Live, Change or Blame the Fate? | Aqila Dzakiyah Khazanaha | TEDxPribadi School Depok

Key Concepts

• Choices vs. Fate: The central theme exploring whether life's outcomes are predetermined or shaped by individual decisions.
• Living with it, Changing it, Blaming Fate: The three primary responses to life's challenges.
• Condemned to be Free (Jean-Paul Sartre): The philosophical concept that humans are inherently free and responsible for defining themselves and their purpose.
• Going with the Flow: A passive approach to life, allowing external forces to dictate direction without active choice.
• The Butterfly Effect (Edward Lorenz): The scientific principle that a small change in initial conditions can lead to significant and unpredictable differences in outcomes.
• Taking Action and Making Choices: The proactive approach to shaping one's life and creating meaning.
• Fear of Change: The inherent difficulty and apprehension associated with altering established patterns.
• Meaning-Making: The process of imbuing life with significance through personal choices and actions.

Life's Crossroads: Stay or Run?

The video opens with a metaphorical scenario of wanting to "run off the stage," illustrating the human inclination to escape difficult situations. This leads to the core question: when life doesn't go as planned, what are our options? The speaker outlines three primary choices:

1. Live with it: Accepting the current circumstances without attempting to alter them.
2. Try to change it: Actively working to modify the situation.
3. Blame fate: Attributing outcomes to external, uncontrollable forces.

The speaker admits to having blamed fate in the past, finding it an easier alternative to taking action.

The Philosophical Foundation: Freedom and Responsibility

The concept of "condemned to be free" by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre is introduced. Sartre argued that humans are not born with a predetermined purpose or destiny, unlike objects with fixed functions (e.g., a knife is made for cutting). Instead, humans are free to define themselves through their choices and actions. This perspective challenges the notion of a fixed fate.

The Perils of "Going with the Flow"

The analogy of "going with the flow" is used to describe a passive approach to life, akin to being on a river without a paddle. While potentially comfortable, this approach lacks direction and meaning. Individuals may find themselves in unexpected places, questioning how they arrived there and how to change course. The act of "picking up the paddle" symbolizes taking control and choosing one's direction, which is where change originates.

The Power of Change and the Butterfly Effect

Change is acknowledged as both scary and powerful. It requires facing fears, breaking patterns, and potentially disappointing those who expect consistency. However, change creates new opportunities. The "butterfly effect," a concept from meteorologist Edward Lorenz, is presented as evidence for the significance of small changes.

• Origin: In the early 1960s, Lorenz observed that a minor alteration in the initial numbers used in a computer weather prediction model led to drastically different outcomes.
• Implication: This scientific principle suggests that small decisions can have profound and far-reaching consequences.
• Real-world Example: Skipping a study session might lead to a bad grade. Conversely, changing a study area could lead to meeting new friends, one of whom might become a best friend or even a future boss.
• Personal Anecdote: The speaker shares their experience of joining a public speaking club despite being scared. Saying "yes" to speaking, a small decision, led to them being on stage addressing an audience. This personal story exemplifies the butterfly effect in action, demonstrating that tiny choices can lead to significant outcomes.

Choices vs. Fate: Who Writes the Script?

The video then poses the question of whether life is determined by choices or fate. Philosopher Baruch Spinoza's idea of life as a "script" with predetermined events (success, heartbreak, plot twists) is discussed. While comforting to believe the universe knows the ending, the speaker challenges this by asking: what if we are not just actors but also the writers and directors of our own stories?

Conclusion: Meaning Through Choice

The speaker concludes by reflecting on the initial joke about running off stage. They could have let "fate win" by escaping. However, by choosing to stay and speak, they learned something important: while fate might write the script, it is our choices that give it meaning. The video ends with a thank you to the audience, attributed to Akila.