"We make choices but are constantly foiled by happenstance"

In this quote, Penelope Lively explores the tension between intent and unpredictability in our lives. On one hand, human beings work out company by choosing. These choices may be carefully thought about or impulsively made, informed by factor, emotion, or circumstance. Every choice we make shows our personal desires, goals, and worths, shaping our path and guiding our journey through life.

Yet, Lively acknowledges another force at play: happenstance, or opportunity, which regularly interrupts our well-laid plans. This introduces the idea that in spite of our capability to choose, our lives undergo unforeseeable occasions and unmanageable scenarios. Happenstance can cause unexpected chances or obstacles, modifying the trajectory we imagined for ourselves. It embodies the turmoil and randomness of deep space, reminding us that not whatever is within our control.

The interaction in between option and happenstance speaks to the dual nature of presence. Our lives are a tapestry woven from the threads of our choices and the knots of chance incidents. This relationship recommends that while we can steer the course of our lives, we should likewise remain adaptable to the unexpected. It welcomes humility, as we acknowledge that the outcome of our choices is not exclusively dependent on our will.

Additionally, this dynamic highlights the value of resilience. When our strategies are thwarted by happenstance, it is our ability to adapt and react to new scenarios that makes it possible for growth and learning. It also underscores the serendipitous nature of life, where unexpected turns can cause fortuitous outcomes and new directions we might not have imagined.

Eventually, Lively's quote functions as a pointer of the delicate balance in between our efforts to form our fate and the serendipitous components that life presents. It calls upon us to acknowledge both our roles as authors of our stories and participants in a bigger, unpredictable story.