Every life is woven from the unraveled threads of the tiny chances and decisions of thousands of generations of unknown ancestors.
You might think that you control your life, yet what do you control? You did not decide when you were to be born, nor where, nor who were to be your parents - you did not decide what genes you were to be dealt.
You were born into ignorance of all but your immediate circumstances, and you cannot be certain even about those. What can you know of your direct ancestors of even five hundred years ago, let alone five thousand?
You cannot assert your independence of your ancestors, the steady tread of generations takes no note of you - you were born, and you will die.
The web of cause and effect is adamantine - a gaze directed or misdirected five hundred years ago, a smile given or refused a hundred generations before your birth may be one of your determinants - sine qua non. Step back and distract one of your 97 greats grandmothers, just for a moment, so that she does not smile at that man in the doorway ... and you are gone!