Actions do ripple, and sometimes bad actions take their toll on the purveyor, but if karma as a concept means the universe settling every score and making things fair eventually, it’s probably bullshit, or a misunderstood expectation of the term more accurately. The concept is more or less a metaphysical version of the golden rule. Do good and you’ll feel good, good things will return to you. Do bad and you’ll feel bad, all of it usually holds true in some form but it largely depends on the conscience of the person observing it. If you have no conscience and can do bad without feeling bad, for example; a sociopath has freed themselves from karma largely by not giving a fuck. So it’s a voluntary mental principle that works for most of us, but I think it’s driven by a satisfying sense of confirmation bias and wanting ultimate justice to exist. Sometimes it just doesn’t. When it does it’s placebo effect. You’ve thrown a dart and then drawn the target around it to give meaning to events. although it can still be beneficial to think in those terms and I often try to behave as if I’m assuming karma is very real. Its a good way to be.

I used to believe in soulmates but I now realize the sheer amount of people I could possibly fall in love with, thats nonsense too. That’s not to diminish the importance of any Love we find in life. Finding the right person isnt so impossibly rare but finding the right person with all the other circumstances being right to fall for each other is. Both being in the same country, speaking the same language and crossing each other’s paths with reason to interact makes it hard on the odds. Then both being single, catching each other on a good day, one not being too weird or nervous to try, the other not being too defensive or judgy to take a chance n bite, no one displaying any crazy dealbreakers within the first few dates, while comparing a list of fundamentals and principles that could clash, all of which makes getting into a good relationship incredibly unlikely. The myriad ways things could go wrong and the narrow way things have to fall to go right makes Love a miracle of luck for all practical purposes. So if you’ve got that kind of love, treat em as if that’s your soulmate. Again not literally true, but a useful concept.

Neither exist.

1. Karma - As it is defined, traditionally, i believe there is no such thing. However, there may be some basis for "karma" in the fact that those who do bad things tend to have people want to not help them, or even do harm to them. And the reverse may tend to be true as well. It's not some mystical concept, but simple human nature.
2. Soul-mates - My belief is there is no such thing. I think some people are "compatible" and some are not. There can be many factors that drive compatibility, some times not even consciously known to an individual. The degree of their compatibility may give an illusion of a "soul-mate".

There's my 2 cents....

I kinda look at myself as a karma delivery system ???

Seems unlikely there is just 1 person that perfectly matches you. I think instead, we have to be willing to adapt to each other to some degree. Willing to put up with some flaws, and try to address our own.

I believe in neither of those ? Sorry

It is my personal belief that there is no such thing as Karma. I'm open to the idea of soul mates though. If there is such a thing I wouldn't mind meeting mine!

1. Rubbish
2. Rubbisher
   .

I'm an Atheist. There is no cause and effect doled out by some power. But, if I treat myself and others well, I'm likely to attract like minded people.

As to the soul mate thing. Again, I'm an Atheist, there is no soul. That's a religion fiction. But, there are like minded people. There are also plenty of people with opposite features that attract each other .

Both concepts seem to encompass a capacity to violate natural law as it is presently understood, and therefore neither is of interest to a sceptic.

Kharma is just statistics: if you’re regularly a bad person towards other people, then chances are those people will simply return the favor. It’s like a bank robber. It’s possible to pull off that one heist and get away clean, where peopl mess up is they get greedy and keep doing it. It’s only a matter of time until the more numerous authorities catch up and pick up on any potential mistakes you’re more likely to make as you keep going. Not that robbing banks is a good thing, but I think it illustrates the point I’m trying to make.

Soul-mate? I think you’d first have to prove there is such a thing as a soul before you could talk about them pairing up. As far as the concept of “the right one for me” i do t think there is only one right person for anyone. I think there exists a subset of individuals who are more or less compatible with you. If you spend a significant amount of time with this individual then it seems to you that this person is “the only one, your soulmate” when in reality you’ve just grown used to their company and simply can’t conceive of ever having this type of relationship with anyone else. So I think a lot of the soul-mate type of thinking is just confirmation bias, same as khama.

Oh man last time I commented on Karma people went off if you take all religious symbolism or mystical symbolism away from the word Karma if you look up what the word actually means it just means action it just means that your actions will have an effect on your life with that said sometimes s*** just happened
As for a soul I do not believe in the concept

Thoughts on karma: It appears that the notion of folks get their just rewards is batting no better than any other random element of chance. Further, I don't accept any form of fatalism either.

Thoughts on soul-mates: Well, I hold no beliefs in anything supernatural and the concept of soul fits into that category right along with leprechauns and angels. Now, if one defines soul as the sum total of another human being and should there be a genuine compatibility match and the two of them cross paths and circumstances are such that they will have to interact enough so that each will recognize the other, then, yes. Otherwise, no.

Karma would have my full support if it were in fact real. How does it work, exactly? Who decides what's a good thing and what's not, and what is the correct payoff or penalty? And how is it enforced. Nope. As for soul-mates, I can see two people being close enough and similar enough so that they are completely in synch - for a while. If you change and your partner does not, are you still soul mates? You'd both have to change the same way at the same time to the same degree, and that sounds like one of you is doing all the thinking. So, same as karma, nope.

