Some people like to believe that there is balance in the universe. If you wrong others, you should face consequences for that. Interestingly, people have a tendency to wish good karma upon themselves and not upon others.
A 2025 study, published in the journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, found that karma is good when it affects our lives, and bad when it happens to others. In the experiment, 69% of the participants wrote about their positive karmic experiences, and only 18% described good karma that happened to someone else.
This time, Bored Panda is focusing on both. We're bringing you stories about both positive and negative karma. We scoured Quora and several subreddits for the juiciest, most interesting experiences that people have had and present them here for your enjoyment!
#41
Ok here's one. I got a couple of them. Wife cheats and abandons her family for AP. She believes that her and AP we're soulmate, doesn't care about the consequences or what effect it had on the kids. The kids are below 10 when when everything happens. When they get into their teenage years the catch on what went on and has been going on. They cut off their mother completely and continues having a good relationship with their dad.
Anyway kids grow up start their own families and have kids. Wife's new husband dies and she's left with one kid to take care of. But here's the catch, wife misses his kids, wants to have a relationship with grand kids, as most of her peers had relationship with their grand kids. She stumbles across their social media and sees their posts about their happy relationships with their families. She sees their family reunion, wedding gathering, baby showers vacations her ex in-laws, former friends. When they divorced she lost a couple of friends, her in laws, some of her family members.
She tried to reach out to them asking for forgiveness. She wanted to be part of that. But no one was having it. No one wanted her in their lives. She still trying to fix her relationship with her family. She's now a lonely, aged widow who lost her family long time ago. I guess that's the price you pay for your actions.
Anyway kids grow up start their own families and have kids. Wife's new husband dies and she's left with one kid to take care of. But here's the catch, wife misses his kids, wants to have a relationship with grand kids, as most of her peers had relationship with their grand kids. She stumbles across their social media and sees their posts about their happy relationships with their families. She sees their family reunion, wedding gathering, baby showers vacations her ex in-laws, former friends. When they divorced she lost a couple of friends, her in laws, some of her family members.
She tried to reach out to them asking for forgiveness. She wanted to be part of that. But no one was having it. No one wanted her in their lives. She still trying to fix her relationship with her family. She's now a lonely, aged widow who lost her family long time ago. I guess that's the price you pay for your actions.
Report
28points
#42
My ex and his AP are married to each other now. They both cheated on spouses. Each time I see his new wife getting clingy when he’s around other women, I smirk. He still cheats and spends money on sugar babies. (I had a woman reach out as our divorce is public record.) If he’ll cheat with you, he’ll cheat on you. They deserve to be together their whole lives. Better that over finding some innocent person to cheat on.
Sometimes, it’s the fear of being cheated on that’s all the karma you need.
Sometimes, it’s the fear of being cheated on that’s all the karma you need.
Report
27points
#43

Lady refused to pay for "waiting" so long (peak drive hour.) SSV (me) offered a free drink card (remember those things?) but only if she paid for her order. She did so reluctantly, made an illegal left out of our drive thru and got pulled over by police.
27points
#44
A woman in the lobby tried telling me how to do my job when i didn’t make both of her drinks at the same exact time and hand them both out and she asked to speak to the manager and i got to say “i am the manager”.
Report
27points
#45
A lady was yelling at me and my trainee at drive thru, calling us names, she threw her (thankfully iced) drink at us, and then..
She pulled forward about 2 feet. The car behind her didn't notice she had stopped, saw her car start to move, drove and hit her car. Her newly made drink went everywhere and I told her we used the last of the almond milk for her drink. She sped out to the parking lot swearing after that and waited for the other car to pull around.
She pulled forward about 2 feet. The car behind her didn't notice she had stopped, saw her car start to move, drove and hit her car. Her newly made drink went everywhere and I told her we used the last of the almond milk for her drink. She sped out to the parking lot swearing after that and waited for the other car to pull around.
Report
26points
#46
When I was doing an internship over the summer, I had to use public transit very frequently. People are usually decent, albeit a few entitled people. This story is about one of the selected few.
So it was 6:50 am, and I was waiting for the bus to arrive. I was already sweating, and the sun barely showed itself yet. People around me were quite anxious on this Monday, call it Monday syndrome, whatever. Basically, nobody was in a great mood. After a couple of minutes under the sun, we saw the bus a couple hundred meters away. At that point, as an unspoken rule, people started forming a line based on how far away from the curb they were currently standing, like they always used to. So I join and we have this line made, and the line gets tighter as the bus comes closer, with people coming in closer from the back to get on quicker. Then comes the entitled woman. I’ll call her Karen.
