"Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game"

Life unfolds with a mix of choice and inevitability. Every person receives a unique set of circumstances—family, health, talents, challenges, opportunities—much like being dealt a random hand of cards at the start of a game. These "cards" in life cannot be returned or swapped for a different set; we cannot choose where we are born, our initial abilities, major events that befall us, or the setbacks we face. There is a fundamental aspect of randomness in the cards distributed to each person, emphasizing that fairness or parity at life's outset is neither guaranteed nor possible.

Yet, the focus shifts swiftly from these inescapable facts to the realm of agency and choice. Once the hand is dealt, the responsibility for navigating its possibilities rests squarely on the individual. The metaphor underscores that while we cannot select the circumstances, we wield power over our responses, strategies, and attitude toward those circumstances. How one decides to "play the cards in order to win the game" reflects a conscious engagement with life's randomness and adversity. Some, given poor hands, display resilience, creativity, and determination, transforming limitations into opportunities or developing strengths in unexpected areas. Others, blessed with advantageous starting points, may fail to capitalize on them or squander their inherent advantages.

There is a subtle encouragement toward personal responsibility and adaptability. Life's "game" is not about lamenting the cards distributed, but about mastery of self, ingenuity, and maximization of potential within one's unique constraints. Success, however defined—fulfillment, achievement, happiness—relies less on the initial hand and more on the skill, courage, and wisdom employed in managing it. The metaphor also evokes empathy, reminding us that everyone faces unseen challenges, and that apparent success or failure often belies the complexity of individual journeys. Ultimately, Voltaire’s message extols agency within constraint, urging us to accept what cannot be changed and to focus our energies on shaping our destinies with purpose and resolve.