What is the word or phrase

[LeadSmall3BetAllIN]

that elegantly describe a state where someone has little to no control over their life, their decisions, their future etc. because the cirucumstances and environment are too imposing.

Is there such a phrase word in english/french/latin?

If not what languages have this?

 

[celery]

That's life.

 

[LeadSmall3BetAllIN]

I understand, but I'm asking for a phrase which puts emphasis on how imposing the conditions are. And maybe even hyperbolizes on this with something like "my soul doesn't belong to me".


By the way I just found out the Chinese Expression is :人在江湖，身不由自. In Romanized Chinese : Ren Zai Jiang Hu, Shen Bu You Ji
This translates in a word for word fashion to: When one is in the underworld(triads and such), their body doesn't belong to them.

 

[rach2jlc]

Japanese has "Shou ga nai" (しょうがない）which is one of those ambiguous Japanese phrases almost impossible to translate, but means "it can't be helped."

They use it quite often, especially when there is some situation about which factors are far beyond their control, or any and all effort/hope/desire to do differently would be pointless. It's often used as a way to show why anger/frustration would be pointless, so we should just move on and deal with it. I've heard it used from everything related to a son who bought a non-returnable shirt for WAY too much money with his parent's credit card (instead of flipping out, the father rolled his eyes and said "shou ga nai&quot to a daughter-in-law having to care for her elderly mother-in-law, who hates the daughter and is a mean, spiteful person, responding to sympathy or "I feel so awful; what can you do about it?" with "shou ga nai."

There is also the Latin "alia iacta est" (did I spell that wrong?), as in "the die is cast," meaning a point has been crossed and you can't go back. SO, you have no choice over what is coming because things are already set in motion.

 

[either/or]

determinism, little to no control fatalism, no control, everything is determined hth

 

[Matt]

"cop out"

 

[nootje]

I allways thought that the bird was the word?

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Matt

"cop out"

Not always.

 

[Matt]

meh, some people deal with their ****.

Other people look for more eloquent ways to explain why their **** is insurmountable.

 

[ArteEtLabore14]

Que Sera, Sera

 

[redzapper]

C'est la vie


And 'the die is cast' is 'alea jacta est' in latin.

 

[pebblegrain]

gambling problem

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Matt

meh, some people deal with their ****.

Other people look for more eloquent ways to explain why their **** is insurmountable.

Some **** can't easily be dealt with.

 

[Matt]

Who said **** was easy to deal with?

It's not.

Some people find ways to deal with it anyway.

 

[alliswell]

There is no word or phrase for this in English, or the translations of Franz Kafka would be a lot shorter.