“No fate but what we make,”is a favourite quote of mine. It comes from Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), a favourite movie of mine. I like almost any movie that has a nuclear explosion in it. They fascinate me. They’re beautiful in their destruction.
I like the quote because it inspires me. Much of that movie inspired me, in fact, though my life has unfolded differently. I haven’t been chased by a killer machine from the future, for example. But Sarah Connor was a tough chick, and I found that motivating.
She got it done. That’s an admirable quality in a person.
The future’s not set. There’s no fate but what we make for ourselves.
I know some people believe that their lives are fated, but I’ve never been sold on predestination. It seems nonsensical given how things are. This reality is a result of thought? The world as it exists in 2025 was planned? Disasters and wars are deliberate? Little kids die young and in pain on purpose? Who’s in charge in that case? Who’s planning this nastiness? Is there a universe-tweaking sadist at large? Why?
Given all the suffering, misery, and banality, the idea that someone is running things never made sense. My own chaos seemed to put the lie to that idea. That someone was running our show felt wrong on a personal and global level. Life, the universe, and everything (all hail to Douglas Adams for that bit of wordage) are far too nonsensical for there to be a deliberate rhyme and reason.
My friends and I talked about this very subject when I was younger. I was the outlier, and I mostly stood alone. Most of my circle, then and now, believes in a guiding hand. “Our lives are planned out” in some way or another is a belief held by many.
A popular analogy that tries to marry ‘planned’ with ‘freedom’ suggests that perhaps our lives are like sonnets. The structure is planned out and deviations aren’t allowed, but within the requirements of that structure, there is space for freedom and choice.
New freedom, now available in a preset shape.
I’m not on board. I don’t think any part of our lives is set. I think we’re free agents. I think choice is the only real freedom any of us have. We choose what we do. The idea of fate is appealing because that let’s one offload consequences.
The notion that our course is more or less set revolts me, especially considering the difficult and horrific days many people face. If tragedies and terrors were planned occurrences, I would like to have words with the architect out back.
I think it’s more likely that we’re random entities bashing about haphazardly throughout our existence. Things play out as they do not because of destiny, but because of the natural consequences that inevitably follow choice.
The idea of fate is a nice one because it means we’re here for a reason. I don’t believe that either. We exist because we exist, and that’s all. There’s no meaning behind it. I’m fine with being the end product of chaos, evolution, and chance.
We are because we are. What we make of our lives after our clock starts ticking is up to us.
I reject the idea of fate, but there’s a similar belief regarding people and the choices we make I find accurate: “As a twig is bent, so is the tree inclined.” (Epistles to Several Persons, (1732))
Our lives are less about fate, and more about the choices we make that result from how we’ve been fashioned.
Kyle tells Sarah, who tells John, who tells Kyle, who tells Sarah, and so on to eternity. No one taught anyone how to make the pipe bomb either. Time travel paradoxes are a pain.
I don’t think our lives are preset for us either; however, I do believe there are forces (e.g., guardian angels, divine intervention, spirits, etc.) that sometimes influence our lives/choices. There also seem to be some circumstances/occurrences that belie coincidence. For the most part, I don’t feel as though anything in my life is “guided” outside of my own decisions and the fallout therefrom, but in the end, all of it is just a guess–I don’t actually know how all of the universe works or understand its secrets. A philosopher I am not. ::shrug::
There is a God who rules over us all, but we were given free will and the ability to make choices. What we do impact the world around us but God is still in charge.
Love this. I’ve written 2 posts over the years on this topic (using T2 as a catalyst) . One, around 12 years ago I was all in on the No Fate mantra. Shortly after the George Floyd murder, I took another look and determined that much of our fate is determined by the situation in which we are born into (privilege). You have depression, I have tourette syndrome. Those conditions impact our fate (mine quite a bit). My folks sent me to college even though I was a crap student. That impacted my fate. Country, city of birth, heritage, parental beliefs. I wouldn’t call it predestination, I don’t think a god or an almighty alien is calling the shots, but I do think where we wind up is is somewhat determined by where we start. Obviously, there are many exceptions to this, but I’d wager many of us don’t really stray too far from the class, morals and ideals under which we were brought up. Thoughts?
Thank you. You make important points – aspects of our lives are definitely beyond our control. Mental or physical illness, families of origin, even our location. Within those constraints, however, I believe we have the freedom of choice. Sometimes, choice is limited and horrid, but it’s still there. Not as grand or as inspiring as what’s implied by the “no fate” quote.
It also serve to give me a bit of a boot in the butt. It’s a way out of the wallow.
From Famine to Feast. 
I don’t think our lives are preset for us either; however, I do believe there are forces (e.g., guardian angels, divine intervention, spirits, etc.) that sometimes influence our lives/choices. There also seem to be some circumstances/occurrences that belie coincidence. For the most part, I don’t feel as though anything in my life is “guided” outside of my own decisions and the fallout therefrom, but in the end, all of it is just a guess–I don’t actually know how all of the universe works or understand its secrets. A philosopher I am not. ::shrug::
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If there is something after we die, I hope they let us get a look at the programming and rules for running lives at this level.
Instances of serendipity make me think as well. I love a convenient coincidence.
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There is a God who rules over us all, but we were given free will and the ability to make choices. What we do impact the world around us but God is still in charge.
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Love this. I’ve written 2 posts over the years on this topic (using T2 as a catalyst) . One, around 12 years ago I was all in on the No Fate mantra. Shortly after the George Floyd murder, I took another look and determined that much of our fate is determined by the situation in which we are born into (privilege). You have depression, I have tourette syndrome. Those conditions impact our fate (mine quite a bit). My folks sent me to college even though I was a crap student. That impacted my fate. Country, city of birth, heritage, parental beliefs. I wouldn’t call it predestination, I don’t think a god or an almighty alien is calling the shots, but I do think where we wind up is is somewhat determined by where we start. Obviously, there are many exceptions to this, but I’d wager many of us don’t really stray too far from the class, morals and ideals under which we were brought up. Thoughts?
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Thank you. You make important points – aspects of our lives are definitely beyond our control. Mental or physical illness, families of origin, even our location. Within those constraints, however, I believe we have the freedom of choice. Sometimes, choice is limited and horrid, but it’s still there. Not as grand or as inspiring as what’s implied by the “no fate” quote.
It also serve to give me a bit of a boot in the butt. It’s a way out of the wallow.
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“No Fate beyond our horrid and limited options,” Sarah Connors grunts out after her thirty seventh pull up. I’d watch that series!
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