Karma. I guess but really believe you can't worry about others so just to take care of yourself. I've always heard what comes around goes around but I don't think there is any great cosmic scorecard out there grading us. I think we tell ourselves shitty people will get whats coming to them but I doubt they really do. I know a ton of super nice people that continually get a raw deal too so its a nice thought but don't feel it is real.

soulmates. Technically I don't believe in a "soul" so no. However in a significant other I recognize the term for what it is. Sure, I think there are people out there that will sync up or mesh very well and feel like they are sharing a brain and ideas. It is a comforting thought to have someone understand you on this level but expectations are cruel and often not wholly productive imo. They create a target that you really don't "know" and may be unrealistic. I prefer to just let each day work itself out and if we get there great...if not oh well

Neither for me.

I don't believe in karma.

I don't believe in soul mates. I believe most of us are capable of deep meaningful love -- more than once.

I used to believe in Karma, but I no longer do. Like god, any mysterious "force" has to be proven in a more rational way than anecdotally. As far as soul-mates, I understand what the term means, and I would say I have had two in my lifetime, but I don't believe there is a soul, and definitely not that there is only one true person for a soul-mate. If you're lucky, you'll meet someone who may grow into that status through shared love and experience.

1. as usually defined (what goes around comes around, or people getting what they deserve): magical thinking. attractive and ridiculous.

2. people can be sympatico without bringing souls into it.

g

Both seem it be false positives in the pattern recognition mechanism in people. Still, if you live believing in karma, you'll probably be less of a turd. Still, that belief can lead to dysfunction. It creates passivity when justice should be sought.

Soul mates seems to be a way for people that have hang ups about being a slut to explain behavior they don't understand. Sometimes, people just seem right and you are needy. When those things meet, it's going to feel like magic - nothing wrong there!

Karma: I think people take the definition of karma too literally. I think it just means you get what you expect, kinda like self-fulfilling prophesy. It's not some kind of universal punishment system that keeps every wrongdoer in check. If you have a negative attitude, everything is gonna seem bad. You expect things to go badly, so you (consciously or unconsciously) look for something bad to happen. If you have a positive attitude, things will seem more positive. If you expect things to go right, things seem to work out. I don't think it means we "deserve" everything that happens to us because of our behavior. For example, I had a blowout last week because I ran over something in the road. Instead of believing I was being punished for some bad deed, I recognized that I wasn't paying attention to the road and that sometimes stuff will be in the road.

Soul-mates: Another definition taken too literally. I think a soul mate is just someone you click with on a deep emotional level. It could be a permanent connection or a temporary connection. Do I believe my boyfriend is my soul-mate? Yes, because we share many values and interests and we work hard at pur relationship every single day. But there are different kinds of soul-mates as well. My niece is my soul-mate. I felt deep and intense love for her from the very first time I held her and looked into her eyes. We have a sort of unspoken mutual respect that I've recently noticed isn't there with her brother. I think even a pet can be a soul-mate. I have a friend who has a complete lack of human connection in terms of love, but he says that his cat is the closest thing he's ever felt to that.

Stories and concepts created by religions, myths, and other teachings were created as a way to explain and give names to things humans didn't understand back then. I honestly don't think they were meant to be taken as literally as we take them today. They're mostly symbolism and simplified lessons. And maybe some fear-mongering to keep people in check.

Karma: the unsubstantiated belief that ones actions affect the physical form they will have next time they are reincarnated. It's just superstition, but what goes around does seem to come around. (We certainly hope this is true with respect to the current occupant of the Oval Office.)

Soul mate: someone who will watch your favorite shows with you, read the similar books and articles and discuss them at length with you, lie down when you lie down, get up when you get up, play darts with you using a picture of the President's orange mug for a target.

If they exist, they are both too damn slow to arrive.

I don't believe there is an entity called Karma that doles out punishment and rewards, although that misunderstanding was a delightful premise for "My Name is Earl." But certainly our own behavior can cause us unhappiness or contentment. We can inspire kindness and generosity in others, or resentment and spite.
I guess we would need to agree on a definition for soulmate. The term is used pretty loosely. But I don't believe there is only one person in the world who is meant for us. The odds of finding that one person out of billions in the world would be tough. We find people at work, school, the park and grocery stores. Just being in physical proximity gives us the opportunity to know each other and discover shared interests and values. I do indeed think there can be multiple "soulmates" if we took the time to get to know one another.

Karma, no. Soul-mate, yes. Had one. It's rare. I may, perhaps, possibly have met another.

If Karma were real, it probably looks like a dirty hooker in a seedy hotel. Because everybody has been using and abusing it.

Example: A guy I had been working with was smoking out on the sidewalk when a person approached him and asked for a cigarette. He told her no. She stormed off, turning towards him and yelled: "Karma's gonna get you!". For not giving her a cigarette. What, is karma going to give him cancer? Is he gonna suck the filter out and get it lodged in his throat and die? Will a blimp advertising Winston cigarettes crash on top of him and kill him?

Soul-mates? I'm not sure anyone on this planet has soul. James Brown used to. Michael Bolton wishes he did. I've yet to meet mine, I think. Until that happens, I'm a skeptic.