This can lead people to believe that such events are controlled by supernatural agents.ДЇurthermore, our story-telling brains (left hemisphere language centers) have a natural proclivity for coherent stories-grand narratives with an overarching point and a satisfying end: things must happen for specific reasons, they must have a point. WeвЂ™re so adept at identifying patterns and deliberate intention that we overshoot, seeing meaningful patterns in meaningless вЂnoiseвЂ™ and attributing agency to inanimate objects and random natural events. These traits were likely favored by natural selection because of their survival value. We evolved these tendencies as social animals, to be very adept at recognizing purposeful, intentional action on the part of other people, as well as on the part of predators or prey. Human brains are pattern-seeking and agency-detecting. Humans are intentional agents who must detect and interpret the actions of other intentional agents. Things donвЂ™t happen for intended reasons unless of course theyвЂ™re caused by intentional agents-such as us.ДЄnd therein lies the reason why people think that random occurrences are planned. Our intuitions are at odds with the world according to science, which tells us that the universe is spontaneous and unguided.

The alternative belief, that life is random, is disquieting but can be emotionally liberating. I have found it difficult to predict whether religiously or spiritually inclined patients will be consoled or embittered by their faith in a purpose-driven universe when they experience tragedy and suffering. In my psychiatric practice, IвЂ™ve observed how this type of thinking can have powerful effects, both positive and negative, on motivation: it can be reassuring and comforting but can also lead to disillusionment, anguish, and feelings of abandonment, leaving some to ask, вЂWhy me?вЂ™ when cruel adversity happens. These sorts of beliefs are so widespread that we generally do not consider them irrational or bizarre. Subjective evidence can feel extremely compelling. Well, I think thatвЂ™s really sad, but everything happens for a reason.Many people go through life and face adversity, and believe that вЂeverything happens for a reasonвЂ™ or that things are вЂmeant to be.вЂ™ Many are certain that their lives are guided by a higher power-if not directly, then subtly and mysteriously-convinced that they see evidence of this in their life events. They werenвЂ™t really using me out there in Phoenix, and I feel like IвЂ™ll get a fair shot here.вЂќ вЂќ Obviously we would have liked to have had better success in the past, but everything happens for a reason I think.вЂќВќ вЂњ beyond disappointed,вЂќ she wrote, вЂњbut I told myself everything happens for a reason and there must be a lot of great reasons why this didnвЂ™t happen, and it just motivates me to do better in 2015.вЂќ I have come to the belief everything happens for a reason, even cruel and violent things. In these examples, the people who claim that everything happens for a reason obviously take comfort in the sentiment, but itвЂ™s not a convincing argument:

It is true that tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods happen for natural, earthly reasons, but notwithstanding the human need for comfort, there is no way to reconcile the random loss of life with morality. The most egregious instances of this phrase occur where people use it to dismiss senseless tragedies. Sometimes the reasons for things lie in unthinking, unemotional nature and have nothing to do with human truth. The statement that everything happens for a reason does not explain away randomness, and in fact itВ dismisses important truths about the senselessness of some events. Everything happens for a reason is a noble clichГ© that may provide comfort, but in logical discourse the assumption on which the statement is based is an example of the pathetic fallacy-that is, the attribution of human feelings and motives to inanimate nature.