--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What's the world's greatest lie?\" the boy…" description: "\"“What's the world's greatest lie?\" the boy asked, completely surprised. \"It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's hap..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/def/paulo-coelho-10_fate_what-s-the-world-s-greatest-lie-the-boy_755928.jpg" --- # What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked… ![“What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised. "It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie.” quote by Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/def/paulo-coelho-10_fate_what-s-the-world-s-greatest-lie-the-boy_755928.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/def/paulo-coelho-10_fate_what-s-the-world-s-greatest-lie-the-boy_755928.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/def/paulo-coelho-10_fate_what-s-the-world-s-greatest-lie-the-boy_755928.jpg) > ““What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised. "It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie.”” [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It claims that believing life is controlled by fate is a falsehood; we have agency over our destiny. **In simple terms:** Fate is a lie; we control our lives. Key Takeaway Recognize personal agency over destiny. Themes agency destiny self‑belief Mood inspirational thought‑provoking Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career choices - personal setbacks - goal setting Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel you control your life? - How does fate belief affect your actions? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on individual control may ignore external constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) ## Related quotes > [“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked. “It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coehlo/what-s-the-world-s-greatest-lie-the-boy-asked-it-s-this-that-at-a/) [Paulo Coehlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coehlo/) > [“It is said that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-said-that-at-a-certain-point-in-our-lives-we-lose-control-of/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-s-this-that-at-a-certain-point-in-our-lives-we-lose-control-of/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“What's the world's greatest lie? It is this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/what-s-the-world-s-greatest-lie-it-is-this-that-at-a-certain-point-in/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“what's the world's greatest lie? It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what happening to us, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/what-s-the-world-s-greatest-lie-it-s-this-that-at-a-certain-point-in/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/at-a-certain-point-in-our-lives-we-lose-control-of-what-s-happening-2/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and or lives become controlled by fate. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho-the-alchemist/at-a-certain-point-in-our-lives-we-lose-control-of-what-s-happening/) [Paulo Coelho The Alchemist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho-the-alchemist/) > [“And it ends up saying that everyone believes the world’s greatest lie.” “What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised. “It’s this:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/and-it-ends-up-saying-that-everyone-believes-the-world-s-greatest-lie/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“At some point of our life, we will lose control of everything surrounds us and we will be controlled by the fate. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/at-some-point-of-our-life-we-will-lose-control-of-everything/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“All things in the world of Nature are not controlled by Fate for the soul has a principle of its own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iamblichus/all-things-in-the-world-of-nature-are-not-controlled-by-fate-for-the/) [Iamblichus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iamblichus/) > [“Well, then, why do we need all these books?" the boy asked. "So that we can understand those few lines," the Englishman answered, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/well-then-why-do-we-need-all-these-books-the-boy-asked-so-that-we-can/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Isn't wine prohibited here?" the boy asked. "It's not what enters men's mouths that's evil," said the alchemist. "It's what comes out of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/isn-t-wine-prohibited-here-the-boy-asked-it-s-not-what-enters-men-s/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Hmm..." said the old man, looking at all sides of the book, as if it were some strange object. "This is an important book,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/hmm-said-the-old-man-looking-at-all-sides-of-the-book-as-if-it-were/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When the walls come down, love takes over, and it no longer matters what is possible or impossible; it doesn't even matter whether we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-the-walls-come-down-love-takes-over-and-it-no-longer-matters/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“But love is much like a dam: if you allow a tiny crack to form through which only a trickle of water can pass,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/but-love-is-much-like-a-dam-if-you-allow-a-tiny-crack-to-form-through/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Paulo Coelho > [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Love will never separate a man from his personal legend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/love-will-never-separate-a-man-from-his-personal-legend/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/to-love-is-to-be-in-communion-with-the-other-and-to-discover-in-that/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It is not enough to dream of the Impossible Love - it is necessary to conquer it too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-not-enough-to-dream-of-the-impossible-love-it-is-necessary-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Eat when it is time to eat. And walk when it is time to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/eat-when-it-is-time-to-eat-and-walk-when-it-is-time-to-walk/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [People are reading more and writing more because of the internet. So the virtual world is a way for me to listen to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/people-are-reading-more-and-writing-more-because-of-the-internet-so/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Joy is like sex – it begins and ends. I want pleasure. I want to be contended, but happiness? I no longer fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/joy-is-like-sex-it-begins-and-ends-i-want-pleasure-i-want-to-be/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Trudi se da zivis, sjecanja su za starije ljude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/trudi-se-da-zivis-sjecanja-su-za-starije-ljude/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/when-someone-leaves-it-s-because-someone-else-is-about-to-arrive/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [The past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-past-and-the-future-become-unimportant-there-is-only-that-moment/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [She didn't need to understand the meaning of life; it was enough to find someone who did, and then fall asleep in his arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-didn-t-need-to-understand-the-meaning-of-life-it-was-enough-to/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The simpler the pose, the better; the more sober, the more beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-simpler-the-pose-the-better-the-more-sober-the-more-beautiful/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) [Explore all 3,665 Paulo Coelho quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More Fate quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [When you have counted eighty years and more, Time and Fate will batter at your door; But if you should survive to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khushwant-singh/when-you-have-counted-eighty-years-and-more-time-and-fate-will-batter/) [Khushwant Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khushwant-singh/) > [“To be a Sufi is to detach from fixed ideas and from preconceptions; and not to try to avoid what is your lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/to-be-a-sufi-is-to-detach-from-fixed-ideas-and-from-preconceptions/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [ Man blindly works the will of fate. \[Ger., Blindlings that er blos den Willen des Geschickes.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-martin-wieland/man-blindly-works-the-will-of-fate-ger-blindlings-that-er-blos-den/) [Christoph Martin Wieland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-martin-wieland/) > [Fate with impartial hand turns out the doom of high and low; her capacious urn is constantly shaking the names of all mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/fate-with-impartial-hand-turns-out-the-doom-of-high-and-low-her/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Real chessplayers think about chess more or less 24 hours a day. It is a passion and a fate that one has to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simen-agdestein/real-chessplayers-think-about-chess-more-or-less-24-hours-a-day-it-is/) Simen Agdestein > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [You can't choose what stays and what stays away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-welch/you-can-t-choose-what-stays-and-what-stays-away/) [Florence Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-welch/) > [“In that instant it all seemed to come clear to him- it came in a grisly flash of light, and he realized that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-that-instant-it-all-seemed-to-come-clear-to-him-it-came-in-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Fate and future both are servant to the determined, for they are nothing but creation of human determination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/fate-and-future-both-are-servant-to-the-determined-for-they-are/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [My fate cannot be mastered; it can only be collaborated with and thereby, to some extent, directed. 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Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Do we make ourselves into what we become or is it built into our genes, into the fate spun for us by whatever shapes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-bruchac/do-we-make-ourselves-into-what-we-become-or-is-it-built-into-our/) [Joseph Bruchac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-bruchac/) [Browse all 5,152 Fate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What's the world's greatest lie?\" the boy asked, completely surprised. \"It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. 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