Comments on: Consolation Clichés(Why Everything Doesn’t Happen for a Reason) http://www.eddecker.com/2009/09/03/consolation-cliches/ The lilly-livered need not apply Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:11:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: suela decker http://www.eddecker.com/2009/09/03/consolation-cliches/comment-page-1/#comment-4092 suela decker Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:19:48 +0000 http://www.edwindecker.com/?p=798#comment-4092 Ah , yes, A great column.=Touches home-- After a serious mishap in my life, I was also given one of those cliches. "It happened for the best." I , too, jumped down his throat. And as you stated in your column, -how would he know that unless I went down both paths, which is what I said to him. I worked at accepting that mishap, and moved on. Others might have let it destroy them. Years later, I met him again. And he said, "See, I told you it happened for the best." Again , I jumped down his throat. "No, Sir. We still don't know that. However, what we do know, is that I survived, and used all my tools to deal with the mishap." THE MOTHER Ah , yes, A great column.=Touches home–
After a serious mishap in my life, I was also given one of those cliches. “It happened for the best.” I , too, jumped down his throat. And as you stated in your column, -how would he know that unless I went down both paths, which is what I said to him. I worked at accepting that mishap, and moved on. Others might have let it destroy them.
Years later, I met him again. And he said, “See, I told you it happened for the best.” Again , I jumped down his throat.
“No, Sir. We still don’t know that. However, what we do know, is that I survived, and used all my tools to deal with the mishap.” THE MOTHER

]]> By: Erix Vu-Bui http://www.eddecker.com/2009/09/03/consolation-cliches/comment-page-1/#comment-3874 Erix Vu-Bui Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:33:07 +0000 http://www.edwindecker.com/?p=798#comment-3874 I loved this... Thanks for saying what I'm thinking. I loved this… Thanks for saying what I’m thinking.

]]> By: Michael-Leonard http://www.eddecker.com/2009/09/03/consolation-cliches/comment-page-1/#comment-1885 Michael-Leonard Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:30:49 +0000 http://www.edwindecker.com/?p=798#comment-1885 Dear Decker: So many times you rant against the same things that incense me. And your latest column has done it again. The dual stupidity of the offensive phrase 'everything happens for a reason' is fatalism and teleology. Teleology is the philosophical or religious belief expressed by the Latin phrase you used: a religious doctrine of final purpose, i.e., that creative developments are due to the purposes, designs or "plans" that are served and/or carried out by them. See also Aetiology. Teleology, is the doctrine of explaining phenomena by their ends or purposes. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleology or http://www.answers.com/topic/teleology). In philosophical and ethical arguments, teleology is used to essentially prove a concept by using itself - an obvious cheat, but one that is so often used by those who are intellectually bereft or simply unaware. Even usually non-religious people can sometimes be blinded by the fatalism contained in the offensive phrase. These are the same folks who espouse hope (as in 'are you getting sick?' 'I hope not') as a way to give up the power of controll over their own lives. When something bad happens - a car crash, broken bone, house fire, etc. - and people use the offensive phrase, it's like saying they had no control over whatever happened. Usually, that's just not true. The argument you quote author Kirshenbaum as using is absurd - and totally unscientific! - simply because in life we can't try the experiment over again!! It is teleology at its finest. Thank you for skewering it. Your fan and constant reader, Michael-Leonard www.flexiblefotography.com (imaging) http://sandiegoroundabout.blogspot.com (SDblog) http://thinkingwrite.livejournal.com (generalblog) Dear Decker:

So many times you rant against the same things that incense me. And your latest column has done it again.

The dual stupidity of the offensive phrase ‘everything happens for a reason’ is fatalism and teleology.

Teleology is the philosophical or religious belief expressed by the Latin phrase you used: a religious doctrine of final purpose, i.e., that creative developments are due to the purposes, designs or “plans” that are served and/or carried out by them. See also Aetiology.

Teleology, is the doctrine of explaining phenomena by their ends or purposes. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleology or http://www.answers.com/topic/teleology).

In philosophical and ethical arguments, teleology is used to essentially prove a concept by using itself – an obvious cheat, but one that is so often used by those who are intellectually bereft or simply unaware.

Even usually non-religious people can sometimes be blinded by the fatalism contained in the offensive phrase. These are the same folks who espouse hope (as in ‘are you getting sick?’ ‘I hope not’) as a way to give up the power of controll over their own lives.

When something bad happens – a car crash, broken bone, house fire, etc. – and people use the offensive phrase, it’s like saying they had no control over whatever happened. Usually, that’s just not true.

The argument you quote author Kirshenbaum as using is absurd – and totally unscientific! – simply because in life we can’t try the experiment over again!! It is teleology at its finest.

Thank you for skewering it.

Your fan and constant reader,
Michael-Leonard

http://www.flexiblefotography.com (imaging)
http://sandiegoroundabout.blogspot.com (SDblog)
http://thinkingwrite.livejournal.com (generalblog)

]]> By: lateraleye789 http://www.eddecker.com/2009/09/03/consolation-cliches/comment-page-1/#comment-1854 lateraleye789 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:20:37 +0000 http://www.edwindecker.com/?p=798#comment-1854 I couldn't agree with you more. A friend of mine recently killed himself and I heard that quite a bit and it drove me nuts. "She is also a raging dipshit" and "because, you know, I use my brain and shit" are my favorite parts of this. I couldn’t agree with you more. A friend of mine recently killed himself and I heard that quite a bit and it drove me nuts. “She is also a raging dipshit” and “because, you know, I use my brain and shit” are my favorite parts of this.

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