Shakespeare wrote this in an era when astrology genuinely competed with reason as an explanation for human fate—so his insistence on self-determination wasn't sentimental but rather radical, almost scientific in its claim that we possess agency worth trusting. The real provocation lies in those three words: "in ourselves"—not in our wishes or prayers, but in the actual work of choice and effort. A person struggling with addiction, for instance, finds this distinction vital: stars and circumstances offer plenty of excuse, but the quote demands they locate the actual lever they can pull, which is always some decision available *now*. That's harder than blaming fortune, which is probably why we need reminding.