Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

[Placebo]

I've been asking myself that question forever...and I still don't have a clue. :shrug:

[McKenzie]

1. bad Karma man...

all the bad shit you did in the previous lives...explains why I get so much shit in my otherwise exemplary life...

[AlienGirl]

11. Karma doesn't work that way

The best evidence suggests that "karma" is a tendency of people with emotional attachments to re-encounter each other. I have seen no evidence that karma in any way rewards good behavior or punishes bad behavior.

It's like gravity or the strong nuclear force.

Tucker

[McKenzie]

17. we're getting into scary territory

without wishing to introduce god via the back door there's more to this than meets the eye. Eastern mystical tradition has much to teach us westerners. It even has applications in explaining quantum mechanics. Karma....interesting stuff.

But it's waaay past my bedtime so best I shut my gob. (late o'clock in Scotia)

[AlienGirl]

21. I'm not scared

And I'm basically relying on anecdotal data, supplemented by a giant tome by Ian Stevenson.

Tucker

[UncleSepp]

38. Boogety boogety !

So that's why you keep showing up? :-P

[AlienGirl]

40. Okay, NOW I'm scared!

:-P

[UncleSepp]

47. I'll give you a ten minute head start...

... and then I'm comin' to your door! Muhahahaha!!

[AlienGirl]

48. EeeeeeeeEEEEeeeeek!

I'll...I'll...POKE you! POKEY TRAUMA!

[UncleSepp]

49. I lied about the ten minutes :-D n/t

[AlienGirl]

51. POKE!

[UncleSepp]

46. Pretty sure that's not it

I'm pretty confident a person can royally screw up in their past and have an ordinary, shit-free life regardless. If you find yourself receiving more shit than you think you should, maybe you're standing at the wrong end of the cow.

[AlienGirl]

50. I second that opinion

I don't think life metes out shit in proportion to what a person has done. Particularly not what a person did in prior incarnations.

Tucker

[flamingyouth]

2. There's a great book out there with that same title

It's by Rabbi Harold Kushner. I've probably read it three times, and I think it's one of those books every house should have.

His son died at age 14, which is what prompted him to ask this very question.

[madison2000]

28. Actually I think its "when" bad things happen to good people

Subtle difference, but nobody knows WHY.

[flamingyouth]

34. Ah, you're quite right

And I should certainly know that, as it's been sitting on my end table for the past few months. :D

[AlCzervik]

3. When my Mom was dying from terminal cancer at the age of 44 i asked

myself and everyone i know that many times and nobody ever had a good answer.

[CarbonDate]

4. Why wouldn't they?

Tell me why bad things logically wouldn't happen to good people, and I might be able to answer better. The question doesn't make any sense to me.

[knowbody0]

5. some say

it is the karma of your ancestors you pay for, rather than your past life experience. think about all the people that came before you so that you could become you, that their blood runs through you, that they in some way live within you.

[medeak]

6. shit happens

and it never stops. That's why old people get good at dealing with loss.

One can't look at life that way.. just live it. After enough shit happens you start looking at how good you have it.

[JohnKleeb]

7. I dunno

Its a good question though.

[AlienGirl]

8. Randomness and entropy

The way the universe runs, the odds of bad things happening are always greater than the odds of good things happening.

The trick is to find a meaning to ascribe to it and make it appear to make sense...

Tucker

[nytemare]

18. Good way to express it!

Poop happens, or randomness and entropy, these are the realities of life.

[JVS]

9. Since when are there good people?

[AlienGirl]

26. Actually there aren't "good" and "bad" people

Just people, doing good or bad things.

Tucker

[Benhurst]

10. Probably for the same reason

good things happen to bad people.

[AlienGirl]

14. Good things happen to bad people because bad people cheat

Bad people cheat to get good things, so they get them at a disproportionately high rate.

Tucker

[Skittles]

12. how about when a LOT OF BAD THINGS happen to good people

I feel like I've been piled on big time. :(

[Placebo]

13. And does "Good" always triumph over "Evil"?

I'm not so sure.

[AlienGirl]

15. Probably not, at least not in the short term

In geologic time, over eons and many lifetimes, maybe...

Tucker

[BurtWorm]

19. Why do good things happen to bad people?

Why do no-account fortunate sons wind up in the White House for eight years, despite all evidence that they're worthless pieces of shit who wreck the economy, enrich their friends, shit on the constitution, etc., etc., etc.?

[AlCzervik]

20. I know, i'm sorry skittles, you've had a really rough go

:hug:

[Skittles]

29. it is tough

there should be a limit to the number of really bad things in one's life, ya know?

Gotta hang in there; I know it sounds like a cliche but it is true - life goes on. We'd all go nuts if we really tried to make sense of it all. :)

[AlienGirl]

32. Hang in there, Skittles

:hug:

I agree, there ought to be a limit...but there isn't.

