What is the world's greatest lie?

Paulo Coelho asks in his novel The Alchemist:

What is the world's greatest lie?

The character of Melchizedek, the King of Salem, asks this question of the main character Santiago early in the book.

Melchizedek answers his own question with "... that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us and our lives become controlled by fate."

So really, the question we need to ask ourselves is:

Do we accept the power of fate - that our destiny is at the whim of external forces beyond our control?

Or do we decide instead to find our agency, like The Clash asked:

When they kick at your front door, how you gonna come?
     - The Clash(QQ50230)

Asked by: Paulo Coelho
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alchemist_(novel)

All questions with these tags: Assumptions - Priorities - Literature - Power

Source: The book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

(Image from Eglinton Dragon :: seemsArtless )

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