“Is not willpower the residue of fate?”
- January 14, 1925 – November 25, 1970
- Born in Japan
- Novelist, playwright, critic, political activist
Japanese
「意志とは、宿命の残り滓ではないだろうか」
English
“Is not willpower the residue of fate?”
Explanation
In this quote, Mishima questions the nature of willpower by suggesting that it might not be as independent or self-determined as it seems. Instead, he proposes that willpower could be the leftover or byproduct of fate—a force that is shaped or constrained by the circumstances and events that are beyond an individual’s control. Mishima is challenging the common notion that human will is a completely autonomous force, suggesting that, rather than being the ultimate driving force in life, willpower may be a reaction to the forces of fate and the limits placed on an individual. In this sense, the will might not be entirely free but could be the residue of the preordained events and situations a person finds themselves in.
Mishima’s view reflects his broader exploration of the tension between fate and free will, a theme that runs throughout his works. He often suggested that human existence is defined by contradictions and that individual freedom is always in tension with the forces of fate—whether those forces are societal, genetic, or historical. In this light, willpower is seen not as the pure expression of freedom, but as something shaped by the inevitable conditions of one’s life, a response to circumstances rather than a truly independent force. Mishima seems to be asking whether will can ever truly be free, or if it is always bound by the larger forces of existence.
In modern contexts, this quote resonates with ongoing debates about the nature of human agency. Today, many still wrestle with questions about how much control we really have over our lives. Are our decisions shaped by circumstances such as society, upbringing, or biology, or are we truly free to act according to our own will? Mishima’s insight challenges the idea of absolute autonomy and free will, suggesting that, like the residue left after a process, willpower might not be as pure or independent as we like to believe. Instead, it could be a reaction to the conditions of life, shaped by the forces of fate and external influences.
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