# Karma **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 20, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707 "2013-08-20T13:08:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![the\_O](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@the\_O](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_O)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/1 "2013-08-20T13:08:29Z")
Which one is it? A.) What comes around, goes around. Or… B.) What goes around, comes around. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/2 "2013-08-20T13:25:55Z")
Karma is not a bumper sticker. The concept is much more complex than that. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/3 "2013-08-20T13:30:06Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Karma is not a bumper sticker. The concept is much more complex than that. Nice reply, even if it does lose you Karmaic points. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/4 "2013-08-20T13:36:15Z")
I would probably pick B. That phrasing reinforces the notion that karma starts with your own actions ‘going’ out into the world, and then the impact of those actions, the good or the bad, ‘come’ back to your own life. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/5 "2013-08-20T13:43:14Z")
Yeah. “comes aroud, goes around” is childish. It absolves the sayer of personal responsibility for their own actions. Round and round With love we’ll find a way just give it time ---
**Author:** ![Stana\_Claus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stana_claus/32/13874_2.png) [@Stana\_Claus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stana_Claus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/6 "2013-08-20T13:45:37Z")
How about “As you sow, so shall you reap”? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/7 "2013-08-20T13:54:48Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/8 "2013-08-20T17:28:52Z")
Definitely “What goes around, comes around.” The other way makes no sense. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/9 "2013-08-20T17:33:39Z")
My Karma ran over your Dogma. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/10 "2013-08-20T17:34:08Z")
“What goes around comes around” is an admonishment to good behavior. “What comes around goes around” is a threat. Neither needs a comma. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/11 "2013-08-20T18:35:36Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > My Karma ran over your Dogma. Stop that! Or I’ll have to give you such a pinch! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/12 "2013-08-20T18:51:46Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Karma is not a bumper sticker. That would make a great bumper sticker. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/13 "2013-08-20T19:02:47Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Neither needs a comma. What comma round, Goa round. No, I have no idea what that means. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/14 "2013-08-20T19:04:50Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > What comma round, Goa round. > > No, I have no idea what that means. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/15 "2013-08-20T19:10:17Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > What comma round, Goa round. > > No, I have no idea what that means. Consider it carefully and you may yet be ready for the next koan. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/16 "2013-08-20T19:18:32Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Consider it carefully and you may yet be ready for the next koan. I’m ready for the Koan Of Silence at this point. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/17 "2013-08-20T19:24:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’m ready for the Koan Of Silence at this point. It’s summertime, so I am going for an I Scream Koan later. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/18 "2013-08-20T19:38:32Z")
> [@the\_O](#): > > Which one is it? > > A.) What comes around, goes around. > > Or… > > B.) What goes around, comes around. Either way. It’s imaginary so it can mean whatever you want it to mean. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/19 "2013-08-20T20:04:34Z")
I believe the philosopher and thinker Homer\* said it best… “You can’t sell it! Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos.” \*Simpson ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707/20 "2013-08-20T20:31:05Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > I believe the philosopher and thinker Homer\* said it best… > > “You can’t sell it! Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos.” > > \*Simpson I was thinking of that scene in connection with this thread too! IMHO Homer was confusing logical levels in this context. (As he so often does. 😉 ) Apu wasn’t actually trying to sell Homer karma, he just wanted Homer to ‘buy into’ the concept of karma so Homer would understand why Apu needed to do him a good deed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karma/666707.md?page=2)