So, Rational Fatalism is pretty interesting to me. I subscribed to it for a large portion of my younger life without knowing what it was. I thought to myself "both heart disease and cancer run in my family and have taken out all of my grandparents, so it doesn't really matter what I do it will end the same for me". I ate terrible foods and I drank to excess and did all sorts of other self-destructive things because of that fatalistic attitude. I started turning that around when I was in my 30's and realized that just because the probability of something is high, I do not have to help it along. It's the old self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon.
If I say "I work around asbestos so much that I am going to get asbestosis when I am older, so I might as well not inconvenience myself by wearing a mask and Tyvek suit, now", then I am contributing to the risky behavior that causes the bad outcome. Even though I've rationalized it and prevention seems useless, I am still an integral part of the problem behaviour and am selfishly making sure that what I believe comes to fruition.
The interesting part to me is what is the intention of it? I attribute my own fatalism to ignorance and selfishness. I wanted to rationalize my bad bahaviour, so much so that I almost felt good about continuing it. So, the intention of mine was making me feel good about self-destructive behaviour. There is also a little bit of truth to rational fatalism and it can be very freeing. It can be euphoric in a way to say, "I know all things end, so what I do now only changes the speed that it happens". The whole 'is it better to burn out or fade away' argument. I think that can be really helpful in certain situations for certain people. For instance this quote from a buddhist teacher that has always stuck with me:
“You see this goblet?” asks Achaan Chaa, the Thai meditation master. “For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.”
So, with that mindset you can see the impermanence in things as beautiful. It comes from the same type of rational fatalism as encouraging bad behaviour, yet it adds so much good to the way I think about the world. The intention of the fatalism there is to be at peace with the things we can't control and accepting them.
The really funny part of the whole thing to me is that both sides actually seem to spring from the hopelessness or helplessness that the final result cannot be changed.
