A man falls asleep in his tent on a beach in the Netherlands. Morning approaches, the sea murmurs, and life seems peaceful. Then the unthinkable happens: a maintenance tractor drives over his tent. The news is shocking — not just for its tragedy, but for what it reveals about the fragility of human existence. How do we process such random events? And does it matter whether we have spent time consciously examining our own character? Two worldviews, two perspectives on the same brutal reality.
The Outsider: Chance as Chaos
For many people, an accident like this simply confirms the randomness of life. The world is unpredictable, even dangerous, and we are at the mercy of forces beyond our control. This response is deeply human and entirely understandable. We look for someone to blame, for explanations, for ways to reassure ourselves that something like this could never happen to us.
The outsider — here meaning someone unaccustomed to systematic self-reflection — tends to experience fate as something purely external. It is something that happens to you, something you react to, but over which you have little influence. Personality is seen as more or less fixed: you are who you are, and life throws obstacles in your path that you simply have to dodge as best you can.
The Freemason: Chance as a Mirror
A Freemason looks at the same event through a different lens. Not to diminish the suffering or deny the role of chance, but to draw meaning from it. Within the Masonic tradition, personality is understood not as something static but as a rough ashlar — a stone that is continually being shaped and refined. Every moment, no matter how painful, offers an opportunity for reflection and growth.
When fate strikes, the Freemason asks: what does this teach me about my own vulnerability? How do I handle uncertainty? Which aspects of my character surface when I am confronted with the incomprehensible? These questions are not meant to force answers. They are meant to open an inner dialogue that might otherwise remain closed.
The rough ashlar does not wait for a perfect moment to be worked upon. Every blow of the hammer, however unexpected, contributes to the shape it will ultimately take.
What Both Perspectives Share
Despite their differences in approach, the outsider and the Freemason share a fundamental experience: the confrontation with human vulnerability. No one stands above chance; no one is immune to the randomness of existence. This realization can be paralyzing, but it can also be profoundly connecting. It reminds us that we all carry the same uncertainties, regardless of background or belief.
Both perspectives also recognize the value of community. The outsider seeks comfort among loved ones, in cultural rituals of mourning and remembrance. The Freemason finds support in the brotherhood, in the shared language of symbols and the collective search for meaning. In both cases, no one has to face the darkness alone.
Both acknowledge the fundamental vulnerability of human existence. Both seek community as a source of comfort. And both wrestle with the question of meaning in the face of what appears to be senseless.
Personality as a Field of Work
The real difference lies not so much in how fate is experienced, but in what one does with it. For the Freemason, personality is not a finished product — it is a perpetual work in progress. The lodge provides a space where, set apart from the distractions of daily life, one can reflect on who one is and who one aspires to become. It is a place where confronting one’s own shortcomings is not avoided but embraced as an essential part of the journey.
This does not mean that a Freemason has all the answers or is somehow above others. It simply means that a conscious choice has been made to treat one’s inner world as a field of study. The rough ashlar — the symbol of the Entered Apprentice — represents the unworked personality. With patience, dedication, and the support of fellow brothers, this stone is gradually shaped into something that fits within a greater whole.
What We Can Learn
The comparison between these two perspectives is not intended as a judgment. Both are human, and both have their value. What Freemasonry offers is a framework within which even the most painful events can be transformed into moments of growth. It is an invitation to see your own personality not as a given, but as an ongoing project.
The tragic incident on that Dutch beach reminds us how suddenly everything can change. Within that vulnerability lies a call to action: use the time you have to work on yourself, to examine your character, to grow. Not because doing so will keep fate at bay, but because it is the only way to truly live.
The outsider and the Freemason both stand before the same riddle: a world in which chance can be merciless. The difference lies in their response. Where one experiences fate as chaos, the other sees a mirror. Both perspectives deserve respect, because both grapple with the same human condition. What Freemasonry adds is the conviction that personality is never finished — and that every day, however unexpected, offers a chance to keep building the work of art that is your own existence.
Copyright text & image: devrijmetselaar.nl
Texts are based on the ideas and content of the author of devrijmetselaar.nl, reviewed, corrected, and supplemented with the assistance of OpenAI. Images are created based on the ideas of the author of devrijmetselaar.nl using OpenAI/DALL-E.
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