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The Bell Curve of Life

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K Mark Schofer

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The Bell Curve of Life

Do you think we’re shaped more by our experiences or by who we are?

Self Determinism vs. Free Will

I wrote a paper on this subject in my first year of college and it haunts me a little bit. A friend gave me a paper he wrote at another college and I paraphrased the entire paper. I got a great grade but the paper wasn’t my work. In writing the paper, I found the subject of predetermination absurd. I found using somebody else’s paper traumatizing.

Exactly who are we? We are born into this world with out much choice or introspection. Yes I eat no animal products and exercise vigorously. I still had a heart attack, which was the result of the tools given at birth.

Our disposition is a collective result of a much discussed subject of lore.that is what we have learned and experienced.

I titled this the Bell Curve with little planning of where I was headed with this diatribe. I walked away and fed the younger some breakfast and by the time I started writing again my thoughts oscillated. Our predisposition sits in the middle of that bell curve. For example, those born with alcoholic tendencies will have to manage that for life. Yet, that doesn’t happen in a bubble as those born into that environment may experience events far outside the bell curve, thus shaping a lifetime ahead.

But life happens outside the normal bell curve of life. Our experiences certainly formulate our lives, yet most things in life we have never experienced before. That’s where life begins.

One response to “The Bell Curve of Life”

  1. vermavkv Avatar
    vermavkv

    A deeply thoughtful and honest reflection. I especially appreciate your willingness to begin with a personal confession, as it immediately gives authenticity and vulnerability to your writing. It reminds us that some of our greatest life lessons come not from success, but from the mistakes that continue to shape our conscience.

    Your exploration of self-determinism versus free will is both engaging and relatable. The way you connect genetics, upbringing, personal choices, and unexpected life events illustrates just how complex human existence really is. I also found your example of maintaining a healthy lifestyle yet still experiencing a heart attack particularly powerful—it highlights that while we influence our lives, we cannot control everything

I would love to hear you opinion as well

Hello,

I’m Mark

His friends observe Mark seems wired a little differently. Perhaps it’s more likely that noticing little things often missed by others is a relic of a quieter, simpler time. He has a way with words, which he refuses to let be hindered by sub-par typing skills. People have great stories to tell if you sit and listen.

A belief dear to Mark is that there is certain beauty in the world. You simply have to look for it.

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