Let's explore my creative writing class's collective reaction to this question.
While initially resistant to this prompt a student gave, I suspect a fair amount of thoughtful composition resulted. For my own response:
I have found that this is one of those questions that divides people based on what they are experiencing in their life. How many sports players have stood in vicoty during the Super Finals Cup World Bowl and echoed something akin to the statement "everything happens for a reason." Conversely, people who didn't get the job, didn't get the girl, didn't pass the test, didn't win are left wondering, why did this happen? As he watched his father die in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, Elie Wiesel didn't consider what ethereal purpose this might be serving.
People are just people. Autonomous creatures with little idea of what they want to do & endless possibilities of what they might do. Over time, people tend to gravitate towards what makes them feel good. Some people cannot see past short-sighted decisions that make them happy in the short term, but leaves them in the long term, perplexed about why these things are happening to them. Some people make decisions that may delay gratification, but lead to a more stable sense of contentment. And for most everyone stuff just happens and we deal with it as best we can. So it is that we continue, forward, once more unto the breach.
I have found that this is one of those questions that divides people based on what they are experiencing in their life. How many sports players have stood in vicoty during the Super Finals Cup World Bowl and echoed something akin to the statement "everything happens for a reason." Conversely, people who didn't get the job, didn't get the girl, didn't pass the test, didn't win are left wondering, why did this happen? As he watched his father die in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, Elie Wiesel didn't consider what ethereal purpose this might be serving.
People are just people. Autonomous creatures with little idea of what they want to do & endless possibilities of what they might do. Over time, people tend to gravitate towards what makes them feel good. Some people cannot see past short-sighted decisions that make them happy in the short term, but leaves them in the long term, perplexed about why these things are happening to them. Some people make decisions that may delay gratification, but lead to a more stable sense of contentment. And for most everyone stuff just happens and we deal with it as best we can. So it is that we continue, forward, once more unto the breach.