Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.

The saying of George Eliot, “Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds,” speaks as a timeless reminder carved in the stone of human destiny. It tells us that while we, in our pride, believe ourselves to be masters of choice, the very choices we make in turn rise up to mold the character of our being. Man shapes the action, but the action lingers, shaping the man. Like a smith hammering iron, every strike leaves its mark both upon the metal and upon the arm that wields the hammer.

The ancients knew this well. They taught that the soul was not only judged by its deeds, but was also transformed by them. Just as rivers carve valleys and winds shape mountains, so too do repeated actions carve the unseen valleys of our spirit. To do good is not merely to act once in passing, but to weave goodness into the very fabric of who we are. To sin is not merely to stain the world, but to darken the heart of the sinner himself. Thus, deeds are not fleeting—they echo through eternity within us.

Consider the tale of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-king of Rome. His meditations reveal a man striving to act with justice, patience, and wisdom, even amid war and betrayal. His deeds as emperor, though often burdened with hardship, came to define him not only in history but in his own soul’s repose. He was not merely a ruler who chose virtue; it was his repeated acts of virtue that sculpted him into the man we remember as the “philosopher emperor.” His life illustrates how we may begin by determining our deeds, but in time, they determine the very essence of our name.

There is power and also warning in Eliot’s words. If a man daily chooses cowardice, he will become a coward, even if once he fancied himself brave. If a woman embraces kindness with every breath, she will not merely have performed good works—she herself will become kindness embodied. Our deeds are the soil from which our character grows, and no seed planted remains without consequence.

Let the young heed this wisdom: do not imagine your actions are passing shadows without weight. Each step you take, each word you utter, each hand you lift in mercy or malice, returns to you and writes upon your soul. For in truth, the deeds we set in motion are mirrors, showing us who we are becoming. And as the ancients would say—live as though your life were a sacred scroll, upon which every action is inscribed, for that scroll is your destiny.