{"id":126797,"date":"2021-04-29T17:35:11","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T15:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zelfkennis.nu\/geen-onderdeel-van-een-categorie\/het-lot\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T16:06:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T14:06:17","slug":"destiny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/articles\/destiny\/","title":{"rendered":"Destiny"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"et_pb_section_0 et_pb_section et_section_regular et_block_section\"><div class=\"et_pb_row_0 et_pb_row et_pb_equal_columns et_pb_gutters1 et_block_row\"><div class=\"et_pb_column_0 et_pb_column et_pb_column_4_4 et-last-child et_block_column et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough\"><div class=\"et_pb_image_0 et_pb_image et_pb_has_overlay et_pb_module et_block_module\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Bericht-pic-het-lot.jpg\" class=\"et_pb_lightbox_image\"><span class=\"et_pb_image_wrap\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Bericht-pic-het-lot.jpg\" width=\"1030\" height=\"75\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Bericht-pic-het-lot.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Bericht-pic-het-lot-980x71.jpg 980w, https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Bericht-pic-het-lot-480x35.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1030px, 100vw\" class=\"wp-image-123285\" title=\"Do not neglect your destiny (fate)\" \/><span class=\"et_overlay\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_divider_0 et_pb_divider_hidden et_pb_space et_pb_divider_position_top et_pb_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_text_0 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-464 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/verginaster-nieuw-200.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"46\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #520000;\">The following (adapted) article was previously published in the magazine <em>Lychnari, Explorations in Modern Greece<\/em>.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #520000;\">It's a textual interpretation of the famous Greek song <em>'To Peprom\u00e8no'<\/em> (<em>'Destiny'<\/em>).<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #520000;\">The lyrics and music are by Vasilis Dimitr\u00edou, who passed away in 2015, and the song was written for the TV series <em>Vammena Kokkina Mallia<\/em> (from 1992: 37 episodes), based on a novel by Kostas Moursel\u00e1s about the ups and downs of many characters across several generations. Sung by the famous singer <\/span><span style=\"color: #520000;\">Giorgos Dalaras.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Listen to the song here<\/strong><\/h6>\n<div style=\"width: 55%; margin: auto;\"><iframe class=\"hoppa\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" title=\"\u03a4\u03bf \u03c0\u03b5\u03c0\u03c1\u03c9\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf - \u0393\u03b9\u03ce\u03c1\u03b3\u03bf\u03c2 \u039d\u03c4\u03b1\u03bb\u03ac\u03c1\u03b1\u03c2 [ReKyAHfKCcc]\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1113663227?h=e04c6db113&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/api\/player.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_text_1 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><h2>Destiny or Fate<\/h2>\n<p>If you ask me, 'what do you consider the most beautiful Greek song?' I can't answer that. There's so much beautiful Greek music. However, there are songs high on my list of favorites because they touch me, no matter how often I hear or play them. One such standout, set to the characteristic <em>chasapiko<\/em> rhythm, features lyrics of nearly biblical proportions: <em>To Pepromeno<\/em> (<em>\u03a4\u03bf \u03a0\u03b5\u03c0\u03c1\u03c9\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf \u2013 Destiny<\/em>).<\/p>\n<h3>The Song<\/h3>\n<p>The lyrics are profound and open to interpretation. Here are two interpretations that, for me, elevate the song. The song may have a different meaning within the context of the TV series, but like all art and poetry: personal interpretation adds value and other forms of appreciation are secondary. (For instance, Van Gogh's <em>sunflowers<\/em> hold no value for me personally, no matter how beautiful someone else might find the painting or the historical or financial value attributed to it.)<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em><strong>Destiny (Fate)<\/strong><\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em><br \/>Do not neglect your destiny (fate)<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em>and always keep an eye on the course of your life<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em>because while you sleep, someone else is writing history<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em>and gambles with your life<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em>For all of us, it's written<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em>what is predetermined and unavoidable<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em>For this, there's no theory, no train, no ship<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em>Everyone grapples with it to the best of their knowledge and ability<\/em><\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em>Even as a child, I dreamt of fires<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0e2559;\"><em>We always give too little for love<br \/><\/em><em>and realize you won't get anything in return<br \/><\/em><em>Give and go away, don't miss an opportunity<br \/><\/em><em>Don't neglect your soul (don't pass by your soul)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>In the World<\/h3>\n<p>At the request of EenVandaag, my orchestra Ano Kato played <em>To Peprom\u00e8no<\/em> in 2011 during a segment about the Greek crisis. \"Why pay for a country that messes things up?\" was the introduction by Pieter Jan Hagens. I chose this song to counterbalance the half-baked (dis)information that was being spread in the media at the time.