Free Will: Samantha Stone
Every day, we choose what to wear, what to say and who to be. These decisions make you who you are.
Although fate might bring two people together in a relationship, the choices we make, for better or for worse, are the ultimate deciding factors.
We often treat trust like a trophy; you win once and keep it on a shelf. In reality, trust is built on a series of micro-choices. Using the “if, then” statement is a very straightforward way of looking at situations. For example, if you tell white lies to your significant other, then those conscious determinations can build up to become bigger relationship problems. Fate is not lying for you.
If love were fate, there would be no mistakes. There would be no cheating or heartbreak. Hypothetically, fate may bring people together, but a relationship cannot predetermine when love might fade or become toxic.
The same goes for positive moments in a relationship. Doing the little things like buying flowers or writing a handwritten note is not decided by fate, but by the love you have for a person.
While fate can throw opportunities at us that may change the course of our lives, how we respond to these opportunities is what truly affects our future. Fate opens the door, but free will is the only thing that can urge us to walk through it.
Whether to help, tell the truth or take advantage of someone stems from free will. These decisions are not controlled by fate, but the choices that show a person’s morals and values. This point highlights the fact that if fate controlled every decision, no one would be held accountable for their actions. There would be no way to differentiate success and failure because no one would truly have earned it.
Living in a world where fate controls love can make people out of touch with reality and will often lead to disappointment. Love is not a rom-com movie with perfectly planned-out interactions. True love is the daily commitment built through struggles, patience and decisions to stand by a significant other through life’s hurdles.
Fate: Emma Llorente
People often say that love is a choice, but if that were completely true, relationships would be easy to plan. We would be able to decide who we fall for and when it happens, just like choosing our classes or outfits. In reality, that is not how love works. No one chooses who they are drawn to or when someone important enters their life. Attraction and connection often happen without warning, emphasizing that fate plays a strong role in relationships.
Believing in fate does not mean people have no control over their lives. It simply means that some moments are out of our hands. Two people can go to the same school for years and never speak, until one random moment causes them to meet. That meeting is not planned or forced. It happens because of timing, something that people cannot fully control, no matter how hard they try. That is real fate.
Many meaningful relationships begin in moments that were never expected. A conversation that starts by chance, sitting next to someone new or being in the right place at the right time, can completely change someone’s life. These moments are not the result of careful choices or effort. They happen naturally, which supports the idea that fate guides certain connections.
Relationships also do not follow the same “if, then” logic that applies to school or future goals. You can be kind, honest and emotionally available and still not fall in love at the right time or with the right person. Unlike studying for a test, there is no clear formula that guarantees love. People cannot just earn love by doing everything right. Often, love appears when it is least expected, showing that fate influences when and how relationships begin.
Fate and responsibility can exist at the same time. Fate may decide who comes into our lives, but it does not determine how we treat them. People are still responsible for their actions and choices in relationships. Fate explains why certain people matter to us, not how we behave toward them.
Some relationships feel like they were meant to happen, even if they do not last forever. They teach lessons, help people grow and shape who they become. In those moments, love feels less like a choice and more like a destiny.