Sometimes the best way to cope with the overwhelmingness of it all is to focus on *one small thing*, like drawing a picture or making dinner or something like that. Constrict your awareness to that one simple task you're doing, and the pain lets up for a while.

Tucker

[Skittles]

37. I mailed a care package to mari3333's boy in Iraq

THAT is a pick-me-upper!!! :D

[FizzFuzz]

59. I think that's a very evolved response to painful times.

Really. I think we are all trying to evolve. Some people have a long way to go. Some people are able to respond compassionately even when in hellish times in their lives. Often, it's three steps forward, two back.

We create patterns and that does lead to consequences. I think patterns of seeking to learn from hard times (actually, from good times too, hey it's not ALL pain) are what bring us to higher life conditions.

[AlCzervik]

33. You're right about the limit, it's not fair

that some get heaped upon while others roam free. Not that i want other people to have misery, well ok, maybe a select few. Things will bet better for you, i know they will. After my Mom died i didn't think i'd ever smile again, in fact i felt guilty even thinking about smiling but after some time went by the pain eased up a little.

[Skittles]

35. *sniff*

my dad shot himself three days before my birthday and lived for six days. That kind of pain never goes away but you are right, it eases with time.

[AlCzervik]

39. what i found in the years since my Mom died is that i reallt only

remember the good stuff, it's like my mind erased all the sad and bad times and now i only have haapt thoughts about her. It's taken a fair ampunt of time but it's much better now. :hug:

[Skittles]

43. trouble is

there wasn't a lot of good stuff; he was chronically depressed his whole life. But there are a few things I think of that make me smile. :)

Your mom did a good job.

[BurtWorm]

53. Skittles, I didn't get to tell you how saddened I was

to read about your brother. You're so beloved here, I think every body who knows you felt pain for you. I'm glad to see you back. :hug:

[Skittles]

57. thanks BW

DUers came to my rescue in my darkest hour - I tell you, it was two days before Thanksgiving around 5:15 PM when I got the call - there was no one for me to call - everyone I knew was out of town or enroute from work in the metroplex - I posted a desperate plea on the DU and received hundreds of replies plus PMs offering advice and assistance. What a great place this is! :hi:

[Spinzonner]

16. Randomness

[Kire]

22. isn't that what makes them good people?

that they rise above adversity?

If bad things never happened, how could you test out the theory that good people even exisst?

[JVS]

23. Rise above diversity?

What is that the new KKK advertising slogan ;-)

I think perhaps you meant adversity.

[Placebo]

24. Do you mean "rise above adversity"?

:hi:

[Kire]

27. that's what I meant

sorry, I corrected it

thanks

[baldguy]

25. Why do Good things happen to Bad people?

[nytemare]

30. Things don't happen for a reason.

Sometimes, they happen from causes, they are brought about. Sometimes, they just happen. We draw from the deck of cards we call life.
I have started reading on Buddhism, which has interesting ways of looking at things. One of the main facets (or noble truths) is the acceptance of suffering, and recognizing that it is a basic reality.

Here is an interesting website on it. I enjoy reading about Buddhism because it is a philosophy more so than a religion.

http://www.buddhaweb.org/

[FizzFuzz]

58. and, I think we create who we are by how we work with the facts

of our life.

I always get rather toungue tied trying to talk about my spiritual/life philosophy.

here's a Buddhist site I like
http://www.everlife.org/introduction.htm

[nicolemrw]

31. because other people do them

well not all bad things are caused by other people but a lot of them are. and thats caused by people having the free will to do them.

[HEyHEY]

36. good people allow themselves to be victims

"Bad" people are less apt to take it...instead they stand up and say "FUCK YOU NOT TODAY"

[SmokingJacket]

41. Because nothing makes any sense.

Unfortunately.

[NightTrain]

42. Funny you should ask that.

Read all about my latest experience in that regard:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x2224341

[UncleSepp]

44. Stuff happens to people. That's all. n/t

[sadinred]

45. There is no "bad" and there is no "good". I have cried as often

as anyone, but I believe there is no real good/bad difference. It's all stuff we have to learn. The "good" is an easy lesson. The "bad" is a tougher lesson, and we fight it which makes it even "worse".

Embrace life as much as possible. Both the Good and Bad. The bad teaches us important stuff.

[CatBoreal]

52. A friend asked me that question...

...when we were dicussing the imminent death of a mutual friend.

She asked me why (in this case) cancer didn't happen to shitty people.

My response? Because the shits wouldn't inspire us.

It's lame, but it's the best I can come up with.

[neweurope]

54. Because experiencing bad things helps us to grow.

[AlienGirl]

55. We can choose to grow after experiencing bad things...

But I think that is part of the meaning *we* put into it, and has nothing to do with why bad things happen.

After all, bad things can also completely wear a person down and break them.

Tucker

[neweurope]

56. They help us if we choose to let them :)