Soul contracts exist. Humans have a need to simplify things because we have simple minds. Soul contracts embody most of what you talked about, not one or the other or the other, and they also embody unpleasant things that we are supposed to experience and sometimes dastardly roles that we have agreed to play for the benefit of others. Please read this essay of mine. https://medium.com/illumination-curated/life-is-school-for-the-soul-9b081dbe8453