However, Ptolemy also maintains that disastrous events will only follow a natural course if no counter action is taken to avert the problem, as when "future happenings to men are not known, or if they are known and the remedies are not applied".
然而，托勒密還主張災難性事件將只遵循一個自然的進程如果沒有採取應對行動以避免問題的話，當如同“未來發生之事對人而言是不可知的，亦或假如他們是知道的以及其補救措施是不適用的（future happenings to men are not known, or if they are known and the remedies are not applied）”。