Of cages and escape

Do we ever escape the cages in to which we are born
Or are we destined to toil within the boundaries imposed without our consent
How free are we really?
First the family, then society at large
Determines our fate
Very little is left to happenstance
I feel no matter how we toil,
We are doomed to be the result of all the external influences
This, to me, is both man’s greatest tragedy and victory!