In my galaxy of thoughts, I just had one shoot by that caught my eye. For now, the others are blurry and distant, which is fine: Do you believe in fate? I do not.
Historically, I have not believed in fate because I think that we are all free agents. We can think and choose enough around us so as to not be especially constrained or forced down a particular path, as if strapped to a rocket that’s been pointed and positioned to go in one of a number of directions for one of a number of times. Not everything is in our control, but certainly more than fate would seem to suggest. My thought about ten minutes ago was additive.
Fate is not compatible with my value system. That is a much stronger statement and thought. It occurred to me that were I to be believe in fate, I would necessarily be saying that some people are inherently better than other people – that the “universe” has chosen some people to be fabulously wealthy, healthy and respected and that there is nothing that a poor person or one with a disability can do about it. Or less dramatically, an “average” person. That we are different is not the point, those will always exist. Fate seems to say that differences that clearly denote stature and station are fixed – a sort of caste system that is universal and driven by the universe. I think that this is incorrect (and wrong) and another reason to dispute fate.
INENARRABLE 
This is a very profound topic, and I would reach different conclusions. I would not use the word “fate” – but I do believe that there are conditions and situations that we cannot change or control. If that be “fate” so be it.
In he sense that we are all born with different levels of intelligence and physical capability, each of us must work within those boundaries. Some will do more with what they have than others, but something out of that person’s control has determined the boundaries. God? Evolution? Fate? What was it that determined that one individual would be born in the US, another in South Sudan? Fate? Happenstance? Certainly nothing in that person’s control.
What a person does with the conditions in which he/she is born is to some extent but not completely a matter of his/her choice.
I could go on and on but we are preparing to leave to participate in our granddaughter’s graduation from the School of Accountancy this morning.
Peter
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Your thoughts are quite valid and are a part of the framework I considered. There are many levels to this and nuances within them. In large part this is definitional.