I agree, this is one of my most hated expressions. As someone who has had some pretty bad sh!t happen in my life, with no reason except for the randomness of genetics, I really cringe when I hear this. Thanks for making this comic.
Nofolloweroffashion says: “that’s your most political cartoon yet.”
Nah, it’s not really political at all. Rather it’s an observation that life is simply a series of events. There is no grand plan. No fate. No destiny. And sometimes shit happens.
Thanks for all the comments! I was this close to not posting this one. I wanted to get a little Voltaire but half way through making the comic it literally made me sick. Normally I’m pretty ends-justify-the-means as far as art goes but I really questioned whether or not a comic with 7 dead children in it should even exist. Then I saw a popular talk show host deliver this bit of “wisdom” to a grieving mother and said fuck it.
Never had someone say this awful apology for being a caring, human being to me. I’ll hope I’ll never have to hear it – then I’ll have chosen my friends right.
Thank you for this… I like many others despise this saying because it attempts to make one look for good in bad events, but its the bad that needs the attention.
Really glad your comic is receiving so much attention b. You definitely deserve it. I hope that your summer will be relaxing and filled with plenty of free time for all my favorites (always hungry for some more Onan, Curious, or es&d) or maybe Mann/Meenie will be the comic to expand on (it’s just starting to get good) or perhaps you will grace us with brand new art/stories/comics.
Let’s just say, I’m always excited when I type “a” in my browser. I really enjoy your work and am ever grateful that you have it online. Thanks a bunch,
Jonny Paycheck
yeah, everything happens for a reason. There are violent, well armed and funded gangs in Africa because we fund them with foreign aid, which includes military training and equipment. There are rich corporatists who profit in a field where the government has established barriers to entry, giving an unearned advantage to the corporatists. As long as the government says they have the right to use violence but the public does not, especially not in self defense against the government, we will have this kind of predation. As long as people think that it’s ethical to vote to take money from the able (by force) and give it to the unable, we will have this kind of predation. People can hate the phrase, but that just shows their inability to deal with reality.
“People can hate the phrase, but that just shows their inability to deal with reality.”
It is in fact, people who use this phrase that conveniently sweeps the complicated reality around it away. It’s more or less an irony the way most people use this phrase.
obviously everything happens for a reason – there is always cause and effect. But when people say this phrase, they generally mean everything happens for a GOOD reason – that somehow even totally bad things have some underlying “good” cause that we just can’t see. That’s what I hate – the idea that my son has to be tortured with numerous surgeries still to be left with life long disabilities because it fits in to some grand scheme of goodness.
This is one of my families favorite pat answers to everything. I want to print up a bunch these and staple it to their fucking foreheads every time they say it from now on!
I love this so much. This is really just great, and I’m so glad I google that I hated this expression, haha.
I’m using a lot of restraint to not send it to everyone I know that regularly uses this phrase. Oddly enough, the people I know who do use this phrase have never experienced any tragedy past the top three pictures. No cancer, no death of a child, no starvation, etc. The people who I know who have experienced things like that would never be caught dead saying that expression (no pun intended given the comic).
“Matt, I think you got it exactly backwards.
It is in fact, people who use this phrase that conveniently sweeps the complicated reality around it away. It’s more or less an irony the way most people use this phrase.”
Exactly. People who use this phrase either like to think that bad things happen as a part of some “greater good” or they like to use it as a way to wash their hands of any responsibility they may have had in the bad event occuring. So yes, like Ryan said, you’ve got it backwards. The people who use this phrase are not dealing with reality, they are merely relaying their problems to some higher being or fate/destiny.
Matt, you’ve given two examples that clearly have an identifiable cause and effect. However, you’ve conveniently left out examples that are less defined. What about a child who gets cancer? Where’s the cause behind that? What about a woman who does everything “right” in her pregnancy but still loses the child? Where’s the cause behind that? To hide behind an expression such as “everything happens for a reason” just doesn’t seem justified to me nor does it seem like the people who use it are in tune with reality.
That’s called reality if you don’t like do something…like actually get off your ass and help change society cause all those cartoon boxes go on around the world every second of everyday! The artist is doing nothing but allowing us to see the controversy world wide.
As a nihilist, I actually believe that things are pretty random. Obviously, there is undeniable causality of things, but at first I thought you were going to make a point about how people attribute everything that happens to God or some divine plan or fate, where there is in fact NO reason for any of it. But at the end, I saw you were going a completely different direction than that, but i rather liked that point too.
