To define what Amor Fati is, let us understand three words – Willpower, Decision-making, and Discipline. They are one’s greatest assets. We see all around us people who work hard to change the circumstances around them. Our ancestors always told us that, and we also believe in this.
Don’t we expect that the world will be kind and respond the way we want. People think that Amor Fati is ‘The Way Forward’.
In the modern world, acceptance is so hard. But we usually learn to tolerate things we don’t like, and it also makes us feel weak. So, better to let things be? Yes!
Psychologist Albert Ellis says that the thought of believing that things will go our way is a faulty belief. Thinking about how things will go our way feels nice for some time but ultimately, it changes nothing.
Let’s understand this further from a correspondence between two American statesmen. James Madison wrote to Thomas Jefferson once that one must prepare for the things that happen to us. The solution to all this is not to fight with an incredible amount of energy.
Many writers have expressed something similar to Amor Fati, like Abraham Lincoln’s ‘And this too shall pass’. The Stoics called the idea ‘Art of Acquiescence’, while Musashi wrote ‘Accept everything just the way it is’.
Amor Fati, simply put is ‘Love of what happens’ because that’s your only option. What do you say?
The famous Murphy’s Law resembles very close to this thought – Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Just plan for the best and ride with the flow. Is Amor Fati clear to you, now?
