New research shows that, much like Taylor Swift, most people believe karma is on their side while also punishing others.
A study by the American Psychological Association asked more than 2,000 people to write about their experience with karma. Participants were from different religious backgrounds and included nonreligious individuals.
When writing about themselves, 59% talked about being rewarded for good deeds while 92% talked about negative consequences for bullies, coworkers, friends and ex-partners.
The idea of karma comes from religious traditions such as Hinduism and Buddhism but has also taken root in Western consciousness and new age spirituality movements. However, the understanding of what karma is and how it works can vary between cultures.
The study included participants from the U.S., Singapore and India to get a broad range of backgrounds and found different results in Western and non-Western respondents.
Non-Western respondents showed less of a tendency to think of themselves in overly positive ways but still followed the general tendency to attribute karmic punishments to others and rewards to themselves.
Researchers say the results give a look into how we form mental judgements about ourselves and others. The belief that one deserves good fortune can promote self-esteem but can also lead people to fail to recognize other factors in their success.
The belief that other people’s suffering is a punishment comes from the desire to believe that the world is just, researchers said, which can help people make sense of the complexity of the world.
Future research is expected to explore how beliefs about karma affect decision-making, particularly when it comes to policy-making, the justice system and social prejudices, which often function on the premise that “inferior” groups are lower in status because they are being punished in some way.
Those views can impact how people treat others and how willing they are to help them.
