Wow. Welcome aBoard, pipanny (she said, struggling not to think of you as piepan). I'm impressed. We do occasionally go off into philosophical-type discussions. I like this one so far.

So--are you saying that, because each individual is who he or she is, we really don't have a choice in how we cope with our surroundings? To dictate our future, that is, as far as we're able (i.e., other than acts of God, for ex.)?