Self-Sufficiency - Destiny Destiny as defined in Websters Dictionary is "That which inevitably happens as if determined by force." If this is what fate means, then I believe Emerson "hit the nail on the head" when he wrote his essay "Fate." Emerson truly believes that each of us has a predetermined destiny or destiny that will happen. It seems like his message is that you don't decide your future but it is already decided for you and you just have to deal with it because you have no control over what will happen. The class, for the most part, agreed with him. Examples have been given that if you lose everything in an earthquake it is fate because you have no control over nature. I disagree: if you want to be safe you can move to a place in the world where earthquakes and natural disasters are at a minimum. Up to a certain point you can protect yourself from danger and determine your destiny. Emerson does not agree with me, he believes that everyone is born to do a certain job and what we will do in life is already predetermined. Emerson writes that "..in every million there will be an astronomer, a mathematician, a comic poet..." suggesting that there is no point in trying to improve yourself because you are destined to be something and whatever you do you cannot escape your destiny. Then, just as he convinced you of your destiny, he puts limits on your destiny. He writes that "...destiny has its lord; limitations its limits" so now fate has a limitation. I don't think anyone brought this up in class discussion, but it needs to be addressed. Emerson now admits that there is a power greater than destiny but does not provide a clear picture (at least not to me) of exactly what it is. This essay seems to follow self-reliance as it gives you a false sense of security. It also shows that Emerson can't even make up his mind and finds contradictions in the points he is trying to make. But then again, as we've discussed over and over again, when you read a work many times you often find messages that you didn't even realize were there. I am convinced that Emerson, as he wrote this essay and reread it many times, kept finding different meanings and wanted to show that he too was just as confused as the average person. “Fate” shows a man's acceptance and denial of what he believes to be true, a comforting thought when you consider that everything around you is changing..