Eugene O’Neil wrote a play about two brothers living on a farm. One brother loved farming and the other hated it. The brother who loved farming was infatuated with a local girl, but she took a shine to the other brother, and they eventually married. The disappointed brother who loved farming decided to cede the farm to his brother, and left to explore the world.
Thirty years later, he returned, after experiencing many difficulties and stresses but no joy, as he had left the one occupation that would have given him great satisfaction — farming.
When he returned, he found the farm in shambles, as the brother who had inherited it hated farming and generally neglected what needed to be done. And his marriage to the local girl proved barren and ended in divorce because, although she loved him, it wasn’t reciprocated.
One of the ancient Greek philosophers made the famous and enduring statement that “character is fate,” and this is so true, as your character will determine how you react to the world, and this will lead to certain outcomes. But mere circumstance is an extremely powerful influence over one’s life, no matter how strong and resilient your character may be.
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