Deficiencies of US Society: An Addiction to Firing for Little or no Reason ("Heads Are Going to Roll) and a Belief that Human Error and Fate Do Not Exist

In America, Fate and Luck Do Not Exist

Here in the US, we act like there is no such thing as raw luck. This is almost Calvinist in outlook and is a complete contradiction to the fatalism in much of the world, especially the Hispanophone, Arab, Muslim, and Hindu world. In Spanish, you say, “Ojala que?”

It’s an Arabic borrowing that means, “Leave it up to Allah” and is the basis behind the fatalism of Islamic culture. In Spanish, it boils down to, “God willing that it may…” The future is very tenuous in Spanish. You don’t know whether things are going to happen or not.

Obviously this is the fact of life, but we always act like it’s not true. How many make plans for tomorrow, next weekend, next month or even year or even for several years out. It makes sense but we always act like we are certain that this future will absolutely happen.

It never crosses our mind that it might not happen because we’re not around any more. Of course I’ll be alive tomorrow / next weekend / next month / next year