Fairly recently, in my math history class, I’ve heard a wild tale about Pythagoras, how he had a cult, was essentially Mr. Ancient Worldwide™, and believed in karma (actually some version of it but still).

I zoned out for the rest of the class thinking about it. Not the reincarnation part of it, but the very simple, straight forward idea we hear everyday that good people get good things, and bad people get punished.

I thought about it. I thought about it more and concluded:

That is such bogus.

100% USDA-approved organic nonsense.

Karma does NOT exist.

The afterlife bit, I’m not concerned about very much in this instance. What I’m here to disprove is the utterly goofy idea that somehow, through good or bad actions in life we get something in this physical world.

It is naïve and silly to claim that if I were to steal all profits made at a cancer charity tomorrow, that somehow the universe or God will find a way to reprimand me. Moreover, were I to donate a sum of ten thousand dollars to the same cancer charity tomorrow, I wouldn’t have some kind of extra special credit with God- that’s just not how life works.

More than that- this quasi-meritocratic belief implies that people hit with the most tragic circumstances say someone after living for fifty years with no qualms suddenly gets hit with a divorce and loses all of their life savings, deserve what happens to them.

That’s insulting. That’s idealistic. That’s rubbish.

Any good behavior on my part won’t mean anything in this world. It might mean something to me, it might someone’s life better. But in no way should I think that even a morsel of positivity I put out into the world will come back to me.

What goes around doesn't always come around, and positivity and 'good vibes' isn't a boomerang that the inspirational poster in your college dorm claims to be.

If I am to commit some terrible act, the only reason I’d get punished by anyone is if I get caught, NOT because of some cosmic Batman. After all, look at the many world governments and the wealthy corporations who can essentially commit mass murder and get away with it- there’s no karma, and has been no karma to punish them in the history of the world.

Whatever you believe in, in my case God, isn’t a policeman or the IRS. Not in a sense that people try to paint it/Him as.

Nothing I’ll ever do will ever be held against me or for me. If I can get away with it, I can do virtually anything I please. What comes next, and what it does to my soul and conscience is a completely different story, a story that’s not important today.

Moreover, to think that whenever something fortunate happens to one is because of the "vibes" he or she has put out is a little bit of an ego boost, and nothing else. Being a positive and a good person doesn't change what exists in the world already- only your outlook on it.

That said, stay humble. More importantly than that, stay good. Not because the world is gonna give you anything in return, but because it's the right thing to do.