Whether or not you believe in fate comes down to one thing: who you blame when something goes wrong. Do you think it's your fault-that if you'd tired better, or worked harder, it wouldn't have happened? Or do you just chalk it up to Circumstances?
I know people who'll hear about the people who died, and will say it was God's will. I know people who'll say it was bad luck. And then there's my personal favorite: They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Then again, you could say the same thing about me, couldn't you?