She was in her mid-to-late 20s, dark purple sunglasses on, browsing the phone the whole time we were standing up. The bus stop only had seats for three people, and she was sitting in one when I arrived. Naturally, she was quite a ways back from the start of the line when it was assembled. So, what does she decide to do?
She cuts the line like it’s none of her business. Now, in the UK, you might get some rude stares but not here. In Turkey, people tend to speak out about these kind of events, with the hope of publicly shaming the offender. So a man in his 50s turns to her and very calmly says, “If you don’t get back to where you are, you are not getting on this bus.”
Karen, who is now enraged at this man’s behavior, starts raising her voice (rough translation): “Hello? I was sitting back there, how dare you take my spot? Move along please (as she tries to squeeze in between the opening by the man and the door) thaaank youu.” The man, lets her pass and have her way, because I imagine he is already frustrated because it’s Monday, and it’s quite hot. Well, she gets on, and that’s when karma strikes:
She doesn’t have enough money on her card. The screen flashes red, and after seeing that we enter the bus one by one, beep beep green light, and we sit down. She goes around and asks nearby people for a swipe in exchange for money. She finally finds someone who agrees and she swipes. This time, she is the one red with embarrassment, and to top it all off, all the seats were taken by the time she scanned the card, so she is forced to stand up the entire way.
Report
26points
#47
Many years ago I was driving home in my car and it broke down I was stuck at a intersection late at night and this car full of young guys laughed and drove on waving and hollering. A young guy helped me to push the car to safety and got it started for me. As I drove by I saw the clowns car being booked by the police so I stuck my head out the window waved and laughed at them.
26points
#48
I saw a lady in a range rover (some of the letters were removed to read Ran Over) with bad road rage blow past us, and a couple miles later saw her pulled over.
Report
24points
#49
When I worked customer service there was this one Karen that was mouthing off to a coworker. She finished, did a sharp turn, and stormed off, she stormed into her bag she set down and fell on her gut with enough force to bounce. Everyone laughed.
Report
24points
#50
Many years ago, I had to make the fifteen-mile drive from school to home to fetch something I’d forgotten and couldn’t do without. As I left town on the way home, I noticed that the highway patrol had set up a speed trap for traffic bound into town. On the way back, I got caught on a two-lane highway behind a guy who wanted to do 40 in a 50-zone. Except when I tried to pass him in one of a few passing zones, when he’d speed up so that my VW bug couldn’t get around him. As we approached the final hill that preceded the long flat straightaway coming into town, I backed off a hundred-fifty yards or so and accelerated to about 80. As we went up that hill, I closed in on him at a considerably higher speed than he was going and pulled out, just short of the crest, in a no-passing zone, of course, as if to pass him. Naturally, he could, and did, accelerate very quickly to prevent my passing him—which I had no intention of doing. I jammed on the brakes just in time to be in the lane where I belonged, doing a sedate 45, when I crested the hill. Meanwhile, he’d crested the hill doing at least 80.
I waved at him as I passed his car, which the cops had nailed.
Report
24points
#51
My wife was paying at the grocery store when I became aware of a young teenager crawling on the floor around her feet. She then got up and walked away. Then a woman approached and told my wife that she had dropped a $5 bill and the child had stolen it. My wife went after her and asked for her money back, but the child cockily insisted that it was her $5 bill and just kept walking. As the girl walked away, my wife saw a $10 bill fall out of her pocket, so she picked it up and we left.
Report
24points
#52
One day a angry doctor came into the coffee shop six days in a row asking for gift card sleeves.This woman had the audacity to call me rude names I tried to tell this woman that we no longer have them she yelled at me, slammed her phone on the desk and stormed out of the store. Just when she was on her way out she lost her balance slipped and fell.
Report
22points
#53
My wife and were driving home on a two-lane highway in the country. I was going the speed limit, taking in the scenery and conversing with my wife. A big black pick-up truck came up behind me at a faster speed, then passed me and sped off. 3 kms up the road, I see him pulled over by the police. Karma, highway justice, and satisfaction all at once.
22points
#54
One time a rude lady ordered a non fat latte at 195 degrees Fahrenheit with no foam. I hand it to her in drive thru and she argues with me that it is made incorrectly without even tasting it! She OPENS this hot drink to check that it has no foam at all and she spills it all over herself… I had to make it again but wow that was amazing to watch.
Report
19points
#55
It was when masks mandates were starting to be enforced. Guy came in without one. When asked to put one on, he got verbally aggressive and started threatening my shift supervisor. He went on a tirade how he'll beat him and the store manager did nothing really. Finally he turned to leave and as he was leaving, he hit himself with the corner of the long table in our lobby and was fuming as he limped out of the store.
