The old man tells Santiago that “at a certain time in our lives, we loose control of what is happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s biggest lie.” What does the old man mean by this?

Many people get to an age where they think their fate is sealed. They are bound to a certain job, a marriage, a certain view of the world, a physical condition. The old man points out that people can always change and there is always room for improvement. One of the fundamental truths of our lives is change. Thinking we are stuck forever is a false perception.