Whatever may be the tensions and the stresses of a particular day, there is always lurking close at hand the trailing beauty of forgotten joy or unremembered peace.
Howard ThurmanRead
Fate is the raw materials of experience. They come uninvited and often unanticipated. Destiny is what a man does with these raw materials.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Fate presents us with unexpected experiences, while destiny is shaped by our responses to those experiences.
In this quote, Howard Thurman emphasizes the distinction between fate and destiny. Fate encompasses the events and experiences in life that occur beyond our control, often unexpectedly. Destiny, on the other hand, refers to the decisions we make and the actions we take in response to those events. It highlights the power of individual agency in determining one’s path, suggesting that while we cannot control the circumstances we are given, we can control how we respond to them and what we make of our experiences.
Themes
FateDestinyExperienceChoiceControl
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about personal growth.
More from Howard Thurman
All quotes →What I have written is but a fleeting intimation of the outside of what one man sees and may tell about the path he walks. No one shares the secret of a life; no one enters into the heart of the mystery.
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Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive
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What the world need is people who have come alive.
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A bigot is a person who makes an idol of his commitments.
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There must be always remaining in every life, some place for the singing of angels, some place for that which in itself is breathless and beautiful.
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