"That's Karma!"

[blas87]

In other words, I don't think it means what you think it means.

If that didn't tickle your brain enough to make you say "Oh great, now what is our favorite idiot blonde ranting about?", I'll put it simply.

Lately, I've heard a lot of people calling things Karma, that I don't truly believe are.

Granted, I myself don't really know what karma is, or if it exists, or not. I do believe that good deeds do help. I also believe, though, that as part of free will, humans can and DO do what they want. And sometimes, there doesn't need to be these reprocussions that one of my coworkers always thinks is Karma.

I have a coworker, who is constantly referring to bad things happening to people Karma. Sometimes it's people she doesn't like, sometimes it's just because she thinks that a simple failed task or favor that wasn't done, means that Karma will get them.

We were just having a conversation about being willing to drive people home from the bar or something (I think I was referring to the night that my boyfriend and his friends went out, and I went to see Twilight with one coworker, and then out for a couple drinks with the coworker I'm referring to, and my boyfriend had asked if I'd take him and his friends back home later that night, but as it was, I was very tired, very full of food, already had a couple of drinks, and was 15 miles from home, his home was another 10 miles out of the way as it was.....I had planned on having girls' night *because it was guys night for him* and going back to my house), and coworker was disappointed that I didn't go get him that night. She was saying "I've known him for years. He would have taken you home in a heartbeat if it had been you. I ALWAYS go pick up anyone who needs a ride home anytime. It's Karma. Just remember if you don't do things like that for people, it will come back to you."

I got myself a little paranoid and asked my bf if he'd gotten upset with me. Granted, it's been weeks....he didn't even remember asking me for a ride home. He actually just wanted me to come spend the night, but understood that we'd already had seperate plans anyway, and found a different way home. So he'd never been upset.

The other friend didn't think that means I'm "doomed" for a beating from Karma, because there's nothing wrong with thinking of yourself and having your own plans and just wanting to go home, and she said she would have done the same thing if she were me.

I don't know, maybe that was a bad example, but I just don't like people slapping everything with a Karma label.

[TheHuckster]

Frankly, whether she said karma or not, it's really none of her business if you pick up your boyfriend or not. That's between him and you. I think she was out of bounds saying, in so many words, that you're a bad girlfriend.

I use the term "karma" occasionally, but hardly ever is it at someone's face, unless it were positive. On a sociological level, I believe in karma in the sense that if people as a whole are more generous, less petty, and did good things to others, even little things, it benefits society and in turn the person who did those good deeds. I don't consider it some cosmic spiritual "balance of nature" thing, but, simply, bettering someone else often inspires others to do the same. On the flip side, being miserable and being a prickly pear will also beget itself.

[siead_lietrathua]

most people do use it wrong, i think.
from my limited, unprofessional knowledge, karma effects you in the next reincarnation.
for something that effects you in a more immediate sense/ current life, the concept of Wyrd is more accurate, which is a heathen term.

[Gravekeeper]

Your friend seems to be confusing karma with social interaction. Of course if you do something bad to someone, they'll likely do something bad back or other people will treat you badly. Thats kind of a well durr cause and effect.

Karma, in the philosophical sense, doesn't resolve itself neatly inside of an hour. It's a multi-life process.

[HYHYBT]

As I understand it, at the least karma doesn't involve cause and effect in the usual sense.

[siead_lietrathua]

no, karma's more like good points compared to bad points when picking your next reincarnation. more good points the better, enough bad points and you get a worse lot. but it's nothing that happens in the current lifetime.
ie: rip someone off in this life and in the next life you might end up as a person low on the social caste, or enough shit built up, another species.
whereas wyrd is effective in this life. so, rip someone off for a couple hundred bucks, end up getting ripped off for a few thousand later.

[Nekojin]

The entire concept has been around for ages, and has many different constructions, but it all boils down to, "What goes around, comes around." Because it's such an intrinsic part of so many different ethos, it's easy to confuse different constructions of it. So, while you're technically correct that "karma" isn't really the right word for it, and yes, "wyrd" would be a better term, common usage has shifted it. In common usage, "karma" is simply "what goes around, comes around," in an easier-to-say package.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

I prefer saying "wyrd." It has a more ominous and "you'd best really be careful" tone to it than "karma" which - to me - has a kind of feel-good sentiment.

Yes. I'm weird.

[crashhelmet]

I always thought Wyrd was fate and/or destiny, not the "rewards" for ones actions.