Everything has consequences. Just like for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Yet the only difference is there are many other actions that interact with each other, so the complete opposite reaction just isn't possible.

So if you can imagine being "all knowing" of every action, it's possible to say a certain direction is most likely to happen.

Yet even this is dependant on free will. For if you change even one tiny aspect the result is also a tiny bit different.

Now though if you look at the over all direction it's pretty close to the same direction. Just a little bit changed.

So unless the free will aspect changes everything the chances are are very good that you might meet many people under the overall direction. Yet not necessarily everyone.

It's still an odds type of thing, just not certainty odds.

Note predictive mathematics show pretty much the same thing. Yet it's also not a certainty. Just a close "prediction".

I don't believe that.

But I do think we can learn something from everyone we meet...even if it's for a very short time.

We all teach each other ...

A friendship or relationship takes place when the two find each other interesting... and it becomes a give and take relationship...

No. I used to think so, but I’ve lived long enough to know many things that come into your life are just random encounters.

Meant to ? I doubt that more and more

Opportunity to learn from each interaction .. sure .. but that includes from bad experiences as much or more so than good ones

No, I do not believe that cliche'. I think many apply that scenario when they want to give something more meaning than it has. I believe in time and chance for all.

An example would be all of Ted Bundy's victims. I imagine they wouldn't think so either.

Yes.....you might not get what you hoped from a relationship or person....but it will still teach you something. Each person we meet has sone impact on us, be it big or small. Sonetimes it takes years to realise...or admit what that was. X

No, I don’t believe in fate or that there is any kind of plan…life just happens and you meet people along the way

Not everyone but some people.

In life, we meet who we meet at least for the first time. From that point on, we decide if we ever meet up with them again … or not. The same goes for ‘that person’ we meet, so I guess it depends how deeply we look into the issue. We cannot meet up again with ‘that person’ if s/he doesn’t want to meet again, and so the entire question of being meant to cross paths is debatable in how it all works out

-F-

I believe some we are meant to help and others enter our lives to be a positive force for us. True friendship and love is when both give.

No, but based on your decisions through life some things are inevitable.
Example :how I met my ex
Met in a gaming forum
Because I was interested in a particular game
Because I saw the face of the main character on a cover and became very curious about it
Because I like games
I went to a game shop often
And sooooo on and sooo forth

Yes I believe we’re not in control of what the universe has planned for us but I do believe that the universe has our backs. Every experience in my life has led me to where I am today and who I am today. And this includes the people who have entered my life and left my life. Whether it be by death or their own choosing.

This falls into that “neither believe nor disbelieve” category of mine. I don’t know how all this works and I can’t feel that it matters. Regardless of whether anything is meant or just random, one meets what one meets, does what they do, and time keeps rolling. 🤷‍♀️

Events that happen in our lives are not random. I believe most are fated, and yes there is always a reason.
There are many reasonable explanations for this, mostly spiritual. I don't think this is an appropriate place for that discussion. Also the topic is rather vast.

In that case

I'm going with the answer, it's we who assign meaning to who we meet, and for good reason.

@SW-User A word I haven’t seen (unlessI missed it) is Fate. You don’t see it much these days. But it should be said that Fate walks hand-in-hand with destiny and even Luck. But as far as luck is concerned it’s a word widely used and accepted. Luck or Fate; is there any difference?

Inside the debate, we can go much deeper if we care to delve deeper. Everything has meaning; it has to do, but it isn’t something that we need to delve too deeply but instead it’s more a part of living. The good, the bad and the downright indifferent are all deeply involved in day to day living. Good memories and bad intertwine and we have to get through regardless; no one ever said any of our lives are going to be easy .

Everyone who comes into our lives for a reason or a season but that embraces good and bad. I tend to consider the deeper, spiritual reasons for considering people we consider we are meant to meet (dare I say destined?) are exactly that; however things work out, how can it be anything more than events unfolding but along with this comes the bad events and the good. Who ever openly speaks of how they were meant to be treated badly … and yet life’s is full of varied good and bad. Personally, I find it hard to romanticise our blessings rather than simply say life’s blessings are what we all hope for

-F-

You can't have one without the other... we are meant to cross each other's paths...
We make a difference to each other in some way.

No. That's like trying to derive the Bible Code. Sure... you're always going to find some reason to explain what happened.

I don’t think so. Sometimes we get lost and step in shit when we don’t pay attention to our path.

Like I was meant to come across this post ,you (path)🤔

Yes and yes.... Everything is for a reason, not just by chance.. People are usually brought together by a force we have not known before..

Nope I don’t believe it. You life is what you make it. So make it a good one. If someone screws it up it’s up to you to fix it.

As much as the scientist in me wants to put order to things and the person in me wants to think everything has meaning, I believe many things in nature and life are completely random.

There may be a reason, but whatever it is....is lost by me. It doesn't really matter, I have to deal with it just the same.
🤷‍♂️

I think it’s more than just chance
Some people make a difference

No. There's no rhyme or reason. At least I don't think so. But one never knows for sure. 🤔

Paths are crossed according to the lifestyle you've chosen to make for your own life

I used to, as I get older I’m not so sure. I’m more on team coincidence.

I think that many things in life happens for a reason but not everything.
Some things just happen and some things we bring upon ourself.
Suppose a bad friend comes into your life. That's not necessarily ordained by fate as something that needed to happen. You just happened to meet a bad person. Then perhaps if you followed your spirituality and were true to yourself you would immediately stop dealing with this person once you saw their true colors BUT often we ignore that inner voice and reason with what we want to do and get burned more later on because of it.
Thats not because it was our destiny but God can and does help us use every experience for our good in some way.

{@ladybronte] yes that ,makes sense works both ways

Yes and that reason is poor choices

people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. each has a specific purpose and it's important to learn from that relationship whether it be fleeting or permanent

I call BS. Never believed that. And I bet those who were raped or abused don't either.

No... It's just random about the place we are at..
Some though, run into very nasty individuals 😞 that ruin their live.
Like they said... Were in the wrong place and the wrong moment.

I guess I was meant to get hit by that lady’s car 🚗… 🤔

No.

All those paths I'd get lost and screw up the whole deal☹️

While I don't really believe in fate or a grander power putting people in our path in that sense. Yet at the same time I believe most meetings is an oportunity to grow and as such their presence can still be considered "for a reason". We are the sum of our experiences, good things can come from the lessons learned through bad experiences in the past.

There are of course a few exceptions though, some cases where someone's presence is nothing but destructive.

No i don't believe every dumb shit thats ever stumbled into my life had a purpose. Hell half of them were probably drunks. And if they weren't they probably wished they were after meeting me.

Fucking ass all these are bullshit..

I think we can learn something from the people we meet. Not sure if it’s a meant to be thing though.

rant here. read no further.
no i don't. i didn't choose my parents. i didn't choose my body. i didn't choose to be born. i didn't choose who i randomly interacted with today, and they didn't choose either. after i'm dead, no one will remember me or what i did. the universe existed for billions of years before i showed up, and the universe will suffer a violent heat death billions of years after i'm gone. my life has no impact on the universe and has no purpose. this understanding gives me peace of mind and allows me to put all my interactions into perspective - i'm calm and at peace with the past, present and future - knowing events beyond my control will continue to unfold unabated by my existence.