Fatalism is a philosophy or belief that life events, outcomes, or consequences are largely left to fate. The concept of fate itself has multiple meanings and might be used to describe events that are arbitrary, unavoidable, mysterious, or having a particular destiny. Fatalism has been likened to predeterminism, which is the notion that events are determined in advance, either by a god or a creator, or by destiny. Some fatalistic individuals also might adhere to the more pessimistic idea of defeatism, which is an acceptance of defeat or an outcome without resistance.

Fatalism includes some basic tenets, one of which is that humans are powerless to do anything other than what they essentially do in reality. Also, fatalism implies that humans have no power to affect ...