Do you think everything always works out for the highest good?
Do you think everything always works out for the highest good?
I think, most likely, that at the end of the Universe, or human life itself, all will be well. However, I do not believe “all things” or everything work(s) out FOR the highest good. I think sometimes things just happen in a purposeless, senseless way. Purpose is not intrinsic to this sphere… We project purpose onto things when we feel like it.
I have always side-eyed people when they’ve said that all things work out for the highest good, but I understand why some want to cling to that rhetoric. I know people try to cope with loss however they can. I try not to judge too harshly.
I feel (personally) that it is disrespectful for me to say that all things work out for the highest good. Children being r**ed is senseless. People dying under capitalism, fascism, and tyranny is senseless. White supremacy does not build character or soul development. Black people and people of the global majority should have never been used as objects of our evolutionary process. (Ex: Racism and xenophobia, etc.) No one is going to tell me that what is happening to Palestinians is part of some divine plan. That’s a disgusting concept. Misogyny is pointless in terms of soul progression. And if there’s any “purpose” for the suffering I watch people undergo in terms of chronic illness, mental health struggles, human trafficking, or abuse situations, then any “god” who orchestrated such a thing is no longer divine in my eyes.
The thing I’ve learned about trauma is that it almost never makes people stronger. It harms physical and mental health and debilitates people beyond the point where they can live life the way they want to. Maybe some trauma makes people feel stronger if they can move through it without severe repercussions, but each trauma is built differently… They are not all the same. What traumatizes each person is different too, but I think if things become extreme enough, there’s a point where pain becomes an equalizer for all of us. There are some things humans just haven’t developed to overcome on a personal scale. It’s okay to be human and admit that we have limitations.
Before this sounds like a negative thought-dump, consider that I do mean this as a good thing. If there is no purpose behind violence, hate, or pain, it means it doesn’t need to be here. It doesn’t have to be used as a modality to grow. We should always seek to eliminate it. Yes, we can grow PAST it since none of us are perfect, but I don’t think we should ever be grateful that white supremacy came to be. We grew despite white supremacy. We walked through it, but it would have been better if it had never existed at all. That’s just one example.
I know a lot of spiritual people want to believe they’re on some personal divine mission or something, but usually that just breeds narcissism and ego. Even if we do have some idea of what we want to accomplish before incarnating (and I’m not saying for sure that we do), we’re here simply because we were born. If we have a purpose, it is measured by what we do, not some mystical mission we inherited from a sky daddy. You didn’t ask about purpose specifically, but I think this ties into the discussion well.
To me, these ideas are freeing. =) It means we can stop gaslighting victims of horrific experiences, do our part to make sure those things never happen again, and define our own purpose(s) for our lives. If people want to use the “working out for the highest good” concept to bring themselves comfort, more power to them. I feel much more resonant with the idea that bad things do not have to happen to good people to the extent that they do and that we should be doing everything we can to leave things better than we found them. =) This isn’t a philosophical deep dive by any means, but I hope I have opined in a way that makes you feel more secure in your truth. =) Much love!
Note: If you are someone who wants or needs to believe that the bad things that have happened to you has served you in some way, do not let my thoughts disturb your healing process. Personal trauma is something that we are all free to define as we will. Just don't project your beliefs onto other people's trauma or pain. The trauma other people experience should never be colonized by our own convictions or leanings.