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Everything happens for a reason.

Agree

44% (14 votes)

Disagree

25% (8 votes)

It depends... [comment and explain]

31% (10 votes)

Total votes: 32

Thu, 10/02/2008 - 3:46pm — Calypso

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Submitted by Calypso on Sun, 10/05/2008 - 8:47pm.

I meant more in the fate sense. This whole thing came about when I saw a music stand in my [select ensemble] chorus class had "Everything happens for a reason" on it and off to the side it said "No it doesn't" and another under the first statement saying "Yes, it definately does!"
I don't think it does myself but I was wondering what you guys thought.

Submitted by sassafras on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 2:45pm.

It just occurred to me that if it "depends" that "everything happens for a reason," then by default the answer has to be no, not EVERYTHING happens for a reason. So I guess most of us would have to disagree. LOL There you go.

Submitted by The notorious P.I.P on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 9:11am.

I think things happen and then we make up reasons for it.

-pip!
Love first, love last, love always
www.dancingdeserae.com www.dezigns.etsy.com

Submitted by Gregatron (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 9:53pm.

No.

Proof:

*************************************
Gregatron is not responsible for any of the crap he just wrote.

Submitted by ...cokaru... on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 10:36am.

Ha!

Submitted by smilesforthesun on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 5:16pm.

like other responses here, i believe everything has a root cause but not a "reason" as in "meant to be", fate, etc.

Submitted by animalia_libero on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 10:45am.

If you mean cause and effect, I agree.

If you mean divine command and the baby Jesus' plans for me, I disagree.

Submitted by trisreal on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 7:17pm.

This is what your comment reminded me of:

Submitted by sassafras on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 2:41pm.

ahaahahaahhahaha dear 8 lb. 6 oz. baby jesus...i love it!

Submitted by Bambina on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 9:36am.

I don't remember where I read this, but I'll requote it anyway:

"Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

Submitted by Micah Perry on Thu, 10/23/2008 - 8:57am.

Lovely!

Also "Pause when agitated or doubtful."

Submitted by ...cokaru... on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 12:38pm.

Nice quote.

Submitted by Jeff (not verified) on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 11:07pm.

If you are talking about simple cause and effect, then I would agree. Fate and astrology are total bullshit. If you believe in that, then I've got a bridge in Brooklyn that I'd like to sell to you.

Submitted by veganvampira on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 4:48pm.

I don't believe that everything happens for a reason because that would mean that all evil has a place and I refuse to believe that.

Submitted by phactorri on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 6:30am.

"without darkness there could be no light"

its a common theme amongst human history. I believe heavily that if there was no evil, there could be no good. Without having horrible things happen, then we would be desinstized n the great things.

like for example rich pampered girl who gets completely pissed off and angry cause she lost her favourite shoe. and she goes crazy over it, like its the worst thing could happen. when in reality there are bigger deals in life to most of us than that. when you expect only good things than the bad things seem awful, and you ignore the wonderful things.

If everything was beautiful, then you'd never know what beauty is.

this is how I think about it.

Submitted by KitKatKootie (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 9:47am.

me too me too! it's all about balance. and it's WAY bigger than we can ever comprehend. that is so cool to me. like, if we could understand everything, what fun would that be?------------------------------------------------------------------------
it will all be alright in the end. if it's not alright, it's not the end.

Submitted by lessthanthree (not verified) on Fri, 10/03/2008 - 8:30pm.

It might still be fun.

Just because we understand the ins and outs of film making doesn't mean we don't enjoy watching films. Actually it can deepen our enjoyment of watching films. I think the same can be said of most any subject.

Why can't the same be said of the larger spheres of life? =-)

Submitted by phactorri on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 2:53pm.

oh it can bro. I use to be a lot worse. but there are times when I have to turn off a film cause the editing/lighting/sound/cinematography is so bad that it just makes my eyes bleed.

I use to avoid watching movies when I was doing post for a living.

Submitted by KitKatKootie (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 3:04pm.

i don't want to have the answers to everything. i would have to kill myself if i were that obsessive.

-----------------------------------------
it will all be alright in the end. if it's not alright, it's not the end.

Submitted by lessthanthree (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 4:36pm.

