What's meant to be is meant to be...

I hope this title has lulled the fatalists amongst you in to a false sense of security because Chris T is about to tear you a new one! Apologies for referring to myself in the third person, it was for dramatic effect.

OK, so say something doesn't go your way, say, for example, that you interview for a job you really want, but you don't get it, what do you say to yourself? Do you say, "Damn, should have tried harder" or do you say "what's meant to be is meant to be!" (or some other such nonsense, devolving your self of any responsibility whatsoever).

Fatalism, for the record, is a philosophical doctrine emphasizing the subjugation of all events or actions to fate or inevitable predetermination. Please enjoy this cartoon I found that sums it up quite nicely (it's not great quality, sorry).I'm getting to my point, I promise. It's pretty simple, perhaps it is because I'm somewhat of a control freak, but I like to think that we as human beings contribute somewhat to the direction of our lives and any attempt to disregard events (positive or negative) as preconceived is a stupid one.

I am by no means suggesting that everything is within our control; you had some control in that interview (your attitude and responses etc), however, it's obvious the interviewer has more, after all it is they who have the final say. The same goes for a surgeon who is going to operate on you; you're out cold and he has a scalpel in his hands! I'm suggesting that outcome of any given situation can be attributed to the degree of control associated parties have.

Consider the surgeon, assume he's on your side, has performed the surgery many many times before and wants you to live; you stand a reasonably good chance of surviving. Other less significant outcome stakeholders may include the nurses at your operating table or the cleaner who failed to wipe all the surfaces of C.Diff before your surgery. Add to this a third uncontrollable factor (the weather or plain old luck for example) and you have your outcome. Good, hey?

Now if only I was more mathematically minded, I could put that into some sort of equation and I'd potentially never have to work again (unforeseen circumstances allowing of course!).