Nothing happens for no reason.

These all wonderful stories and experiences and they all have meaning and thoughtfulness. I don't know if necessarily believe that it's a "Cosmic" thing that causes these things. We could debate that for a good while but, I prefer not to unless someone would like to but, let's be kind

Sven One wrote: These all wonderful stories and experiences and they all have meaning and thoughtfulness. I don't know if necessarily believe that it's a "Cosmic" thing that causes these things. We could debate that for a good while but, I prefer not to unless someone would like to but, let's be kind

But you said this in your OP:

Sven One wrote: I believe it was the will of The Force that my Uncle kept living on

What do you believe the Force is? What's your reasoning that everything happens for a reason?

Well, everything on the scale we can see and interact with has a cause. That was in turn affected by some other cause...
When it comes down to it, is the force like a prime mover that's caused everything to happen?

From my own experience, I've seen tragic things that had no silver lining that were largely the results of chance.

Is the force like a deist creator who's on break right now, letting us mess everything up? Is the force ok with bad things happening? Is there some greater purpose that we're not aware of?

At the same time, if you just slump down in a fatalistic "why try" attitude, you're too focused on your misery to look up and see any silver linings. Shouldn't we be focused right now on being someone that's a silver lining?

It really does assert some underlying purpose in existence doesn't it!!! I guess to some extent I entertain the concept in some way, more like karma..... but not direct or equivalent in action. More like the Force just trying to remain in balance to some extent in response to imbalance. Throw a pebble in the pond and watch the banks push the waves back type of thing.

But as a basis for it for me. it's just one of those things to address the feelings or emotions of memory. A coping mechanism, as we'll tell ourselves why something happened anyway, and so this saying could just remind us that.... and that we might be wrong. And so instead if you look for a positive reason then, now or soon - then you might find yourself in a better position to use that historical experience as a positive rather then a negative moving forward. As such it only has limited application for me, but is handy to employ at times to arrange superficial associations in ones memory. Works nicely in meditations though to mediate historical associations and future desires.

Which I guess ties into karma to some extent. When interacting with a much more complex system there is plenty of novel associations which can be made to create a narrative of causality which is neither true nor contradictory, from a certain point of view. I'd guess it's not harmful if it's not harmful!

Well there's always time for Terry.

At least that's one theory. The philosopher Didactylos suggested an alternative hypothesis: 'things just happen, what the hell'.

Sven One wrote: Have you ever thought to yourself, "Gosh, why did that happen?" I know I have many times. I've probably had more disappointment in life than I have had victory and we all have.

Forgive me for saying this but I find this kind of a fatalistic sort of thinking. I am not one to agree that I have had more disappointment in my life than victory. Sure I would agree that I have had my share of disappointment but I don’t feel it is out of proportion in any sort of way. However I definitely can’t speak for everyone in this so I would say each individual experience is different. So in this idea, I believe that life and its outcomes are subject to personal interpretation. Meaning that if you view things from a negative connotation that is what you will get – negative results.

In the case of your Uncles Associate, I’ll bet if you asked him why he was the one that got shot he would not say “well it happened for a reason”. If we step outside of ourselves and view life from others points of view I think you will find that, while you are right that life is unfair, in actuality it also does not happen “for a reason”. There is no driving force or ultimate destiny and there is no such thing as Karma. Sometimes bad people do bad things and get away with it and sometimes good people do good things and get punished for it. What it all means in my opinion is that life is just life and it just happens, no rhyme and no reason.

While I respect your opinion, I must disagree. In the example of "Everything Happens for a Reason.", everything has a cause and effect. If someone is shot, it's because someone had the desire to commit the act. Someone had a reason to commit the act. I simply think that the phrase is taken out of context from an egotistical perspective. When something happens to someone, and they choose to accept it using this logic. TThey believe they are the "Main Character" of their story, when in all reality, this isn't a story. They are simply a part of a wider scope of events playing out every day. Could there be a "Destiny"? I cannot say, personally, I prefer to believe that my will is my own and that everything is not predetermined, however, I also believe in karma, and the power of attraction, which in my mind, reinforce my own "free will". I create the reality I live in, and I share an overall reality with my fellow man, creatures and organisms. This shared reality cultivates the events of my day, and ultimately my life. All of this being said, I honestly don't care if there is a destiny or if reality lacks any form of predetermination, nor do I understand why people do. Because IF hypothetically we all lack free will, how would you ever know? Why SHOULD we care? If I was given the knowledge and proof of a predetermined reality, I wouldn't change how I view the world, I wouldn't change how I act. I'm more concerned about making the world a better place, and making people happy!

I hope you enjoyed my piece! I hope to have some discussion with you!

In my particular case, I am under great financial distress because I was stupid with money.

No universe conspiring to teach me a lesson
No God or Devil testing me
No one else to blame.

That's cause and effect. That is the reason. Will meeting circumstance, rather than a puppet master in the sky.

Clouds have silver linings. Because we choose to see them. There is value in this (there is often also delusion, tread with care).
All things eventually pass. Yes, so does life. Eventually you will die, and peace, in one way or another, will come.

Having faith in oneself and knowing you can whether the storm is extremely important. Trusting someone else to do it for you... that is a recipe for disaster.

Lots of bad stuff out there. You will make it through. But you have to fight for it, until that final peace comes.