amor fati

American  

[uh-mawr fah-tee] / əˈmɔr ˈfɑ ti /

noun

Latin

1. love of fate: a concept, philosophy, or attitude, often associated with Stoicism, of embracing with appreciation all the experiences in one’s life as being necessary for life itself, regardless of how mediocre, joyful, or distressing those experiences may be.

   Nietzsche’s formula for greatness was amor fati—wanting nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity.

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Etymology

Origin of amor fati

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Late Latin, from Latin amor “love” + fātī (genitive of fātum “what has been spoken, destiny”); amorous ( def. ), fate ( def. )

Example Sentences

Another Stoic concept generally attributed to Epictetus is amor fati, or the love of fate, which also plays a vital role in resilience and confronting adversity.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2024

For example, elite universities such as Harvard are so notorious for denying tenure that Radhika Nagpal’s recent amor fati essay, “The Awesomest 7-Year Postdoc,” became junior-faculty scripture.

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2013

In this, his attitude seems to resemble that of Nietzsche's amor fati!

From Memories and Studies by James, Henry

Let us remember Nietzsche's beautiful words: 'My formula for grandeur in man is amor fati: that a man should ask for nothing else, either in the past or in the future, in all eternity.

From ?mile Verhaeren by Zweig, Stefan

The unmistakable sign of heroism is amor fati, a fierce delight in one's destiny, hold what it may.

From Prophets of Dissent : Essays on Maeterlinck, Strindberg, Nietzsche and Tolstoy by Heller, Otto