The Conflict Between Fate and Freewill
Fate is a very unpredictable thing that can prove to be challenging or benefiting to a person, because there are times where the positive mountains come, and times when negative valleys will occur. Fate has a role for every single person. Some people have bigger roles than others. When this happens, when someone has a larger role to play, the battle between fate and freewill begins. That person then must face the decision of choosing fate or freewill. Fate can prepare everything in order for you, but ultimately it is up to your own consciousness or freewill to make the decision to act. In certain times, one can rise to the occasion and face challenges that have been given to them, or one can turn down what fate has stored for them and face the direction of their own freewill.
This conflict between fate and freewill happens to Frodo the Ring-Bearer, who does not want to carry such a responsibility in The Fellowship of the Ring. His conversation with Gandalf goes like this: “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” When Gandalf says this, it reminds me of what we encounter daily: the choice to fulfill our fate or go along with our free will. Gandalf however, is talking about the more important and crucial decisions in Frodo’s life. These words inspired Frodo, making his mind even more focused on his mission. Even when Gandalf was gone and believed to be dead, Frodo trudged through with the Fellowship and kept going down the path of his fate, keeping the path of free will in check. Frodo’s determination gives us an example of someone who travels down the road of justice and fate.
When we have these kinds of situations where we find ourselves trapped between the forces of fate and freewill, one should look at which side benefits everyone and not just oneself, the most. A crisis doesn’t have to be as big as one thinks it is: for instance having multiple minor choices can equal out with one or just a couple of critical choices. In other words, Frodo can consider his next set of moves, rather than get crushed by thoughts about the overall weight of the position he is in, which is to carry the One Ring to Mordor.
We all have a certain way of making hard decisions. There are many ways to help you make these decisions between fate and freewill. Thinking about what I am actually doing helps me make the choice between freewill and fate. For example, thinking about how my actions can benefit and harm others, depending upon what I do or don’t do, helps me make a decision easier. Another way that aids one in maneuvering between fate and freewill is looking back on preceding determinations and how these outcomes turned out. Using these tactics in my daily life really helps me make decisions.
To me, there is not always a battle between freewill and fate. However, I would usually choose fate in most decisions. This is because freewill seems to only benefit you, not the people that around you. For example, you could have money and just spend it on a computer while your kids have no food. You can think of fate as being the way that, most of the time, is the right action for you to take. By choosing fate, you can create better possible outcomes. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf and Lady Galadriel are tempted to take the ring because of the greediness for power, but they stop themselves and chose the side of fate, because it is not their duty to be the ring-bearer; this shows that they are following their side of fate and struggling with their freewill, which compels them to take the Ring for themselves. I could want to just relax the whole day and ignore the work I have to do: this is an example of choosing the side of freewill. When this happens, we really only care for ourselves, and that can escalate into worse situations. Usually we visualize freewill as the act of selfishness; however, there can be exceptions. One might have a specific dream about what they want to grow up to be, however, fate might not prepare that for one. However, chasing your dreams is not act of selfishness, therefore, there can be exceptions. These bad situations represent valleys, and your accomplishments represent the mountains. For instance, if the work piles up while I play video games, I descend into a valley and will need help getting out. But if I complete my work before playing, then I can stand on a mountain and breathe deeply and happily, then have some fun. Fate and freewill create a conflict in one’s mind, causing one to face making a decision between the two.