# Does everything happen for a reason? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 29, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-everything-happen-for-a-reason/590781 "2011-07-29T22:36:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-everything-happen-for-a-reason/590781/41 "2012-04-16T19:23:06Z")
“Everything happens for a reason” is something well-meaning but misguided folks say to someone who’s just suffered a loss in an attempt to either make that person or themselves feel better about tragedy. IMO, it’s short-sighted and belies a total lack of thought or introspection, but it is well-meant. So I tend to give it a pass, even though I honestly think it’s one of the most horrible things you can say to someone else. The people who tend to say such things have never experienced a real loss or tragedy, IMO. I agree with the thought up above that everything happens for a reason, but not always for a _purpose_. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-everything-happen-for-a-reason/590781/42 "2012-04-16T19:35:15Z")
It depends on what you mean. If you mean that all events have a cause, then that’s true. If you mean that it happens to _you_ for a particular reason, then no. Things happen to individual simply because they happen and the individual is involved. There is no reason, nor any plan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-everything-happen-for-a-reason/590781.md?page=2)