Do you believe in Karma?

[LooseCard]

I believe in Karma too... for what it's worth.

I try to be the better person, always helpful. And no, I don't take true pleasure in someone else's misfortune.



I had 'one of them' accidents in 2006. I stopped work on my Van because if they came back to re-assess the 'further damage' they would have totalled it and given me pennies in value. Thought that it was good karma, that I was actually getting full value on my discounted purchase.

I spent 6 months with decreased activity, months of trips to the physical therapy only to be followed with a few more months with chiropractics. (I'm not actually complaining...) And ended up gaining 100 pounds, after just having lost 80+, from becoming sedintary.
Now, two years later, my case is having issues because my lawyer screwed up. He has informed me that I may be forced to bring suit against him, due to this error, in order to get anything for my troubles.

Not that I'm eager or money-grubbing, but I was hoping for a nice down-payment on a house, and get out from being under someone else's thumb.

The Karma in this, you ask? He was required to inform me, and his 'malpractice' insurance company told him 'it was in his best interest to settle with me' on the case.

[hotreds]

You reap what you sow I certainly do believe!

If we are talking about whether we believe in Karma or not (as opposed to offering empathy to the bad turn of events affecting BlueFace)....

Then I would have to further clarify:

I am willing to believe in "Karma" as the predictible consequences of one's own actions while interacting with the world through (mal)adaptive behaviours. Sure, you treat people in a crappy way and people will return the favour once they come to recognize your behaviour (no one helps you out of your misfortune when they recognize that you relish in other's misfortune). Or, you run through life in a wreckless pattern and the consequences of doing so wil catch up to you (like getting a ticket because you choose not to renew your license plate, or you get in more car accidents because you drive carelessly/selfishly). I would accept "what goes around comes around" in those circumstances.

But, to believe that somehow we are cosmicly accelerated towards a fate of deserved (but not directly related in a "cause and effect" fashion) consequences? I wouldn't accept that. The concept is too internally non-consistent to use to predict or rationalize events in our lives.

For BlueFace to say this guy "had it coming" and accept that as Karma, but to not look at LooseCard's misfortune as a form of Karma for his own misdoings? This is internally-inconsistent. It is for this reason (amongst others) that I would not believe in some mystical Karma. Bad things happen, good things happen. Whether it affects "good" people or "bad" people or anyone at all is governed by much more trivial and unrelated factors, not whether or not "it is deserved". Also, remember most "good" people have their "bad" moments, and if that was all that you had to reference them by, you would leave with the "bad" impression.

And remember:

When I evaluate your actions, by default I count them as a product of your person. But, when I evaluate my own actions, by default, I count them as a product of my environment. How easy we change the nature of motivation and circumstance simply by changing our vantage point.

Cheers

John

Originally Posted by hotreds

You reap what you sow I certainly do believe!