[nplusone]

Perhaps the most irritating aspect of the phrase "everything happens for a reason" is that it is a truism from a scientific point of view. Of course, everything happens for a reason. But the phrase is usually meant to imply that a higher power has a reason for causing events, and that there is a reason in a cosmic sense for events to happen, as if they were part of a larger plan designed specifically for you, the victim.

[bad_user]

The other variation would be that "God has a plan", which is ironic since, philosophically speaking if there is a God, it is impossible to know how He thinks or acts. Even answering if this statement is true or false would mean that we are Gods ourselves.

The correct version would be "God works in mysterious ways".

Also, "everything happens for a reason" is a truism in the sense that every action has a reaction, but otherwise if you replace "reason" with "purpose" it fails the falsifiability test.

[hoprocker]

> Perhaps the most irritating aspect of the phrase "everything happens for a reason" > is that it is a truism from a scientific point of view

I see where you're going (and you're responding directly to the stated pointless platitude), but I'd inject here consideration about using "reason" vs using "cause"; more specifically, "reason" suggests to me something intended, whereas "cause" says that something happened that led to this happened, personal intents aside. </twocents>