What Comes Around

Awhile ago I wrote a blog called the Karma Connection. This is a sequel to that one.

Sometimes when somebody does something bad to us we say that they are going to get theirs. We like to think that what comes around goes around. That makes us feel better. There really is no guarantee that someone will get their comeuppance. It’s like gambling. If you cheat someone and get away with it, that doesn’t mean you will get away with it a second time. Sure, if someone keeps cheating, it seems like they will eventually get caught, but the fact remains that each event is statistically mutually exclusive. This means that the probability of getting caught each time is independent of the last time they cheated someone. The things that normally bring somebody down are sloppy behavior and a big mouth.

You can’t control other people’s behavior. If someone blabs, another person may decide they want to even the score. That’s something a scammer can’t control. The bottom line is that most people who habitually lie, cheat, and steal eventually get sloppy and that’s what brings them down. It’s not that intelligent people don’t lie, cheat, and steal. Some of them do these things very well. It’s the hubris, pride, and arrogance of scammers that leads to their demise. A lot of these folks are proud of their behavior and they let other people know about it. Professional cheats and grift artists know that they need to keep a low profile. That means keeping their mouth shut.

Anyway, the intent of this blog isn’t to instruct you how to cheat people – it’s to get across the idea that some people will get caught and some people won’t. The mental state of scammers is also something to consider. A lot of them are extremely narcissistic. They don’t take responsibility for their actions. It’s not their fault that they take advantage of other people. They are victims themselves. You’ve probably run across people like this. The belief that guilt will get to them is unfounded. These folks have such intricate defense mechanisms that years of therapy might not even break down their web of rationalizations.

So, the idea that what goes around comes around may not hold for all people. Some people may not get caught. Wishing that these people will wake up one day with remorse in their hearts is also unfounded. These folks are so mentally convoluted that guilt and shame may never pentrate their psyches. We would be better off learning how to avoid predatory people. We should learn from our experiences, forget these crummy people, move on, and not look back. Sure, it feels good to see scammers “get theirs” but they aren’t even worth the time of day. They may get theirs but by that time you will be on with your life, being a better and stronger person. That’s something worth putting thought and effort into instead of wishing bad karma on lowlife people.