it cant happen

Post Reply New Topic

Why do people say something cant happen, or something has to happen, , or something is impsosible when there are no law of physics that actally say it has to or cant happen? Maybe laws of country can be thrown in as well but that simply makes it illeagle,not impoosible

I have often wondered the same thing.

It is transformation of wishful/magic thinking into words: Like a kind of "secular prayer": Because I said it, it can't happen.

It may have at least two meanings
1) intuitive estimation of probability; it may be said in emotionally neutral manner
2) expression of own wishing (Dussel mentioned it); in this case the speech is often emotional

It's a way of dealing with adverse circumstances or the potential of them. If you tell yourself something can't happen or must happen, it helps you deal emotionally at the time. There is no logic and there isn't supposed to be. It's totally emotional.

indeed, people well humans like to think they have control and order over their own lives. Even though we live in a chaotic universe where anything can happen! However to most people this thought is terrifying especially if you delve into the reaches of dark matter, so most people say things like

"It can't happen" or whatever in order to bring a sense of order and stability into their lives

It's kind of nonliteral. It often means something close to "It's very improbable -- so improbable that you should stop thinking about it."