When you think about your life would you rather have it all planned out? Like a domino effect one falling after another in an inevitable chain of events. Or would you like to believe that you have the power? Would you like to think that you control what happens and when? Or do you believe that it’s a little of both? That you inevitably go to certain situations and you determine what happens. Epictecus once said, “The good or ill of a man lies within his own will,” determining that man choose his own fate, This I believe.
My fate is not only determined by my own doing, but everything happening around me. I control whether I do my homework, go for a run or do nothing at all. It all has an effect on my life and the lives of others. Even when I do nothing, I still made a choice to do that. People also have an effect on your life, but not in the way that you would think. If I was made fun of, and then I decided to stay home, I decided to let that comment effect me. So I could also in turn pay absolutely no attention to the comment and be totally fine. So I decide if people effect my life. There are cases however where people decide your fate and you didn’t totally control it such as if someone decided to murder you, or if a drunk driver hits your car, etc.
My fate is also tied to the fate of everyone else. Our planet is effect by everyone, in my decision to drive a car, leave the light on, or keep the water running. All of these decisions effect my bill and the planets supply of natural resources.
So, who decides our fate… we do. We decide from our personal lives right down the fate of the planet. This I believe.