Proverbial #2: What Goes Around Comes Around

This is one of the most common proverbs around. This particular proverb is used to warn people about the consequences of their actions. It could be used before the action is carried out or after it is carried out.

If someone, for instance, intends to do bad thing, the person is quickly cautioned that the action will result into something bad. So the person is warned not to go ahead so as not to get bad thing in return.

It is also used after the action is carried out already. For instance, when someone is robbed and has nothing to console him/herself, the person quickly leaves such matter for nature to handle with the hope that the robber would be robbed too.

The proverb can also be extended to human life. In Africa, we believe that if we help older people, we would be helped by younger ones in the future. This is considered natural and perhaps, it obeys the nature of give and take. 

This is evident in our day-to-day activities. We act consciously and cautiously towards the elders because we know their prayers or curses will have positive or negative effect on us in the nearest future.

This idea of curse might look strange to the Westerners but believe me, these things are real here. There is a Yoruba adage that says: Epe ja j’adura lo – meaning, curses work faster than prayers.

When we see old people on the street suffering, we start to ask many questions. We ask if the old woman/man did something wrong in his/her youthful age.

We pity such people but cannot stop wondering what went wrong when an elder is suffering while he/she should be enjoying. Some how we never really tie it to a bad ‘destiny’. We just feel the person must have done something bad or offend someone.

It is also true that people get whatever they give in life sometimes. Sometimes because it cannot be proving that everybody reaps from the consequences of their actions. You will agree with me that some 'good' people do not enjoy the rewards of their good deeds before they died. It appears that many of those people that do good in life die on time. Those that do bad stay longer.

But because we believe that there is hell and heaven, we have this satisfaction in us that they will reap it whether here on earth of before the Supreme Being.

So it goes to say that what goes around will still come around whether on earth of in heaven/hell.

The keynote here is to do good because you will reap from it. We should always be guided in our actions and know that there a superior power that will judge everything we do accordingly. 

What do you think? Do you believe in the above proverb? Is it the case that what goes around ALWAYS comes around or only in some cases?

Thanks for reading. Your boy @smyle the philosopher.

The image is mine!