Fatalism
Etymology
From Latin "fatum," literally “that which has been spoken,” hence “destiny” — originally the pronouncement of the gods. The idea runs through ancient tragedy and myth, where prophesied dooms arrive no matter how the hero tries to dodge them.
noun · /FAY-tuh-liz-um/
The belief that events are fixed in advance and will happen regardless of what anyone does, so effort to change them is futile.
What it names
A handle for a particular resignation — “what will be, will be” — that treats the future as already settled and our striving as beside the point.
Example
A grim fatalism set in among the villagers, who stopped repairing the levees because “the flood comes when it comes.”
Related idea
Determinism is often confused with it but differs sharply: determinism says your choices are caused yet still shape outcomes, while fatalism says outcomes arrive whatever you choose, making choice pointless.