Maybe, the fault is in our stars?
In Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar, Cassius, a Roman politician, tries to convince his colleague to plot against Ceasar.
In his attempt, he says, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”
By saying this, Cassius suggests that the Roman population had put too much emphasis on Ceasar’s reign as one ordained by fate, when in fact, it’s down to local individuals and communities to decide how the empire is run.
In a roundabout way, his statements also suggest that humans tend to defer our responsibility to fate or an unknown entity as an excuse or reason for inaction. And if you really think about it, maybe Cassius has a point.
But.
But the times we’re in seem to defy Cassius’ logic.
If the cost of everything is on the rise, supplies of essential goods are running low, and the real solutions to local and global crises are beyond anything that we can, individually or collectively, do, I wonder if our only viable option is to chuck it all up to fate, faith, or something else.
No matter how anyone tries to frame current socio-political events, there is only so much we can do about them.
Yes, we can pray, protest and protect what we have in hand. But can we directly change outcomes unless fate or faith wills it?
If the answer is no, then maybe Cassius is wrong. Maybe, the fault is in our stars?
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