LogFAQs > #975510338

It's one of the most worthless, if not outright harmful sentiments to share with somebody.

90% of the time it's used to diminish people's struggles. Oftentimes when people say it to themselves, it helps them handwave real, tangible takeaways from a situation, and hampers learning/growing. And when people say it to somebody else, it's usually a trite attempt at comfort when they can't come up with anything better to say; and more often than not, it's not what somebody absolutely going through it wants/needs to hear.

To say nothing of it's more gross applications, and the utter nonsense it becomes when taken to its logical conclusion. Got raped? "Everything happens for a reason." Children starving to death? "Everything happens for a reason." Extreme examples, sure, but not unfounded ones; people trot the phrase out in circumstances like those all the time. And it shows exactly what I'm saying: worthless, up to harmful.

If someone gets comfort from it, good on them; I certainly won't take that away from them. But on average, I feel like the sentiment is a net negative.