Everything happens for a reason?

A former boss of mine had a habit of saying— everything happens for a reason — and I’d sometimes think to myself — sometimes the reason is you’re an idiot. I know the saying and I know what people mean when they say it — learn from mistakes, see opportunity problems, when a door closes a window opens — all thesecome from that loveable, dramatic, and mysterious big-picture take on life. So is a reaction like mine too bogged down in details? I don’t think so. There’s another saying— the Devil’s in the details — and that’s where you want to be, that’s where the fight is.