In a Landmark Seminar they ask: what makes you who you are today? Everybody looks at the past, and they say: the parents, life experiences, etc. Then Landmark triumphantly says: what makes you who you are today is the future you live into.
Now, it is elegant. They even have a story to illustrate it on the short term.
But what if you are a Stephen Hawkins, or just a Jew, or a puppy born without hind legs? Or what if you have been raped, abused, loved, spoiled, if you were born rich, poor?
Looking at your past, and looking at your present, we can say, with high accuracy what were your decisions about yourself and your life… because the future is defined by your reaction to what hand you were dealt.