Life is a rotten lottery. I've had a pretty amazing life, a good

Hear the words of John Waters, who speaks with both mischief and wisdom: “Life is a rotten lottery. I've had a pretty amazing life, a good life, and God knows I'm thankful, but I do believe that after 30, stop whining! Everybody's dealt a hand, and it's not fair what you get. But you've got to deal with it.” At first, this sounds like the humor of a cynic, yet within it burns the stern voice of ancient truth. Life is not promised to be equal, nor is it promised to be kind, but it is always ours to face with courage, gratitude, and resolve.

The first jewel in his words is the recognition that life is unfair—a rotten lottery. Some are born into wealth, some into poverty; some inherit health, others disease; some are showered with opportunity, while others must claw their way through hardship. The ancients knew this well, for fortune, like the goddess Tyche, was fickle and blind. To lament the randomness of life is natural, but to dwell upon it is folly. Waters acknowledges the unfairness, yet he does not wallow—he accepts it as the given condition of existence.

The second flame is thankfulness, even amid life’s lottery. Waters declares his own life to be good, “amazing” even, and he bows before the mystery of it with gratitude. Here is the paradox: life may be unfair, yet it can still be beautiful. The heart that remains thankful amidst randomness finds strength where others see only bitterness. Gratitude does not erase injustice, but it preserves the soul from despair. It is the shield against envy and the key to joy.

The third truth is his admonition to stop whining after the age of thirty. This is no harshness for its own sake, but a call to maturity. The young may cry out against unfairness, but the adult must learn endurance. To whine is to surrender; to endure is to grow. Waters insists that once we recognize the nature of life’s lottery, we must take responsibility for our own journey. The cards may be dealt unjustly, but character is revealed in how we play them.

History gives us a mirror in the story of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who, though struck by polio and bound to a wheelchair, did not surrender to despair. Life had dealt him a cruel hand, yet he rose to lead a nation through the Great Depression and the fires of world war. He might have lamented his suffering, but instead he chose to deal with it, transforming his weakness into resilience and his struggle into leadership.

The fourth jewel in Waters’ teaching is the call to deal with it—to accept fate without surrendering to it. Acceptance is not passivity; it is clarity. To see life as it is, unfair and unpredictable, and still choose to act bravely—that is the path of strength. The Stoics of old taught this same lesson: we do not control the hand we are dealt, but we do control how we play it. Complaining changes nothing; action and gratitude transform everything.

The lesson for us is this: acknowledge the unfairness of life, but do not let it master you. Give thanks for what you have, for even in an unfair lottery, blessings still exist. And then, with steady resolve, live courageously with the cards in your hand. Stop comparing, stop whining, and begin creating. In this way, you transform what was given into something greater than chance: into meaning, into legacy, into strength.

Practically, we can live this teaching by first silencing the voice of complaint. Each time you feel envy or despair, remind yourself: “This is my hand, and I will play it well.” Practice gratitude daily, even for the small mercies, for they will remind you of the good that fortune has granted. And then act—work, love, build, create—not as one who waits for fairness, but as one who shapes destiny with whatever tools are at hand.

Thus John Waters’ words ring out as a hard but necessary truth: life is a rotten lottery, but it is yours to live. Be thankful, stop whining, and deal with it. For in this spirit lies the nobility of endurance, the strength of gratitude, and the courage to turn fate itself into triumph.