Kudos from Australia mate, I love your comics. Never stop making them, this is one of the greatest images I have ever seen. Your comic about your actual website, discussing solipsism and the isolation we feel in life spoke to me on an deep level. best wishes bro
My religion is: everything happens for a reason. I don’t use it as a sympathy gesture, or a halfhearted apology. I don’t use it to ignore reality, or convince people to see the silver lining in a tragic event. What it means to me, is that each and every event in my life, minor and major, has brought me to the exact place I am in this exact moment. Wherever I may be at 10pm tomorrow will be exactly where I am meant to be, and the events between now and then are going to get me there. Nothing to do with fate or destiny. Just who and how and when I am meant to be. I’ve experienced my fair share of tragedies. Lost my virginity while passed out from my first alcohol experience at age 15. That event, while seemingly nonsensical at the time, set into motion thousands of large and small events that, without them occuring, I wouldn’t be ME today. Had it not happened, I would not have my beautiful son, or my loving fiance’e. I can list a million more ‘terrible’ events in my life that were necessary in order to lead me down this path I am meant to follow. They didn’t make sense at the time, but now I see that they gave me my greatest joy, my baby boy, my light, my everything. I wouldn’t change a single thing, because I can clearly see the impact every single event had on the path I am on. Perhaps you all hate the phrase because you simply don’t understand the incredible meaning and truth behind it. It’s a way to ACCEPT reality as it is, without overthinking it and becoming unnecessarily depressed about small things. (However, in extreme events, depression IS necessary depending on the person, but even the depression is shaping your future.) It makes life more beautiful, and less frightening. No regrets, but learning of cause and effect. No doubts, for every move you make is the move you’re meant to. Try it sometime. Who knows, maybe the reason I jumped on StumbleUpon and it took me to this page was to cause me to write this post, because perhaps somebody who needs this light in their life will happen upon it.
That’s your most political cartoon yet.
HASA DIGA EEBOWAI!!!
deep.
I hate that fucking expression… so, I obviously loved this comic
I love your work mate. The last panel in this strip is perfect.
I shorten my version to just “Everything happens.”
Most excellent. Like “Dude”, I hate that expression. WHAT fucking reason? Don’t give me that crap about fate or destiny.
Loved this one.
cheers,
Phil
Tough to read, but as it should be. The message was on point
I like where this is going…
I agree, this is one of my most hated expressions. As someone who has had some pretty bad sh!t happen in my life, with no reason except for the randomness of genetics, I really cringe when I hear this. Thanks for making this comic.
Oh my, this is fine work.
I like this classic es&d approach. Repetition on the same theme really drives the point home.
Nofolloweroffashion says: “that’s your most political cartoon yet.”
Nah, it’s not really political at all. Rather it’s an observation that life is simply a series of events. There is no grand plan. No fate. No destiny. And sometimes shit happens.
P.s. Great work b.patrick.
Thanks for all the comments! I was this close to not posting this one. I wanted to get a little Voltaire but half way through making the comic it literally made me sick. Normally I’m pretty ends-justify-the-means as far as art goes but I really questioned whether or not a comic with 7 dead children in it should even exist. Then I saw a popular talk show host deliver this bit of “wisdom” to a grieving mother and said fuck it.
This has become fairly popular on reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/hdojn/when_you_hear_someone_say_everything_happens_for/
This IS the bet of all possible worlds.
And what is a life without personal narrative?
This is awesome!
Good. Better. Best.
Never had someone say this awful apology for being a caring, human being to me. I’ll hope I’ll never have to hear it – then I’ll have chosen my friends right.
Thank you for this… I like many others despise this saying because it attempts to make one look for good in bad events, but its the bad that needs the attention.
Really glad your comic is receiving so much attention b. You definitely deserve it. I hope that your summer will be relaxing and filled with plenty of free time for all my favorites (always hungry for some more Onan, Curious, or es&d) or maybe Mann/Meenie will be the comic to expand on (it’s just starting to get good) or perhaps you will grace us with brand new art/stories/comics.
Let’s just say, I’m always excited when I type “a” in my browser. I really enjoy your work and am ever grateful that you have it online. Thanks a bunch,
Jonny Paycheck
Everything does happen for a reason. The reason doesn’t have to be restrictively good. We live in an amoral world.
yeah, everything happens for a reason. There are violent, well armed and funded gangs in Africa because we fund them with foreign aid, which includes military training and equipment. There are rich corporatists who profit in a field where the government has established barriers to entry, giving an unearned advantage to the corporatists. As long as the government says they have the right to use violence but the public does not, especially not in self defense against the government, we will have this kind of predation. As long as people think that it’s ethical to vote to take money from the able (by force) and give it to the unable, we will have this kind of predation. People can hate the phrase, but that just shows their inability to deal with reality.
Matt, I think you got it exactly backwards.
“People can hate the phrase, but that just shows their inability to deal with reality.”
