Why does this image evoke such overwhelming sorrow within me? Is it envy? Ego? A profound realization that the immutable traits I possess severely diminish my chances of attaining anything remotely similar?
It is often said that 90% of our lives are predetermined before birth. Even after we enter the cosmic lottery of suffering, there remains a substantial element of luck and unpredictable circumstances that greatly shape our paths. Our agency over our own lives is profoundly limited, particularly in this era of technological advancement. PewDiePie serves as a striking example of this phenomenon; his YouTube career, and consequently a significant portion of his life's trajectory, was essentially determined by a machine algorithm. Had his videos not been promoted and overlooked, he would have been just another failed youtuber. I do not deny the effort he invested in his achievements, but can we truly say he earned them? Hard work can be measured, and there are countless hardworking individuals in this world who fail to receive their fair share due to circumstances beyond their control. Hard work alone amounts to nothing if the necessary conditions for success are absent and those conditions are largely based on a game of chance.
I simply cannot overlook the fact that the quality of our lives is predominantly shaped by forces beyond our control. Life is like playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons, where every action requires a roll of the dice. Seeking employment? Roll a D20 (A dice with 20 numbers for those who don't play). Pursuing a romantic relationship? Roll a D20. It goes on and on. However, if you're someone like PewDiePie, your stats receive a +10 bonus to every roll, while someone like myself might suffer a -15 penalty to every attempt, just because of our initial stat distribution.
Life is essentially a game of chance, except the most crucial roll occurs at the beginning of the game, before we are even born. Everything that follows is a consequence of that initial roll and the distribution of our stats. Of course, outliers still exist—individuals who possess exceptional stats but consistently roll poorly, leading them to homelessness or falling into destructive habits. Conversely, there are those who start with low stats but manage to roll a natural 20 on every action they take in life, finding the right connections, possessing favorable personality traits, and ultimately achieving success. Yet, these are merely exceptions, as the majority of people in the world tend to roll average results on the D20, and their lives fall into the categories of mediocre, decent, or dissatisfying. Unfortunately, there is also a subset of individuals burdened with abysmal stats overall, perpetually rolling average outcomes, like myself. Our agency over our life is obviously far greater than that of a DND game but that agency is subject to your initial stat distribution in life just as well...
TL;DR It never began, the game has been rigged from the start.
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