None of us are free from fate. A person born in a poor country will naturally have fewer opportunities for good jobs or quality education compared to someone born in a wealthy nation. Even within the same country, some are born into times of war, while others experience unprecedented periods of prosperity. In this way, we all live with some degree of inequality.
In the past, I often asked "Why?" in the face of such a world. Why was there so much inequality? Why do some enjoy better opportunities than others? But over time, I've come to realize that, for certain problems, asking "Why?" is the wrong question. The more we ask "Why?" about the unfairness of the world, the less we seem able to change it—and instead, we are led down a path of frustration and disillusionment.
"For the fortunate among us, there is the temptation to follow the easy and familiar paths of personal ambition and financial success so grandly spread before those who enjoy the privilege of education. But that is not the road history has marked out for us."
"Like it or not, we live in times of danger and uncertainty. But they are also more open to the creative energy of men than any other time in history. And everyone here will ultimately be judged—will ultimately judge himself—on the effort he has contributed to building a new world society and the extent to which his ideals and goals have shaped that effort. Our future may lie beyond our vision, but it is not completely beyond our control."
— Robert F. Kennedy
Sometimes, as RFK suggests, we need to accept the fate we are given. We may not be able to see every detail of the future, but we must believe it is not entirely beyond our control. And we must understand that history has never proven the pursuit of personal wealth and fame to be the true path. No matter the circumstances, each of us has the opportunity to make the world a better place.The right question, then, is not "Why is this happening?" but "What can I contribute to change it?" That's the better question to ask.