# Karma: the pure horseshit concept

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma-the-pure-horseshit-concept/796783>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 20, 2017, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma-the-pure-horseshit-concept/796783 "2017-09-20T04:02:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\
**Post date:** [September 21, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma-the-pure-horseshit-concept/796783/41 "2017-09-21T19:15:08Z")

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> [@GargoyleWB](#):
>
> I’ve rationalized karmic principles as being more societal, rather than individual. Undoubtedly, the great works that the subject woman did through her life spawned benefits, happiness, and betterment to others in the ‘pay it forward sense’. The individualistic tit-for-tat fallacy arises when karmic influence is expected to transcend direct functional cause-effect mechanisms.
> 
> Ugh, that’s an awkward description…
> 
> …What I mean by that is that there is no mechanism for a good deed done in societal relationships to have a resultant effect in whether or not a blood clot appears in some random place in your body. You’re just looking for the karmic effects good or bad, in the wrong place.

Your restatement is more concise, but your first paragraph isn’t what I’d call “awkward” - both of them work for me.

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**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2017, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma-the-pure-horseshit-concept/796783/42 "2017-09-22T03:21:58Z")

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> [@drad\_dog](#):
>
> When you point at something and start jumping up and down and piling on about how it doesn’t exist it says more about you than the universe. And that’s what Karma is about. But you need to wait to see it.

riiiiiiiight my view of (Big) karma will result in the big comeuppance - got it.

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