As someone who recently was fired . . . you're right, it's not the end of the world. But it does make life very uncomfortable for a lot of reasons. You don't see work friends. You don't have the cash to do the things you once did. Searching for a job becomes your new job and going to interviews sucks. Writing 20 different versons of the same cover letter sucks. Filing for unemployment sucks. And the list goes on. It's not something I would wish upon someone unless they really deserved it.