Lately I've noticed a number of posters mention the notion of "karma". I have also noticed that alot of strippers seem to believe in it. To me the notion of karma is a pretty ridiculous, and, as happens to me here often, I am at a loss as to whether people who talk about it are just using light-hearted and figuartively, or if they actually, literally beleive in it. (Strippers, OTOH, I have no problem beleiving beleive in it literally.)
As I say the notion seem absurd to me. First of all I don't think the universe itself has any notions of "good" and "bad". I beleive these are entirely man-made construct. All the universe "knows" about is matter/energy and laws governing its "motion" (to use informal language, since I don't feel like getting into the formal terms from physics). So given that the universe not only does not "know" or "care" about "good" and "bad", it certainly is not keeping score of these things and making sure everything balances out in the end. If someone can provide a definition of "good" and "bad" and how the laws of physics are able to distinguish them, and keep track and balance it out, please let me know, but until then the very idea of it seems patently absurd to me!
Now I certainly realize that people who do things that are widely regarded as "bad" (e.g. rob banks) do have to consider the consequence of their actions. The police might be after them, or vigilantes, or people they tell, etc. In certain cases their own superegos might be after them and lead them to do self-destructive things because the person did something the superego thought was bad. Also, of course, they might cut themselves off from certain paths down the line by choosing one thing today. That all makes sense. But what I do not beleive is that if no one else knows, or they get away from those who do, and their own superego doesn't bother them, that some day some "bad" thing will inexplicably happen to them - like they are walking down the strip and a jet engine drops on their head, but leaves everyone and everything around completely unharmed.
So in what sense to do those who site "karma" here, beleive in it?
Just as a quick follow up. I beleive "karma" is wishful thinking - people would like it to be this way, so just beleive that it is, even though there is no evidence to support. It is a slight step up from Christianity (maybe) but is nearly as mystical a belief, IMO.