Are we really free OR controlled by fate?

The debate whether man is free or determined is eternal and still rages on. Whether this debate is motivated or mechanical is what will aid in finding an answer.

Recently, a good friend of mine responded in utter dismay "this is a fate factor, [as] if you have the option to choose the type of people around you" to one of my thoughts "surround yourself with people who see the greatness in you...people who believe in you will push you to reach higher."

It would be flippant on my part to dismiss the disappointment & a sense of betrayal behind the words of my good friend. Life, especially during a pandemic, is hard. Some have not just lost control of their life, but loved ones too. And still many have been forced to swallow this [life] pill in its crudest form, leaving little options otherwise.

While it may certainly look as if life (or some higher power) is scheming against us, the truth is for every 1000 who go to bed wishing never to wake up again, there is another 10000 which looks forward to a new dawn. You see, unless there is a possibility to change our circumstances, human hope dies. And unless there is hope, life itself becomes null and devoid of meaning.

Stephen Hawking, the brilliant Astrophysicist, while speaking on this topic has this to say: "Is everything determined? The answer is yes, it is. But it might as well not be, because we can never know what is determined." Hawking touches on a grand unified theory of science, quantum mechanics, natural selection, DNA, the complexity of the human brain and fluid dynamics in particular before arguing that assuming that we have free will is the safest course of action.

Hence, while it may be impossible to know what is determined, we can definitely have control over things which we can influence. While we cannot choose our Parents, we can definitely choose our Friends; while we cannot choose our Boss, we can definitely change their opinion by working diligently; and, while we do not have a say in how we enter this World, we can definitely choose how to exit this World–a life full of joy & meaning, that comes by being other-centered.

You see, even people who claim everything is predestined and there is nothing we can do to change it, always look left and right before crossing the road !

I sincerely hope you make the right turn in your life–that power is in your hands.