Amor Fati

Amor Fati. It's an idea that I've come across that sums up a lot of what I've been thinking about lately.

I'm a big fan of the Eels older work. One of their songs is called P.S. You Rock my World. As a kid it was my favourite song, it was at the end of a very depressing album but seemed to balance it all out with a really uplifting message. I used to have it on repeat when my mood was especially dark.

There's a line in it. A careful man tries to dodge the bullets while a happy man takes a walk. Of course in my case you can replace the bullets with eggs but the idea's the same. This idea goes all the way back to philosophers of the past and is summed up in this concept of the Amor Fati.

Love of ones fate. That's what it translates to. Considered to be the key of happiness by a few of the big minds in history. I suppose the idea is that it frees us from worrying about what actually happens in life as we agree to love it either way, it makes logical sense to me. Why worry about things we can't control, how can we even determine what is good or bad? Love it all, why not?

It reminds me of the idea of Valhalla, where the Norse Men taught themselves to seek out honourable death. Actually embracing their almost inevitable bloody end.

So, I wasn't the first one with these ideas, I need to come to terms with that. But that's how things are and I guess I had better learn to accept it. It's funny how this runs at right angles to what I actually believe but I acknowledge how much more positive it would be be to accept Amor Fati. I think I'll modify it slightly and fit it into my own belief structure.