Authenticity and Shared Freedom: A Journey Through Fate, Agency, and Liberation | Part One - The Paradox of Fate and Free Will Across Cultures

What does it mean to live authentically in a world where so much is out of our control?

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What does it mean to live authentically in a world where so much feels out of our control?

Can we truly be free—individually or collectively—if systems, histories, and even our own minds seem to conspire against that freedom?

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This series is an invitation, not a prescription. It’s a path of reflection—personal, cultural, and philosophical. Across these entries, we’ll trace how people throughout time and across traditions have navigated the tension between fate and agency. We’ll revisit moments of collective liberation, examine the psychological underpinnings of authenticity, and explore how intersecting identities, scientific insights, and even our relationship with the planet shape what freedom means today. We’ll also engage with doubts and counterarguments—not to dismiss them, but to stay honest in the work.

Authenticity, as we’ll explore, refers to the practice of living in alignment with one's values, identity, and truth—even when external pressures push us to conform. What emerges is not a simple answer, but a practice: to remain committed to truth and freedom, even when the ground beneath us feels unstable. Because living authentically—and working toward a world where others can do the same—is not just about personal liberation. It’s about collective survival and the possibility of shared thriving.

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Part One - The Paradox of Fate and Free Will Across Cultures

The tension between fate and freedom is an age-old human concern, vividly depicted in Francisco Goya’s Atropos, part of his haunting "Black Paintings" series (1819–1823). In it, Goya portrays the three mythic Fates—Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos—who spin, measure, and cut the thread of life, symbolizing the inevitability of destiny.

Across philosophies and wisdom traditions, people have wrestled with the same enduring question: are our lives predetermined, or do we have true agency?

Ancient Stoicism offered a unique answer—what we might call "soft determinism." Stoics believed that everything unfolds according to a cosmic chain of cause and effect, yet they held firm that individual actions are still ours to choose. Chrysippus, one of Stoicism’s most influential thinkers, argued that fate doesn’t override choice—it works through it. He introduced the concept of "co-fated" events, suggesting that certain outcomes manifest only if specific choices are made. For example, the preservation of one's health is co-fated with consulting a doctor; both the action and the outcome are intertwined. Epictetus, another prominent Stoic, emphasized that our perceptions shape our experiences: "Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them."

Many other traditions echo this tension. Hindu philosophy centers on karma—our past actions shaping current conditions. Yet texts like the Bhagavad Gita call us to act, to fulfill our duty regardless of outcomes: "You have the right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions."

Buddhist teachings emphasize that while life is conditioned by past causes, liberation is still possible through mindful intention. The Dhammapada states: "All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts."

In Islam, the phrase Insha’Allah (“God willing”) acknowledges divine will but does not erase responsibility. The Prophet Muhammad advised: "Tie your camel, and then trust in God," emphasizing the balance between action and reliance on divine decree.

Similarly, medieval Christian thought, particularly in the work of St. Augustine, held that God’s foreknowledge doesn’t cancel our agency. In The City of God, Augustine argues that divine omniscience does not conflict with human free will; rather, it establishes the framework within which free will operates.

Together, these traditions suggest a nuanced resolution: live as if you have free will, even if fate might exist. This stance empowers moral agency while acknowledging a larger order or mystery.

Las Parcas, o Átropos'

Of course, not all views lean so active. Fatalism—the belief that nothing we do matters—creeps into many folk traditions, often in the form of resignation: "It’s all written," or "It is what it is." The Stoics themselves railed against this "Idle Argument," also known as the "Lazy Argument," insisting that surrender without action is not wisdom but avoidance. Chrysippus countered this by emphasizing that events are co-fated; for instance, being saved from enemies is co-fated with the act of fleeing.

History suggests they were right to push back. Philosophies and movements that endure tend to inspire agency. Even when fate or determinism are acknowledged, the most vital traditions encourage people to act within those constraints—to find what some call "internal freedom": the ability to choose one’s response and values even in constrained conditions.

After the devastation of war and fascism, existentialist thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre argued that human beings are "condemned to be free"—we must choose, define, and take responsibility for our lives, even in an absurd world.

Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, found this same power in the darkest of places: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

Whether rooted in theology, philosophy, or lived experience, these insights converge on a truth that feels especially urgent today: freedom may not be total, but it is real—and it lives in our choices, our values, and how we respond to the world around us. Authenticity, then, isn’t just about being true to oneself—it’s about acting with integrity, even when the odds seem fixed. Even when the thread of fate feels tight around our lives.

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Looking Ahead

If freedom begins in how we choose to live and respond, then what happens when those individual sparks become collective fire?

In the next installment, we’ll turn to history—moments when people didn’t just wrestle with fate but rewrote it. From anti-colonial resistance to civil rights struggles, we’ll explore how authenticity and agency have ignited movements that changed the course of entire societies. From Gandhi’s Salt March to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, history reminds us that collective action grounded in integrity can indeed reshape the future. Because sometimes, the most powerful expression of free will is to say: this ends with us.

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Share Your Thoughts

I'd love to hear what you think! Share your comments, ideas, questions, or any personal reflections below, and feel free to share this post with others. Your perspective makes this exploration richer and more meaningful for everyone involved.

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