Fate vs Freewill

 

    How much of our lives are predestined, and how much of it is in our control? If everything is fate, does that mean our whole lives have been mapped out, and now we're just the pawns in our own stories? Does making a "wrong" decision in our lives mess with our fate, or is that mess-up what ultimately leads us to our right paths?

    I always thought about these things, and when this overall theme came up in our new studies of Oedipus, I was reminded of my curiosities. If we say our whole lives are planned out, then can't people just give up because of their life circumstances, and blame it on destiny? To what extent can fate control our lives? When I think of fate, my mind immediately goes back to 9th grade when we read Romeo and Juliet, and in the Prologue we were told, "a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life" 

(Shakespeare). We knew their fate right from the beginning, but we didn't know what led up to that moment- the freewill of the characters. I still sometimes question the ending with Romeo killing himself at the sight of the "dead" Juliet, who in turn, kills herself after waking up and seeing that he was dead. At what extent that was fate or freewill, I'm not sure, but it definitely was an intriguing ending.

I think that a part of fate has to do with those around you, as a big part of how we are guided through life is by the people we meet. I always look back on my life and think if I hadn't of met some of the people I did, then it would have led to chain reaction of other things not happening in my life. One person can introduce you to someone else, who could make you join a club, where you can learn one of your passions... We are all so connected, yet so oblivious on the affect others have on our beings. Even the people who don't have a direct "play" on your life, teach you things whether or not you realize it. Everyone has a role in the production that is our lives, and this a part of fate.

    Ultimately, I think that fate brings you opportunity, and freewill determines whether or not you take the opportunities. People must make the most of their situations and lives, knowing that their life is a product of their own hard work, and we must realize that if our lives take a hard right turn off the path we expected to be on, it might not be as bad as a situation as we may think. The mystery of the unknown can be one of the scariest things out there, but just know that life always works out, maybe not in the way you thought it would, but nonetheless, it works out.

Till next time,

Melodi Yilmaz💕