Karma means that our actions accumulate imaginary good and bad points, which we eventually cash out. While we can find anecdotal evidence this is true, it can also be a major source of anxiety. The expectations usually don’t match reality.
Let’s imagine, for a moment, that karma exists in two forms:
- Positive Karma – You do something good and receive an unrelated reward.
- Negative Karma – You do something bad and get penalized in an unrelated way.
Negative Karma
FAFO (F*** Around and Find Out) undeniably exists—actions have consequences, sometimes immediate and harsh. Speeding increases your chances of a crash. Drinking and driving can still get you pulled over and your car taken. FAFO.
The idea of negative karma assumes that good and bad karma points don’t cancel each other out. You can save an abandoned kitten, put it in your car, then drink and drive—and FAFO will produce the same result, regardless of your earlier good deed. The kitten might even increase the odds of a crash.
The problem with believing in negative karma is that life constantly hits us with setbacks. Small ones, big ones, unexpected ones. Was that bad news today caused by my road rage last night? Probably not. A lot of what happens to us is random. Believing in karma can make us assume responsibility for things completely unrelated to our actions, which can be mentally exhausting.
Positive Karma
The reverse-FAFO is even more suspicious-the idea that doing good leads to good things happening to us.
Giving money to a beggar might make us feel great. But was it truly a “good” act? Maybe, maybe not. Then, five minutes later, something positive happens. Was it caused by our kindness, or was it just coincidence? Likely the latter. Most good deeds don’t trigger rewards, and many aren’t even really good.
This positive karma idea ties to a cognitive distortion called “Heaven’s Reward Fallacy”—the belief that if we put in effort and do good, we are guaranteed a positive outcome. Sometimes, yes. But just as often, the opposite happens.
People have understood this for thousands of years. In Bulgaria, there’s a saying: “Do good and throw it behind your back.” In other words, do good without expecting a reward. Some of that is also in the Bible (Matthew 6:1-4). The biblical positive karma exists as long as you do your good deeds in secrecy.
Do I Believe in Karma?
I believe we should be kind and understanding toward each other—not because the universe will reward us, but because life is tough. The only way to make it tolerable is if we all make an effort and help each-other.
So, do I believe in karma? No. But I do believe in the principles behind it: We should hold ourselves to a high standard, take responsibility for our actions, and strive to do good—without expecting the universe to pay us back.
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