Fate vs. Choice

Fate vs. Choice

The debate between fate and choice has been happening since ancient times. Whether one takes precedent over the other in deciding one’s future can be argued both way. Fate implies that any person has a chosen destiny, and no matter what they do, they will always follow down that path. The other, choice, gives one the option to do what they please and make decisions on what is best for them. While choice is almost always seen as the better option, Oedipus in Oedipus Rex learns the hard way that one does not always have a choice in their destiny. Oedipus was destined from birth to murder his father and marry his mother and as much as he and his parents tried to run from this fate, Oedipus fulfills it. No matter how hard he tried, fate always had a hand in Oedipus’s future, he had no choice.

While Oedipus Rex is a tragic tale, it is not a true representation of life. In Hinduism, the religion both my parents follow, your destiny is determined by how you behaved in your past life. If you were a good person, you would be treated well, if not, this life will haunt you. There is however a chance for redemption though making good choices. This is the way I choose to look at it. While you cannot choose who you're born to, or how much money your parents have, you have the choice in how you live your life and how hard you work to achieve your dreams. Hinduism teaches you that life is a blend of both fate and choice. No one can change who they are but they can choose who they want to be.