"Everything happens for a reason"

[WhitneyFisher]

The common phrase:

"Everything happens for a reason"

is, indeed, a positive statement; however, its true context is ever-so frequently applied (INCORRECTLY) when speaking about something that is of "non-reason" (non = NEGATIVE)... a faith, a whim, something unknowable. Why is something of "reason" so often correlated with something "non-absolute"? Why can't those who use-- and, ironically, probably coined-- this term NOT notice the essential contradiction between the truth of this statement and the way that they use it?

[RationalBiker]

Why is something of "reason" so often correlated with something "non-absolute"? Why can't those who use-- and, ironically, probably coined-- this term NOT notice the essential contradiction between the truth of this statement and the way that they use it?

It's not a true statement no matter how they use it.

What is the reason behind lightning striking my backyard tree? There was a cause for lightning striking my tree, but a cause is not a reason.

[Zip]

Only that which is driven, managed, manipulated or set in motion by reason can happen for a reason. Everything else just happens.

[Soth]

Interesting. I have never thought about it this way before.

[Castle]

Sure, everything happens for a reason in the sense that cause and effect is valid. People that say that usually don't mean it that way though. They're really saying that everything happens according to an intelligent plan or "for the best". Absolutely wrong, and not particularly comforting even if it were true. Being in the grip of an invisible being who's apparent concept of "the good" is radically different than my own and who is willing to cripple, kill, and otherwise set me up for torture using limitless power to achieve that "good" I can never understand seems like a recipe for stark raving terror to me.

[WhitneyFisher]

My point is the common use of the term-- in reference to something beyond our control, some "higher power"--- sure, many people use it objectively in the case of cause of effect, but it is usually used when someone can't answer an event that has occured, who doesn't stop to ponder, to use their mind efficiently, to explain why things are happening in their life... they simply shrug and say "well, everything happens for a reason." Absolutely, it does... but you were the cause and what happened was the effect... not some unknowable.

RationalBiker, you are totally on point as to where I am going with this--- that same person who asks "why did that lightning strike the tree in my backyard?" is the same who will have a spouse or a friend to answer their question: "Well, maybe it's a sign. Everything happens for a reason, ya know." They don't know what reason means. Castle stated it best:

"Sure, everything happens for a reason in the sense that cause and effect is valid. People that say that usually don't mean it that way though. "

[ooghost1oo]

The common phrase:

"Everything happens for a reason"

is, indeed, a positive statement; however, its true context is ever-so frequently applied (INCORRECTLY) when speaking about something that is of "non-reason" (non = NEGATIVE)... a faith, a whim, something unknowable. Why is something of "reason" so often correlated with something "non-absolute"? Why can't those who use-- and, ironically, probably coined-- this term NOT notice the essential contradiction between the truth of this statement and the way that they use it?

Everything happens for a reason, because everything is part of God's plan, dont ya know...

[CWEarl]

Only that which is driven, managed, manipulated or set in motion by reason can happen for a reason. Everything else just happens.

Bingo.

Just about every day I am annoyed by someone on the television claiming something happened for a reason, or something is a miracle (think of the "Miracle on the Hudson"). This is the main (but not only) thing that makes Oprah unwatchable, for instance.

[Q.E.D.]

The problem in this assertion is not in reversing the meaning of causality from "it happens because" to "because it happens" (i.e. it doesn't affect causality whether it works forwards or backwards, because things still behave according to their natures). It seems the phrase "Everything happens for a Reason" implies moreover that existence itself implies consciousness (in other words primacy of consciousness). The phrase implies that all events have significance, and that implies significance to a consciousness, although events happen independent of conscious entities.

They are able to believe this muck because it arises from the same fallacy as the first mover argument. They say that something exists so therefore something has to be conscious to make it exist, and that is baseless.

NOTE: My view on causality is a little different because I view things from the physical perspective that the observed laws of nature are independent of time translations and reflections (reversals). The past, present, and future of an entity all come together as a fixed spacetime package. Some people might say that they cannot have free will if they have a definite future 'already', but that's nonsense, because you're stilling making decisions whether your body is made out of physical particles or not. The ability to make what you perceive as a decision cannot contradict causality.

[Clawg]

I prefer the saying "What goes around, comes around."

If you act irrationally then reality tends to haunt you at some later point in time.

Don't complain about bad things happening to you if you haven't given your best to prevent it and be proud of your successes if you have given your best to make it possible.

[Zip]

I prefer the saying "What goes around, comes around."

If you act irrationally then reality tends to haunt you at some later point in time.

Don't complain about bad things happening to you if you haven't given your best to prevent it and be proud of your successes if you have given your best to make it possible.

I like your explanation, unfortunately most of the time when I hear this phrase used someone is trying to get across the point that there is some sort of cosmic force balancing the universe and "bad people" will get what they deserve and "good people" will be rewarded. They call it Karma or justice and it's all tied up in some sort of mystical higher power ensuring that everyone gets their just deserts.

[Clawg]

"Bad people" rob themselves of their chance to live the best life possible. The problem is that many people either are unaware/ignorant that a better life is possible or are 'contend' with what they have.

A car robber settles for driving this car. He ignores that by doing so he damages the car manufacturer's creative ability to build even better cars.

'Bad people' are not necessarily unhappy people. They just don't know what they miss (or willfully choose a worse life, i.e. a form of partial suicide).

[Weston]

Things that people do happen for a reason because people use reason. Things that happen in nature simply happen -- nature cannot reason.

[organon1973]

This is a blog entry of mine on this from 7/1/2009:

"Everything happens for a reason."

There is no “plan” in the universe — no goal-directed, integrated, over-arching map, designed by a supreme consciousness, that integrates everything that occurs, has occurred, or will occur into a meaningful, intended unity. Men are beings of free will – there is no necessity in relation to what they will they think, or what they will do — a man’s thoughts, his actions, his identity are self-determined. Unlike the course of a rock moving in space, subject only to fixed and predictable forces of nature, what men do is not set in advance — it is a matter of their own choice.

But everything that does occur, occurs according to the fixed principles of that which is.

When a drunk driver strikes another vehicle, there is no “reason” for it, no ultimate plan according to which the injury of the innocent lives of others makes sense. But it does “make sense” in that: the individual chose to drink; his faculties were therefore impaired; and, lost in a self-caused stupor, he crossed the divider.

So while there is no governing plan, no map designed by a supreme consciousness, that is behind everything that occurs — everything that occurs does indeed make sense – i.e., can be integrated, can be understood.

[Robert J. Kolker]

The common phrase:

"Everything happens for a reason"

is, indeed, a positive statement; however, its true context is ever-so frequently applied (INCORRECTLY) when speaking about something that is of "non-reason" (non = NEGATIVE)... a faith, a whim, something unknowable. Why is something of "reason" so often correlated with something "non-absolute"? Why can't those who use-- and, ironically, probably coined-- this term NOT notice the essential contradiction between the truth of this statement and the way that they use it?

In common parlance X happens for the reason Y, is often taken to mean Y is the cause of X. This raises the question what sort of cause. Aristotle identifies four kinds of cause:

1. Material

2. Formal

3. Efficient

4. Final

When you say "reason" in your context what sort of cause did you have in mind assuming you meant a cause. Or did you mean the happening of X requires some explanation Y. This is the other use of the term "reason" in your context -- an explanation.

Please clarify what you meant.

Bob Kolker