An idealist fate: how love is the best strategy
I'm not one to make a hard decision on [ahem, anything...] whether I believe in something so elusive and controversial as fate. However, I do believe that the fate most people think about is an over simplified version, like most ideas involving a system as complex as say... the universe.

Now I don't want to get into determinism vs free will, although they're obviously related. I don't want to go there because I don't think I have it figured out in those terms yet. The true answer usually lies in between (or perhaps, beyond) opposing views. But I did realize something tonight that might be useful nonetheless:

What should happen probably will.

To me, that's fate. It's not a strict, absolute rule. It's not saying it will certainly happen. It's just saying it's likely to eventually. Probabilism with a bias. But a bias towards what? How do we know what "should" happen?

This is where love comes in. I'm not sure I can communicate this without fully explaining my ideas about love. But how it ties is with fate, which I suppose is a sort of "nature of the universe," should explain the significance of love in the universe, right?

Let me back up.

I think we'd love it if passionate people with "good" values, integrity and intention (say, idealists) got their way. Then we could all be them and we'd all get our way and it would be ideal, yeah?

So why don't things always work out for people with good intentions and good hearts, even when there is nothing else in their way? Simple. Their good intentions came with a lack an understanding of the bigger picture OR they got in the way of what would have happened anyway. After all, the nature of the universe (as all complex systems) is often counter intuitive. These two explanations are roughly the same thing.

Put it another way: they were not fully in tune with what "should" happen, or they unknowingly sabotaged themselves by not letting happen what probably would happen.

Okay, maybe I skipped something. What "should" happen is what the universe wants to happen. Keep in mind you are part of the universe, not anything separate. It's like a democracy but with all forces of the universe. And what does the universe want to happen? Love. I think the fact we are all born wanting love supports this.

To better prove this, I'm going to get a bit systemsy, but nothing you shouldn't be able to follow. The universe is assumed to be a closed system. Although we used to think it was a mechanical system, we don't anymore, but it's also unlikely a purposeful system like humans, living things or societies of living things. It is the environment for these societies, hence an ecology.

Like mechanical systems, ecologies have no purpose of their own. Mechanical systems require purpose to come from the outside (like the user of a tool). However, ecological systems require purpose to come from within. That is to say, their parts that are purposeful. This is basically most living things.

Okay, so the universe's purpose becomes to serve its living inhabitants. (Ignore why that would be the case when life is seemingly so rare in the universe.) The common purpose of all living things is to survive. That is their prime directive and is even the basis for what we call morals. To have all things living in concert requires a certain mutually beneficial bonding quality... we'll call it, uhhh, love.

You can define things in two ways: what its internal structure of parts are, or what *role* it plays in the greater environment. We're used to the reductionist perspective of the former. We need more of the latter. I'll go ahead and define love by its role: a quality that brings unity to the universe.

What "should happen" is defined in terms of love. To be most in tune with this fate you should err on the side of love. Globally and locally ideal seeking. Then realize it will likely happen eventually. If you doubt that, and end up trying to force it to happen, you're likely (but not guaranteed) to get in the way because a) you probably don't know what you're doing, and b) you'll never be as effective as the collective.

The best strategy (my strategy) becomes: use your heart, grok as much as you can, pick your battles, collaborate and cooperate.

And as a slight addition to this, remember that you can't help others if you can't help yourself. Always take care of yourself because that is your means for taking care of others. Similarly, always take care of your environment because that is what helps take care of us all. Unity is balance.

Fate. Let it happen.