50-50

When it comes to what could or couldn’t happen many of us think in terms of probability as if probability is an actual intermediary that actually influences actual happenings. But all it really does is keep us in a limited way of thinking where we are victims of some whimsical force called probability.

Probability simply means how likely something is to happen. But how likely is it for something like probability to be accurate about the likelihood of anything?

Whenever it comes to feeling at the mercy of some imaginary force it’s always useful to ask whether this imaginary force might not truly be imaginary imaginary instead of real imaginary. It might be too obvious but the previous sentence contains a hint to the answer. But before we dispose of probability, let’s look at what the probability of this whole thing we call life, you, the universe, and so on and so forth is.

What is the probability of the universe coming into existence? What is the probability of the universe unfolding in such a way that it allows life? What is the probability of living on the only inhabited planet in the observable universe? What is the probability of you (one sperm of millions) getting comfortable in an ovum? What is the probability of you growing up wherever you grew up? What is the probability of you reading this? What is the probability of life in general?

I’m too lazy to do all the math here but for the sake of a little demonstration, let’s put up some numbers. According to one article, the chance for the exact sperm cell and exact egg cell to meet needed to create the DNA sequence that encoded you, and brought you into existence is one-in-250 million. And this doesn’t take into account the probability of your parents meeting and staying together long enough to get children. The same had to happen for many generations of your ancestors. You can bet there is a one followed by many millions of zeroes.

I’m pretty certain that if someone were to calculate all of the probabilities of our aforementioned questions and put them together, the probability would be so astronomically low that we might as well say it’s not only improbable but impossible.

The Lottery of Existence

We like to think that something like winning the lottery is improbable. But in comparison to you actually existing, winning the lottery is a certainty. Whenever you think the odds are stacked against you regarding something, try to calculate the odds of you existing and you’ll see that the odds against your existence are absolute.

How can I say this? Simple. Go all the way back to where religion employs God and science employs the big bang. What was before these magical powers (yes, God and the big bang are the same concept in a different dress) apparently created something from nothing? Nothing? Can something come from nothing? I can’t see how.

Now, the only conclusion left is that nothing was ever created. This doesn’t mean that nothing exists because, obviously, something is. But this something was not created except maybe by another something, which would just turn this into an infinite regression, which wouldn’t answer the question.

Now at this point, fully ignoring the last paragraph, you could deploy another concept called luck. “Guess I was just lucky to be born.” This is the next magical power of doublethink we have to deploy to keep us in a state of delusion. But if your reason tells you that winning the lottery is a pipedream, why is your reason not telling you that you existing the way you think you do is a pipedream? Because you and reality seem so real? Sure, but what has the seeming realness of existence to say about it?

The more real a game seems, the more immersive, and (hopefully) the more fun it is. The realness is there to keep you engaged and amused, not to actually be real.

Throwing a Dice

So, if the probability of you actually existing in a time-space universe is virtually zero, then the probability of probability being an actual thing is virtually zero. “But math!” you might protest. Okay, fair enough. Let’s use the concepts we’re trying to disprove to disprove the concepts we’re disproving.

Let’s take the example of a regular ol’ dice. Math tells us that the probability for any of the six numbers to show is 1/6. But have we considered the strength of the dice thrower? The accuracy of the dice? The angle of the throw? The wind? The surface onto which the dice is thrown? The gravitational pull of moving celestial bodies? Your thoughts and emotions? Mercury retrograde? 1/6 is the probability of a dice throw in a perfect scientific environment, which doesn’t resemble our environment at all.

All of this is to say, that there is no way we could possibly consider all of the variables that go in to determine whether an event happens or not. In fact, how do we know we even know all of the variables? What if some 5th-dimensional creature is messing with every dice throw?

Now, apply this kind of questioning to our previous probability calculation about stuff existing the way it does. Pretty pointless.

This seems to be getting a little absurd, and I don’t disagree. But can’t you see that everything we take for granted is a little absurd? We are just being fed these things and never taught to question them and just go along with the common narrative until we drop dead. Is this mindless shuffling along really a worthy way to live for so-called self-aware beings?

To un-digress here, probability is built upon unquestioned assumptions, like the existence of a physical universe and cause and effect. How about proving those things first? (We’re not going to do it here but how about?)

The Probability of Anything

Anyway, sometimes we see things happening around us that are so improbable that it should make us curious. Maybe things don’t work the way everyone believes. Maybe we can pay more attention to the improbable and see how it works. Maybe we can see that everything is equally probable and improbable. So, if you have ever asked yourself what the probability of something (whatever that something might be) is, then let me give you the answer.

It’s always 50-50. It either happens or it doesn’t (or does it?).

Now the question is who or what decides whether it’s the one 50 or the other 50? Is that you? Do you make the decision? Evidently, and verifiably, there is no you to make any decision. It can certainly seem as if you make decisions but it can never go beyond seeming. Does all this sound very metaphysical with no practical application? Well, let’s apply it to your life then.

Luckily, each 50 in the pair of 50s is always the same no matter what situation you’re in — with or against. That’s all that any decision can ever be — with or against the flow of life. But, then, isn’t it situationally self-evident whether with or against is the right decision? Even when you feel like you don’t know what the right decision is, some part knows and has already made the decision on your behalf.

Everything seems to suggest that the decision has been made without you. When this decision is to happen stops having any meaning because the decision has already been made and therefore there never was a decision for you to make. So what’s all the fuss about?

If you really could decide to change all the bullshit in your life into gold, why haven’t you decided like two days ago? If you have any deciding power why don’t you make the decision to finally figure out why your life seems to be such a mess, or decide to be done with whatever you claim bothers you? If you believe in odds and probabilities that are stacked up against you in everything you do, why don’t you chill out more instead of being all neurotic about everything?

Can’t you see the gift in the realization that it was never up to you? Nothing ever was, is, or will be up to an imaginary entity called you (this by the way is not an invitation for spiritual bypassing). So, relax, have a beer, or light a joint. 50-50. The choice is yours.

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Luka

Hello friend! My name is Luka and I am the creator of mindfulled. Here you'll find illustrated essays and stories about spiritual awakening and the art of living.

Latest posts by Luka (see all)

• I Am God - December 19, 2024
• Nothing in Particular, Everything in General - December 4, 2024
• Synonyms for All That You Are - November 27, 2024