The Illusion of Fate: A Theory on Free Will, Power, and Choice
Is our life truly our own? Or are we just following a path that has already been determined by something beyond our control? Many believe in fate or destiny, thinking that everything happens for a reason. But what if fate is just an illusion—a byproduct of clashing free wills, power struggles, and societal conditioning?
In this post, I’ll break down why free will exists, why it seems so limited for most people, and how power and conditioning shape what we call "destiny."
Free Will Is a Battlefield
Think about a time when you wanted something badly but couldn’t get it—maybe a job, a relationship, or even a simple choice in a group setting. What stopped you? Most likely, it was someone else's decision, power, or influence that blocked your path.
Free will doesn’t mean getting whatever you want—it means being able to act on your own choices. However, since everyone has their own desires and goals, free will constantly collides with others. The outcome of these clashes makes what we feel is fate or destiny.
Example: The Job Market
Let’s say you apply for your dream job. You want the job (your free will), but so do hundreds of other applicants. The hiring manager’s decision (their free will) determines who gets hired. If they choose someone else, it might feel like fate decided against you, but in reality, it was just a case of another person’s free will overpowering yours.
Whether it’s because you lack the necessary qualifications, because someone else has connections to the manager or a higher-up, or simply because another candidate is more appealing for any reason, countless factors can influence the decision. These factors put you in a position where you have no power to exercise your desire (free will), leaving you at the mercy of another person’s will (free will).
This is true in relationships, business, and even history—wars, elections, and even small personal choices are all shaped by competing wills.
Power Determines Whose Will Prevails
Not all free wills are equal. The ability to act on your free will depends on power—whether it’s physical strength, intelligence, status, money, or influence. Those who have more power can shape the world around them, while those without power feel like they are being pushed by so-called fate.
Example: A King vs. a Peasant
A king in ancient times could declare war, change laws, and control people’s lives simply because he had power. On the other hand, a peasant had almost no ability to change their fate unless they gained power (through rebellion, wealth, or political maneuvering).
This still applies today—wealthy CEOs, politicians, and celebrities have more control over their lives than the average person. To them, "fate" is just something they shape rather than something they are bound by.
The Shackles of Conditioning: How Society Shapes Your Choices
Beyond direct power struggles, people’s minds can limit their free will. From birth, we are conditioned by family, education, religion, and culture to think and behave in specific ways. These mental "shackles" make people predictable, reducing their ability to make
independent choices.
Example: A Person Raised in a Strict Culture
Imagine someone born in a strict religious household where certain careers or lifestyles are forbidden. Even if they secretly dream of something different, their fear of rejection, guilt, or punishment keeps them from acting on their desires. Are they truly free?
Breaking free from this requires awareness—only by recognizing these influences can someone begin to make choices based on their own desires rather than those imposed on them.
Two Paths to Free Will
Since most people are constrained by power or conditioning, breaking free requires one of two approaches:
- The Path of Power
This path involves gaining enough strength, influence, or control to shape your own fate and even impose your will on others. This could be through:
Financial success (money provides freedom of choice)
Political or social influence (leaders shape laws and culture)
Physical strength or skill (fighters, warriors, or athletes control their own outcomes)
Example: A poor person with no options can increase their free will by becoming wealthy, allowing them to make more independent choices.
- The Path of Defiance
This path involves rejecting control, refusing to conform to external expectations, and living by your own principles—even if it means suffering, isolation, or struggle. Many rebels, revolutionaries, and outcasts take this path.
Example: A person who refuses to follow traditional career expectations and instead travels the world with little money is exercising free will by rejecting society’s pressures.
Neither path is easy—both require struggle.
Are We Ever Truly Free?
Some might argue that even personal experiences, emotions, and biases limit our free will. After all, if you make decisions based on your past traumas, upbringing, or habits, are you really free?
The answer is yes—if you are aware of it.
True free will means making choices based on your own experiences, rather than being unconsciously controlled by others.
For example:
Someone who mindlessly follows their parents’ beliefs isn’t truly free.
But someone who understands their upbringing and chooses to follow those beliefs with full awareness is exercising a high level of free will.
Purpose: An Illusion or a Choice?
Many people feel the need for purpose—a belief that life has a grand meaning. But in reality, purpose is just another mental construct.
Purpose is something you either:
Create for yourself (like artists, entrepreneurs, or activists do), or
Abandon entirely and simply live in the moment.
Neither is wrong—if you want purpose, find or make one. If you don’t, then enjoy life as it comes.
Free Will vs. The Myth of Fate
At the end of the day, fate is nothing more than the result of conflicting free wills, power struggles, and external influences. There is no divine script or cosmic plan—just individuals pushing their will onto the world.
But most people feel trapped by fate because they:
Lack the power to shape their own destiny.
Are conditioned to think they have no control.
Breaking free requires awareness, action, and struggle.
So, the real question isn't “Do we have free will?” It's “How much of your life is truly your own?”