Happier with Gretchen Rubin

More Happier: You Can’t Outrun Fate—and Other Haunting Truths [Revisited]

Oct 25, 2025
Delve into unsettling truths this Halloween season! The podcast explores fate through an ancient Baghdad tale of inevitability and how loss transforms familiar spaces. It discusses moments that resonate deeply, revealing life's transcendent experiences. The narrative of Stone Soup illustrates the danger of expecting magical solutions rather than real teamwork. Unearth the paradox of opposing truths and reflect on the inherent nature of individuals with the story of the scorpion and the frog. A compelling blend of stories invites listeners to embrace the mysterious.
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ANECDOTE

The Samara Story Of Unavoidable Fate

  • Gretchen Rubin retells the Mesopotamian tale of the servant who fled to Samara to avoid Death and was already doomed there.
  • The story shows fate can be unavoidable even when we try to escape it.
INSIGHT

Fate Is Fateful — But Often Unknown

  • Rubin observes our actions are fateful but fate is unknowable until it occurs.
  • We cannot reliably pursue or avoid fate because we lack foreknowledge of it.
ANECDOTE

A Tiny Exchange That Felt Archetypal

  • Rubin recalls a book-group exchange where one friend said "I always want to feel empty" and another said "I always want to feel full."
  • The brief remark felt archetypal and lingered in all their memories.
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