Ask Blue_Nose

'Ask Blue_Nose' recently received this question:

"does karma actually exist?"

This is a great question to kick off the segment, as it raises several issues which could use some addressing. Metaphysics is an area in which I am particularly an expert.

First of all, I'm going to assume you're referring to the bastardized Western concept of Karma, which basically the idea that 'good' actions will reap rewards, and similarly that 'bad' actions will reap punishment. The original Hindu concept is a tad more complex, but not particularly relevant nor worth discussing here. I'm also going to assume this discussion will be detached from religious concepts of sin, Heaven, and Hell - I have no interest in even bothering with that can of worms today, though the ideas are inherently related.

The whole notion of Karma is rather appealing: we want to believe that life is fair; that our actions will not go unnoticed, our good intentions overlooked. Throughout our childhood, we are taught fables and fairy tales that tell of good deeds resulting in miraculous rewards, and we've all received the chain emails preaching the same. Whether one chooses to believe in Karma or not, the sense of need for 'fairness' is ingrained in all of us.

We use this concept to motivate ourselves to be better members of society, so in a superficial sense it's not entirely a poor belief to uphold. However, I feel it is a fundamentally disingenuous and misleading belief to promote, and that's why I won't condone the belief in Karma here.

The simple proof against this belief is the innumerable situations we see every day that go against the basic tenets of Karma - that is, that good people get screwed and bad people get lucky. The old cliché, 'good guys finish last', is a much more reliable, albeit grim, outlook on life. The second obvious argument against Karma is that it assumes there is a universal set of morals to abide by, which obviously is incorrect - if terrorists really believe that blowing people up is the right thing to do, how is that reflected by Karma?

So if we can rationally say that Karma is bullshit (have I answered your question yet?) should we all say "do unto others, my ass!"? Even a cursory consideration of the true value of being a decent person renders this question irrelevant.

The fact is, you don't deserve anything for being a decent person - while rewards are obviously apparent, they are a product of a society functioning together with common interests, and not some supernatural report card. 'Karma' is really just a manifestation of the fear we have in trusting those around us (we need that guarantee), and dressing it up to be something else beyond our control is misleading and plain wrong.

As I can see that continuing this response will really only open up more questions, I'll leave you to ponder these thoughts. If they indeed provoked more questions, you know where to find me!