I don't know what understanding things has to do with obsession. I have been and still am quite obsessive much of the time. I think obsession is the opposite of understanding things. To be obsessed is to have a distorted focus of the world. When we understand things our obsessions drop away.

At least this is the way it has worked for me and my obsessions. Sometimes I still get obsessed but I just have to apply my understanding. It is like understanding is the medicine to the illness of obsession.

=-)

Submitted by KitKatKootie (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 5:04pm.

you obviously don't understand obsession if you think it's that simple.-----------------------------------------
it will all be alright in the end. if it's not alright, it's not the end.

Submitted by lessthanthree (not verified) on Sun, 10/05/2008 - 10:12pm.

Huh?

You mean my definition of obsession is too simple? Or the cure?

I think really understanding the world isn't easy. Not like understanding spelling or math. Our delusions don't crumble easy, I admit that. I hope I didn't make it sound like I thought it was easy to overcome delusion.

I think it can take quite a bit of time and work to even start to realize, just intellectually, that our view of the world doesn't match up to the way the world is.

Submitted by phactorri on Mon, 10/06/2008 - 3:18am.

were not talking metaphysics. she basically means if she knew all there was to know. it would make life boring. whats life if you can't discover new things? whats the joy of existing if there is nothing the day will bring you, you didn't have before.

obsession btw is not a distorted view of the world. its just having a 'compulsion' of sorts. a NEED.

Submitted by KitKatKootie (not verified) on Mon, 10/06/2008 - 9:54am.

that is exactly what i meant - about understanding and about obsession. thanks phactorri! i didn't check this until after you responded or i would have said the same. xoxoxo-----------------------------------------
it will all be alright in the end. if it's not alright, it's not the end.

Submitted by lessthanthree (not verified) on Mon, 10/06/2008 - 8:55am.

I'm sorry if I misunderstood the question. I had wondered if we were talking about two different things. But still, the question does seem "metaphysical." I didn't mean that to understand the world is equal to "knowing all there was to know." I meant more of a general understanding.

Well you are right about 'need' being a part of the situation. But it is the compulsion that creates the feeling of need. Right? Compulsion is the irresistible impulse to act. Obsession is a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling. This sound like a distorted view of the world to me. When our idea or view of the world is unreasonable it is distorted. At least this has been the case with me and my OCD. And the question of OCD is a "metaphysical" question to me. It is about accepting uncertainty and this is part of the understanding that I was talking about. It wasn't about knowledge...specific and in detail. Still, I am not sure there is a question that isn't metaphysical.

I don't know.

Submitted by phactorri on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 3:06pm.

i seriously had to really learn to clear my mind in a lot of media. as a musician, artist, former film student, and writer.. if I didn't life would get kinda banal.

Submitted by KitKatKootie (not verified) on Sat, 10/04/2008 - 3:16pm.

i hear you. i may not get it exactly, but i get it. i'm super obsessive about things, when i get on a roll with something i will try to find every fucking piece of info on it and not stop. ever. so i have to be really careful. life can suck that way. and it's self created.-----------------------------------------
it will all be alright in the end. if it's not alright, it's not the end.

Submitted by ...cokaru... on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 4:52pm.

I used to get very caught up on the "everything happens for a reason" view of things. In time, I've found my comfortable medium with the philosophy.

Everything has a cause, a reason why it happened. Sometimes, it's very clear that I can learn from the situation that occurred, rather immediately. Sometimes, over time it becomes clear what the lesson was. Sometimes, things just are what they are. Yes they had a cause, but no, I don't think it happened for a reason in the sense that I directly was supposed to learn something from it. I don't ascribe the reason directly to a divine or supernatural power; while maybe it is the universe or god trying to tell me something, I think that what's more important is to figure out the lesson if there is any, than to tease out the source. :)

Submitted by lessthanthree (not verified) on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 4:03pm.

It depends on what you mean by "for a reason."

If you mean that a creator God planned everything then I don't think so.

But, if you mean that some divine force uses circumstances to teach us lessons, then no I don't think so.

I don't think their is a supreme creator or force that wills or plans or teaches. =-)

But, if you mean, everything that exists has a cause. Then yes, I think all things, every phenomenon has causes and conditions. These causes and conditions are reasons.

Things probably have more reasons than we can know. =-)