It is in fact, people who use this phrase that conveniently sweeps the complicated reality around it away. It’s more or less an irony the way most people use this phrase.
obviously everything happens for a reason – there is always cause and effect. But when people say this phrase, they generally mean everything happens for a GOOD reason – that somehow even totally bad things have some underlying “good” cause that we just can’t see. That’s what I hate – the idea that my son has to be tortured with numerous surgeries still to be left with life long disabilities because it fits in to some grand scheme of goodness.
This is one of my families favorite pat answers to everything. I want to print up a bunch these and staple it to their fucking foreheads every time they say it from now on!
I love this so much. This is really just great, and I’m so glad I google that I hated this expression, haha.
I’m using a lot of restraint to not send it to everyone I know that regularly uses this phrase. Oddly enough, the people I know who do use this phrase have never experienced any tragedy past the top three pictures. No cancer, no death of a child, no starvation, etc. The people who I know who have experienced things like that would never be caught dead saying that expression (no pun intended given the comic).
“Matt, I think you got it exactly backwards.
It is in fact, people who use this phrase that conveniently sweeps the complicated reality around it away. It’s more or less an irony the way most people use this phrase.”
Exactly. People who use this phrase either like to think that bad things happen as a part of some “greater good” or they like to use it as a way to wash their hands of any responsibility they may have had in the bad event occuring. So yes, like Ryan said, you’ve got it backwards. The people who use this phrase are not dealing with reality, they are merely relaying their problems to some higher being or fate/destiny.
Matt, you’ve given two examples that clearly have an identifiable cause and effect. However, you’ve conveniently left out examples that are less defined. What about a child who gets cancer? Where’s the cause behind that? What about a woman who does everything “right” in her pregnancy but still loses the child? Where’s the cause behind that? To hide behind an expression such as “everything happens for a reason” just doesn’t seem justified to me nor does it seem like the people who use it are in tune with reality.
Threw up in my mouth a little…
I didn’t dislike this comic. I also didnt particularly enjoy it… It’s just one of those truths you have to accept.
The reason these things happens is Satan.
the reason these things happen is not Satan, or any other figment of your imagination, it is so the few can control the many.
wow
That’s called reality if you don’t like do something…like actually get off your ass and help change society cause all those cartoon boxes go on around the world every second of everyday! The artist is doing nothing but allowing us to see the controversy world wide.
I agree, everything happens for a reason. What a sad reality you put in there 🙁
As a nihilist, I actually believe that things are pretty random. Obviously, there is undeniable causality of things, but at first I thought you were going to make a point about how people attribute everything that happens to God or some divine plan or fate, where there is in fact NO reason for any of it. But at the end, I saw you were going a completely different direction than that, but i rather liked that point too.
The other annoying phrase is “God has a plan”.
But ultimately we’re all dead anyway.
Kudos from Australia mate, I love your comics. Never stop making them, this is one of the greatest images I have ever seen. Your comic about your actual website, discussing solipsism and the isolation we feel in life spoke to me on an deep level. best wishes bro
My religion is: everything happens for a reason. I don’t use it as a sympathy gesture, or a halfhearted apology. I don’t use it to ignore reality, or convince people to see the silver lining in a tragic event. What it means to me, is that each and every event in my life, minor and major, has brought me to the exact place I am in this exact moment. Wherever I may be at 10pm tomorrow will be exactly where I am meant to be, and the events between now and then are going to get me there. Nothing to do with fate or destiny. Just who and how and when I am meant to be. I’ve experienced my fair share of tragedies. Lost my virginity while passed out from my first alcohol experience at age 15. That event, while seemingly nonsensical at the time, set into motion thousands of large and small events that, without them occuring, I wouldn’t be ME today. Had it not happened, I would not have my beautiful son, or my loving fiance’e. I can list a million more ‘terrible’ events in my life that were necessary in order to lead me down this path I am meant to follow. They didn’t make sense at the time, but now I see that they gave me my greatest joy, my baby boy, my light, my everything. I wouldn’t change a single thing, because I can clearly see the impact every single event had on the path I am on. Perhaps you all hate the phrase because you simply don’t understand the incredible meaning and truth behind it. It’s a way to ACCEPT reality as it is, without overthinking it and becoming unnecessarily depressed about small things. (However, in extreme events, depression IS necessary depending on the person, but even the depression is shaping your future.) It makes life more beautiful, and less frightening. No regrets, but learning of cause and effect. No doubts, for every move you make is the move you’re meant to. Try it sometime. Who knows, maybe the reason I jumped on StumbleUpon and it took me to this page was to cause me to write this post, because perhaps somebody who needs this light in their life will happen upon it.
Back in the 1970s there was another great phrase.
Consume, be silent, die.