| ‘Is this going to be another one of ‘those’ conversations?’
‘Maybe.’ ‘Go on then. What’s the problem?’ ‘Justice isn’t being done is it? Politicians, the rich people and big businesses get away with doing bad things – that isn’t justice is it?’ ‘Not to us. But then we don’t make the rules and hold the power do we?’ ‘Surely there are more of us ordinary people than there are politicians and rich people? Why do they have so much power and we have so little?’ ‘Are you sure about that? That we don’t have any power?’ ‘Huh, this is another of your trick questions isn’t it.’ ‘Maybe.’ ‘I hate it when you say that. It means that you are going to turn out right and I’ll be wrong – again.’ ‘Maybe.’ ‘Stop it! You always make me work so hard when you’re like this.’ ‘Just making your brain tick over a bit. There are far too many people sitting around and complaining about how unjust their lives are. Do you really want to be one of them?’ ‘Maybe.’ ‘Really?’ ‘Okay then. What do I do to see that justice is being done?’ ‘You make sure that you understand what justice is and what it isn’t. Justice is fair and reasonable; it isn’t about taking revenge, killing or persecuting people because of their race, religion or opinions. It isn’t about getting your own back. Sometimes though, it can be blind.’ ‘So the people that say its justice when something bad happens to a horrible person – they’ve got it wrong have they?’ ‘They might be getting it confused with karma – things happening as a consequence of their own actions.’ ‘Karma is a bad thing then?’ ‘More good than bad really. It has roots in ancient Indian religion – Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism – more isms than you can chuck a stick at really. The important thing to remember is that good acts should have a positive effect – like paying it forward.’ ‘I saw that film. It made me cry. I hate films with sad endings.’ ‘Everything makes you cry. So karma can be good or bad – in the words of John Lennon; ‘Instant Karma’s gonna get you…’ ‘I remember that song as well. That was about bad karma.’ ‘It was.’ ‘What about that other thing then? That German thing?’ ‘Schadenfreude?’ ‘Get you!’ ‘Is that what you meant?’ ‘Yeah. What’s the difference between justice, karma and schaden-thingy? ‘Schadenfreude is more to do with how you feel about the consequences of other peoples’ actions. ‘Do what?’ ‘Say you asked me for my last fiver, I refused to give it to you and then we found out that it was a forgery. You would be laughing your socks off at me wouldn’t you?’ ‘You bet.’ ‘Well that’s schadenfreude.’ ‘Isn’t that a bit mean though?’ ‘You can’t have good schadenfreude; though when famous people set themselves up as paragons of virtue and then get caught out drink driving, or taking drugs or beating up their partners, I think it’s okay to feel a bit of schadenfreude without feeling too guilty.’ ‘That seems like justice to me.’ ‘Erm – we-ell.’ ‘Go on. You have to admit it.’ ‘It can be seen as justice, karma and schadenfreude, I suppose. Justice is supposed to be objective whereas the other two are more subjective – it depends on how you feel about the person its happening too.’ ‘This has got too heavy for me. Lend us a fiver?’
Justice just behaviour or treatment. “a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people” fairness, justness, fair play, fair-mindedness, equity, equitableness, even-handedness, egalitarianism, impartiality, impartialness, lack of bias, objectivity, neutrality, disinterestedness, lack of prejudice, open-mindedness, non-partisanship” Karma (car-ma) is a word meaning the result of a person’s actions as well as the actions themselves. It is a term about the cycle of cause and effect. According to the theory of Karma, what happens to a person, happens because they caused it with their actions.
Schadenfreude lit. ‘harm-joy’) is pleasure derived from the misfortune of others. Borrowed from German into English and several other languages, it is a feeling of joy that comes from seeing or hearing about another person’s troubles or failures.
Instant Karma by John Lennon Instant Karma’s gonna get you Instant Karma’s gonna get you Well we all shine on Instant Karma’s gonna get you Well we all shine on Well we all shine on Well we all shine on
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