"Everything happens for a reason"

 I'm afraid its not the substance of the phrase above that I'm writing about today but rather the visceral antipathy that some people have toward the phrase. And also, the way that other phrases can really grind your gears in this way.

I'd say that one thing these phrases have in common is that you have heard them from the same person more than once in response to something that has happened, and the annoyance comes from frustration with the way that the speaker's mind works. 

The 'Everything happens for a reason' is annoying - only to some of us I admit -  because you can easily think of lots of things that have happened for no blooming reason at all and therefore make the response nonsense. And also, there is an implication of some higher force or karma, which cannot at all explain why that eejit in the Volvo pulled out in front of you. It distracts and minimizes what the responder has just been told, and seems like jaw exercise with no brain involvement. 

There are other phrases which have a similar effect on some people. I can think of the phrase 'It is what it is', which seems completely substance-free, unless I had genuinely wanted someone to make a little ontological present to me as a non-philosopher. They don't really mean 'It is what it is'; it is more like they are saying 'I told you so' or 'tough shit' or 'This is bad and nothing you can do will make it not bad'. But none of the responses seem helpful or kind. 

Here is another phrase: "I hear what you are saying". This phrase is deliberately intended to be annoying (and I confess to having used it in that way myself on occasions) because it falls short of 'Yes' or 'I understand' or 'I agree'. It is the most minimal response to another human who has a made a noise with their mouth which has got as far as your eardrums. It barely even admits that you have understood it, just that you have heard it. "Oh good, air still carries vibrations. That is something. " (you may forgive yourself for thinking)

A final phrase, with a bit more content admittedly, is the equally-irritating 'How long is a piece of string?'. If you haven't heard this, it is usually used when you have asked a perfectly-sensible question like 'How long does it take to fix this?' or 'What do I need to pay to buy a good x?' The implication is that the speaker knows more and knows more deeply than the naive questioner. But of course it doesn't even start to answer your actual question. I had a boss who asked a practical question in a project meeting, the production manager said "How long is a piece of string?" and my manager, without a pause or blush said "Whenever I hear that phrase, I know there's a wanker in the room". I was so proud of her.