSELF. However, i do not think i would label this as destiny, because to me destiny is a predetermined path. In reality the path is never truly predetermined, rather it is mostly up to chance. However, you actions may increase your chances of the path of which you desire.