<br \/>Greece, in its eager quest for substantial loans and neglecting its destiny, handed its fate to the banks to enter the Eurozone and 'slept'. The banking world, which subsequently caused the crisis itself, 'wrote history' with this move, gambling 'Greece's life' (and that of other countries). Thus, it's wise to 'awake' to promptly discern deception and abuse of power. The fate of the Greek population 'was predetermined', 'couldn't be avoided', and they 'grapple with it to the best of their knowledge and ability'. The entirety of Europe bore witness to this struggle for a long time. Even now, the least fortunate bear the brunt of political neglect of Greece's fate.<\/p>\n<p>'We always give too little for love', and this becomes very apparent in times of crisis. Assistance to Greece was essentially a bailout of Northern European banks, and the Troika's rigid stance completely overlooked 'every soul'. Anti-Greek sentiment was widespread in the Netherlands. 'The pressure must be maximum', our finance minister proclaimed, obliviously disregarding the impact on <em>people<\/em>. Neglecting one's soul essentially leads to a lack of conscience. The elderly, youth, the poor, and the unemployed within the Greek population were given no consideration, leading to much suffering.<br \/>(<a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/trojka-beleid\">bit.ly\/trojka-beleid<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/imf-excuus\">bit.ly\/imf-excuus<\/a>)<\/p>\n<h3>Within Ourselves<\/h3>\n<p>In spiritual philosophy, 'sleep' refers to the mechanical life that the majority of humanity leads: a life filled with work, dreams, desires, gratifications, materialism, submission, and often following ideologies and addictions (The series <em>Vammena Kokkina Mallia<\/em> revolves around such people). Those 'asleep' are unable to transcend the mental and emotional mechanisms that obstruct <span class=\"tooltips  bubblewidth_550 custom_m_bubble\" style=\"\" title=\"In the Bible, there is a recurring theme of &lt;em&gt;awakening&lt;\/em&gt;, symbolizing the departure from the mechanical life of the ego. The message of Jesus advocates realizing an inner transformation, which at its core aligns with eastern philosophies.\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">inner transformation<\/span><\/span>. For personal growth \u2014 to become a so-called 'true' human (realized), free from illusions, identifications, and ego manifestations \u2014 one must 'wake up' and 'keep a close eye on the course of their life'. While our soul sleeps, 'someone else' writes history: That 'other', who writes history, represents what we essentially are <em>not<\/em>, but constantly believe we are: our self-image or ego, which expresses itself both individually and collectively, adhering to trends, surges, and political or religious -isms, and acts based on self-justification strategies. With this, we can truly 'gamble with our lives', as evidenced by (verbal) violence, suppression on a global scale, and all the casualties resulting from conflict, wars, and addictions.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Varoufakis-dark-engels-kl.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-127538\" title=\"Restoration of honor for Yanis Varoufakis\" src=\"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Varoufakis-dark-engels-kl.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"368\" height=\"258\" \/><\/a>While we're 'asleep', there can hardly be any giving (of unconditional love), so 'we always give too little'. We're often self-centered, focused on our immediate surroundings. Only when we understand that we won't get anything in return, in terms of personal merit or reward, can we <span class=\"tooltips  bubblewidth_550 custom_m_bubble\" style=\"\" title=\"&quot;Let the left hand not know what the right hand does&quot; (Matt. 6:3) is a well-known Bible verse. It implies that the ego (referred to as the left hand) is inclined to claim credit for genuine acts of kindness (performed by the right hand).\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">give and move on<\/span><\/span>. By doing so, we no longer 'neglect our soul', which seeks connection and can love unconditionally, something the ego cannot do.<br \/>And then, it turns out that our soul does receive a lot in return because selfless <em>giving<\/em> is, on a deeper level, also <em>receiving<\/em>. It brings profound happiness.<br \/>Since 'what is predetermined and cannot be avoided', there's no 'theory', no 'train or ship' as a 'mode of transport', that can circumvent our soul's liberation, making everyone 'grapple with it to the best of their knowledge and ability'. Life continually tests us!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_divider_1 et_pb_divider_hidden et_pb_space et_pb_divider_position_top et_pb_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_divider_internal\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_text_2 et_pb_text et_pb_bg_layout_light et_pb_module et_block_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_text_inner\"><p>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-117416 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/verginaster-nieuw-200.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" \/><\/p>\n<h6>\u00a9 Michiel Koperdraat<\/h6>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"et_pb_code_0 et_pb_code et_pb_module\"><div class=\"et_pb_code_inner\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\njQuery(document).ready(function( $ ){\n\/\/ Get page title\nvar pageTitle = $(\"title\").text();\n\n\/\/ Change page title on tab switch\n$(window).blur(function() {\n$(\"title\").text(\"EYE ON YOUR DESTINY!\");\n});\n\n\/\/ Make normal title come back again\n$(window).focus(function() {\n$(\"title\").text(pageTitle);\n});\n});\n<\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Do not neglect your destiny and always keep an eye on the course of your life, for while you sleep, someone else writes history and gambles with your life.&#8221;<br \/>\nThis article provides a philosophical interpretation (both political and spiritual) of the famous Greek song \u2018To Peprom\u00e8no\u2019 (\u2018Destiny\u2019), sung by Giorgos Dalaras.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":125910,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126797"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126797\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":136468,"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126797\/revisions\/136468"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mixalis.staticdata.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}