From the most ancient times, humanity has faced the stirring question: to what extent do we shape our own destiny?

Fate or Free Will: The Power to Shape Destiny

From the most ancient times, humanity has faced the stirring question: to what extent do we shape our own destiny?

On one hand, some view our lives as a preordained algorithm, where any attempt to change the "predestined" is merely superfluous noise in a grand design. This perspective deprives a person of an active stance, turning them into a spineless figure, over whom fate holds sway regardless of personal effort. On the other hand, there is a strong current that asserts the true source of power lies in our self-awareness and inner freedom. It is the ability to perceive our decisions as manifestations of personal will that helps us overcome externally imposed circumstances and actively engage in forming our own path. Ultimately, our life turns out to be a dynamic realm where, despite possible external influences, each of us is endowed with the power to choose and create our fate. This viewpoint inspires us to face challenges more proactively, reminding us that true excellence is achieved through confidence in our own abilities and an unceasing drive for self-improvement.

Do humans determine their own fate, or are they merely pawns in someone else's game?

Based on the views presented, one can conclude that the question of whether a person determines their destiny independently or is merely a pawn in someone else's game has a multifaceted character. On one hand, there is the opinion that fate is a prescribed plan that a person can scarcely change. For example, one source states:
"Some perceive fate as a sentence: what is destined will be, nothing can be changed. By thinking this way, a person places themselves in a submissive position and does not attempt to change anything. This is a state of servitude, a desire to subject one's life to something that in reality, it does not depend on. The Providence of God operates in human life regardless of whether people acknowledge it or not." (source: link txt)

On the other hand, there are views that emphasize personal self-awareness and the possibility of influencing one’s life trajectory. For instance, another source claims:
"Freedom bears a much more immediate testimony that no one can suppress. It is the self-evidence of freedom within our self-awareness. Determinism could be true only if our self were not living but dead... and all decisions, no matter how forcibly imposed from without, are accepted by the subject as their own decisions, as their own self-determinations..." (source: link txt)

There is also an emotional appeal that directly rejects the notion that a person is merely a spineless pawn in someone else's game:
"May light awaken within you, my child! Never believe those who tell you that a man's fate is predetermined, who lure you with hopelessness as if you were merely a pawn in someone else's game. There is only God and you. No one else has power over you." (source: link txt)

Thus, the opinions presented demonstrate that while some traditional views lean towards the idea of predetermined fate, there exists a strong current that emphasizes personal individuality, freedom, and self-determination. According to these perspectives, a person is not merely a spineless figure, controlled by external forces, but is capable of influencing the course of their life and remains an active participant in their own destiny. The choice between these concepts may depend on one's spiritual beliefs and worldview, but it is clear that even if external influences exist, personal self-awareness and will play a decisive role in shaping destiny.

Supporting citation(s):
"Some perceive fate as a sentence: what is destined will be, nothing can be changed..." (source: link txt)
"Freedom bears a much more immediate testimony... and all decisions, no matter how forcibly imposed from without, are accepted by the subject as their own decisions, as their own self-determinations..." (source: link txt)
"May light awaken within you, my child! Never believe those who tell you that a man's fate is predetermined, who lure you with hopelessness as if you were merely a pawn in someone else's game..." (source: link txt)