This is literally a question about karma, as it is used in casual conversation, and not corresponding to Indian ideas of rebirth (an element of faith that is impossible for living beings to prove right or wrong).
I have wracked my brain (Michael's too), but haven't come up with a single incidence in history (aside from apocryphal tales) where something bad (aside from matters of disease or legal consequences, like imprisonment or execution) has befallen a person who did something really rotten to a person or to a group of people.
I know that I am not alone when I like to believe that the laws of literature ring true to the laws of life, but every instance of poetic justice or "just desserts" I can come up with is either a matter of fiction or a matter of belief (as written in religious texts).
So, dear blog reader, please give this matter a bit of thought, and if you come up with something that you have experienced in real life, please share it in the comments. And please stay away from matters of religious belief or faith.
Just for the record, I have known people who have done lousy things, have learned from their mistakes, and have worked to become better people through therapy, learning experiences, support from friends or family, or through music, literature, or art. Those examples are everywhere. Thank goodness.
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As much as I want to believe in karma, I’m stuck trying to find a satisfying example of it in real life. Here’s a counter-example:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15391727/Bashar-al-Assads-new-life-Moscow-playing-PlayStation-games-brushing-ophthalmology-living-luxury-apartment-away-outside-world-falling-Putin.html
Yup. People who subscribe to this notion of "karma" which is far from the original meaning in Hinduism and Buddhism which has to do with natural consequences (entirely different) unfortunately have the delusion of a just world. Wonderful blog post, Elaine!
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