the saying "things happen for a reason" yay or nay

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  • JimBeamJimBeam Seattle. 2,012 Posts
    when faced with one of these situations in which one often falls back on one of these meaningless rhetorical devices, regardless of whether the saying applies or not, i like to use, "both teams played hard" a la:

  • I've always understood "It is what it is" as a euphemism for "It sucks".

    My pet peeve: "Isn't it always in the last place you look?"

    Of course it's in the last place you look! Why would you continue looking after you've found it!!?
    "Oh THERE it is! ...but maybe it's over there..."

  • willie_fugalwillie_fugal 1,862 Posts
    You Can Say That Again!!

  • jammyjammy remixing bongo rock... 813 Posts
    Heavy on the nay!

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    I've always understood "It is what it is" as a euphemism for "It sucks".

    My pet peeve: "Isn't it always in the last place you look?"

    Of course it's in the last place you look! Why would you continue looking after you've found it!!?

    "Oh THERE it is! ...but maybe it's over there..."

    lol

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    It's whatever.

  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts


    This is the only worthwhile thing in this thread.

  • p_gunnp_gunn 2,284 Posts
    bigtime NAY for me.

    i'm not sure if this is a california thing but i hear this crap all the time and it is one of my biggest pet peeves.


    i can't stand it...

    i work at place where alot of bad things have happened to people working here (crib death, miscarriages, car crash deaths, OD's) and there is one guy who says that everytime something bad happens and i find it infuriating...

    like, yes, the world is clearly operating in its proper order when 11 month olds die of pneunomia... what door is going to open now? yuck...

    i believe things simply happen without reason; life is a random occurance of events and to put some sort of cosmic importance or "god's will" behind anything is childish and simplistic...

    "it is what it is" and "i hear you" are great ways of filling space in conversation with people you don't really like tho...

  • Options
    It's a big NAY. And I find it annoying.

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    The worst part of the whole "everything happens for a reason" charade is that it is always used to justify someone's ignorance, incompetence and/or lack of courage. You are never going to hear someone say "Man, Tommy jumped on that grenade and saved the entire squad's lives. Yeah, everything happens for a reason". You will in fact hear said justification used (by Tommy) after Tommy fumbles the detonation pin on his grenade and blows his own legs off.

    My sister is a born again and I always know that I am in for some major BS when a sentence starts with "Everything happens for a reason".

  • djJazzOnedjJazzOne 302 Posts
    One that is similar that I like is "whatever is in the way, is the way."

  • JuniorJunior 4,853 Posts
    One that is similar that I like is "whatever is in the way, is the way."

    Sounds vaguely Yodaish to me.

  • DJ_WubWubDJ_WubWub 874 Posts
    I'd say nay wholeheartly as for the most part it is a trite statement that can completely lack compassion..

    My favorite pet peeve is "Its all good" I have caught myself saying it and The mate I travelled down to the Sydney fair with said it all the time aaargh

    As far as sayings go Shitmydadsays
    is unfuckwithable

    eg
    "No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."
    "Universe is 14 billion years old. Seems silly to celebrate one year. Be like having a f*cking parade every time i take a piss."

  • GaryGary 3,982 Posts

    But what explains the existence of unpredictability and randomness?



    Unpredictability is merely the inability to predict something. It doesn't need an explanation.

    If I were to get rear ended on my way to work tomorrow, the randomness of that happening and my inability to predict it happening is not something that needs explanation. The opposite would be true - if I were able to predict it then that would need to be explained.

    Your question doesn't really make any sense. Unless you mean it in a more sciencey (real word) sense, like chemistry or whatever, certain particles behaving unpredictably...? In that case man's inability to understand something doesn't mean it can't be explained, it just means we haven't found a way to explain it yet.
    I would be very interested in your explanation of how you were able to predict a car accident. I would also be interested in your explanation of why you were not able to predict a car accident.


    Because the future hasn't happened yet.

  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts

    But what explains the existence of unpredictability and randomness?



    Unpredictability is merely the inability to predict something. It doesn't need an explanation.

    If I were to get rear ended on my way to work tomorrow, the randomness of that happening and my inability to predict it happening is not something that needs explanation. The opposite would be true - if I were able to predict it then that would need to be explained.

    Your question doesn't really make any sense. Unless you mean it in a more sciencey (real word) sense, like chemistry or whatever, certain particles behaving unpredictably...? In that case man's inability to understand something doesn't mean it can't be explained, it just means we haven't found a way to explain it yet.
    I would be very interested in your explanation of how you were able to predict a car accident. I would also be interested in your explanation of why you were not able to predict a car accident.


    Because the future hasn't happened yet.

    ^^^^^^^^
    Does not watch Lost.

  • FrankFrank 2,370 Posts
    My favorit saying of all times is from Sierra Leone:

    "Only dog turns to his vomit"

    This means that once you said something, it's out there, you shouldn't take it back. Trying to do so might make you look like a dog eating his vomit.

    I always try to keep this in mind to keep myself from saying things I might regret later. It often doesn't work.

  • ladydayladyday 623 Posts
    Whaddaya you gonna do?


  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    My favorit saying of all times is from Sierra Leone:

    "Only dog turns to his vomit"

    This means that once you said something, it's out there, you shouldn't take it back. Trying to do so might make you look like a dog eating his vomit.

    I always try to keep this in mind to keep myself from saying things I might regret later. It often doesn't work.

    Nietzsche had a similar attitude regarding leaving your words and actions 'in the lurch' by trying to alter or disavow them later.

    He likened it to a bowler trying to change the trajectory of the ball by using hand gestures and body language.

  • edpowersedpowers 4,437 Posts
    I can't stand "...at the end of the day"

    Overused. Ugh. A horrible way of summarizing events.



  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts

    But what explains the existence of unpredictability and randomness? I'm personally not inclined to believe in anything that can't be fully explained, be it fate or chance. The case for chance on a quantum level has been made but it hasn't been clearly connected to what takes place on a macro level.

    REY, YOU GOT A THEORY, but yo do you notice and recognize miracles???

    You can't even hold it.



    it's just there in the air.

  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    I find the idea of miracles offensive. Fate can be a very seductive idea when it comes to matters of the heart. In everyday life I'm driven by goal-setting and achievement. The only thing I can say to know for sure is that something exists; I'm open to arguments for and against everything else.
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