Amor fati:Of Things That Just Are
Nietzsche and the Love of One’s Fate
In his 1882 book, The Gay Science, German philosopher, cultural critic and poet Friedrich Nietzsche popularizes the concept Amor fati, a Latin phrase meaning “the love of one’s fate.”
“I want to learn more and more to see as beautiful what is necessary in things; then I shall be one of those who makes things beautiful,” Nietzsche writes. “Amor fati: let that be my love henceforth! I do not want to wage war against what is ugly. I do not want to accuse; I do not even want to accuse the accusers. Looking away shall be my only negation! And, all in all, and on the whole: some day I wish to be only a Yes-sayer!”
As humans, we have a proclivity towards assigning logical explanations to why things are. Without those reasonings, we sink into anxiety and the crippling fear of uncertainty. We want to believe we are in control, that we fully understand our reality, and that life follows a discernible pattern.
For this reason, religious, philosophical, and scientific frameworks have long served as ways to make sense of an unpredictable world. Whether through divine will, logical deduction, or empirical observation, humans have consistently sought to construct narratives that bring clarity to life's uncertainties. Yet, as Nietzsche suggests, perhaps the true path to peace is not in explaining everything, but in embracing it all—without resistance, without regret, and with absolute affirmation.
Back home, traditional healers are the norm. Like psychics, they claim to posses power to read that which is unknown to the average being. Some of the richest institutions across Africa, are prophetic churches. Regular main stream churches without the same miracle appeal have seen a rapid membership decline. I believe that most, if not all, of these prophets are frauds. The very existence and prosperity of these oppressive so-called spiritual institutions is a testament to our relentless quest for answers. We are driven by an insatiable need to explain what is and why, searching for meaning even in places that exploit our uncertainties.
But, to what end?
At 23 years old, I lost my mother to cancer. It was tragedy in its rawest form—unforgiving, irreversible, and utterly devoid of reason. Coupled with the grief was a desire to understand, why. She had left for the US when I was two years old. And the same year we reunited— me flying from Zimbabwe to the majestic land of cheese and fast food, five months after my landing, she took her las breath.
"God does things with a purpose at his own time.” This was the overall church rationale. Others said at least I got to spend some time with her. A part of me was grateful and understood the world where it was all God’s perfect orchestration, given her condition, He made sure we reunite at the eleventh hour. However, through all this, I did question God. I questioned the universe. I interrogated life itself : Why couldn’t I have lived with her a little longer? Why did it have to be me and my brothers? Sure, maybe it would make me stronger but how?
Looking back now, a lot of my internal suffering would’ve been alleviated if I had the power to accept reality as is. I know, sounds absurd, preposterous and inhuman to experience such tragic death and just accept it. Actually, it feels impossible as I state it. But as a principle, it’s valid.
Things happen to us, by people and by the world. Many of which we don’t have the power to control. In the words of renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:
“Be courageous enough to accept that life is messy. Your life will not always perfectly match your ideology. Sometimes even your choices will not align with your ideology. Don’t justify and rationalize it. Acknowledge it. Because it is in trying to justify that we get into that twisting, dark, unending tunnel of lies from which it is sometimes impossible to re-emerge whole. Be courageous enough to say, “I don’t know.” Ignorance acknowledged is an opportunity. Ignorance denied is a closed door, and it takes courage to admit to the truth of what you do not know”
So, today, dear reader, I prescribe Amor fati. It is in this acceptance that we can make space for living fully in the present. Not everything has to be understood to be meaningful. Not every loss needs a justification, and not every love requires a reason. Some things simply are—and that, in itself, is enough.
I must admit, sometimes these perspectives feel abstract and divorced from reality. Even when Nietzsche profoundly presents it; it feels like bull. But, Perhaps true peace comes not from knowing all the answers but from being okay with the fact that we never will. Some things just are. The river flows. The seasons change. People come and go. The universe expands with no obligation to explain itself. And maybe that’s the point—life was never meant to be fully understood, only lived.
To live with amor fati is to welcome life as it unfolds, without resistance, without resentment—only with open arms, open eyes, and an open heart. Because in the end, acceptance is not giving up; it is waking up.
I wrote an article for the Brittle Paper Magazine, Please check it out
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This is such a powerful piece, thank you for sharing brother. And I am sorry about your mum, may the rest in peace.
Hi, Mr. Mhlophe. I have been reading your articles, and I must say, this one is quite impactful. The reason for this is that I know you personally. I attended primary school with you, and I especially remember how you wrote poems expressing how much you missed her. I vividly recall that you would always draw a red rose after each poem.
Please accept my sincere condolences regarding your mother.