Report
19points
#56
A customer with his wife wanted an americano and they were acting as if we weren’t people (giving attitude, cutting us off as we speak, not even looking at us - just reaching their arm out their car window) and as he snatched the drink quickly from my hands, the americano lid caught on the top of their window and the lid flew off spilling their drink all over them. i obviously made sure he was okay and made him a new drink as he was blaming me for it but i couldn’t help but smile under my mask.
Report
18points
#57
I ordered a carpet cleaning service and spent much of the weekend preparing for their visit. Person shows up, vacuums a couple rooms to prep, had some kind of problem with a tiny lego toy hidden in a plush carpet, then just declares the job is too big and she’s leaving. We started trying to say maybe they could do less rooms, that we totally understand some stains won't come out, that we can pay extra, etc, but she just stormed off before we could work anything out. She left us with [stuff] piled on top of furniture all over the house, and several days wait before we could schedule any other service. Then she skidded out in our boulder-lined driveway and crushed 4 panels on her van.
17points
#58
Here's mine. Number of years ago I dated a girl from my home country. Nowadays when I look back on the relationship I realise how much she really treated me like dirt but at the time I couldn't see it as I was so in love with her. I paid for everything including her university fees as she didn't work. While she was at Uni she had a tutor and immediately alarm bells and red flags aplenty. They'd flirt constantly on her social media she followed him on any platform she could and seemed infatuated. I voiced my concerns a few times and everytime she'd either get angry at me or laugh in my face. Couple years later took her on holiday and the entire time we were there she barely spoke to me and instead spent all her time on her phone getting increasingly agitated which at the end of our time away she exploded and took out her anger on me for whatever reason. It was at this point I started to accept that maybe this wasn't meant to be but stayed for another year.
One day when I was using my laptop and noticed bookmarks in my browser which weren't mine. Turned out she'd used my laptop to check email and had somehow accidently synced her logins over from her tablet. I ignored it till a few months later her and her AP were flirting and reminiscing on FB about very specific things that had occured between them. I figured I've nothing to lose so I went home and had a look. Turns out that she'd been cheating from day one and there were multiple guys I counted at least 20 over the 5 years we were together. Also found out she was just using me for money. I confronted her and she laughed and told me that how funny it was using me and that she loves getting caught. Of course we broke up and went our seperate ways. I never actually deleted her number so due to whatsapp I was able to the number of failed relationships she ran through by way of her status updates and woe is me profile pics.
Couple years ago she reached out but I ignored her text messages. I'd already forgiven her for my own sake (holding onto the animosity did nothing for me especially when she showed zero remorse) so a year and a half I replied asking what she wanted. She proceeded to tell me how sorry she was and that she messed up and asked for forgiveness and how she wished we were still together. Told her I forgave her but it is what it is. Fast forward to a few weeks ago it was my birthday. Now at this point she just got dumped by her latest bf. She's now in her early 30's, overweight, lives in her fathers basement, works a [bad] job and really has nothing good going on it seems. She calls me up and wishes me a happy birthday, I tell her thanks and she then has the nerve to ask me when am I taking her out on a date... I just burst out laughing. Turns out she really thinks I'm going to come rescue her and we can have some wonderful life together. Nah, I'll pass.
One day when I was using my laptop and noticed bookmarks in my browser which weren't mine. Turned out she'd used my laptop to check email and had somehow accidently synced her logins over from her tablet. I ignored it till a few months later her and her AP were flirting and reminiscing on FB about very specific things that had occured between them. I figured I've nothing to lose so I went home and had a look. Turns out that she'd been cheating from day one and there were multiple guys I counted at least 20 over the 5 years we were together. Also found out she was just using me for money. I confronted her and she laughed and told me that how funny it was using me and that she loves getting caught. Of course we broke up and went our seperate ways. I never actually deleted her number so due to whatsapp I was able to the number of failed relationships she ran through by way of her status updates and woe is me profile pics.
Couple years ago she reached out but I ignored her text messages. I'd already forgiven her for my own sake (holding onto the animosity did nothing for me especially when she showed zero remorse) so a year and a half I replied asking what she wanted. She proceeded to tell me how sorry she was and that she messed up and asked for forgiveness and how she wished we were still together. Told her I forgave her but it is what it is. Fast forward to a few weeks ago it was my birthday. Now at this point she just got dumped by her latest bf. She's now in her early 30's, overweight, lives in her fathers basement, works a [bad] job and really has nothing good going on it seems. She calls me up and wishes me a happy birthday, I tell her thanks and she then has the nerve to ask me when am I taking her out on a date... I just burst out laughing. Turns out she really thinks I'm going to come rescue her and we can have some wonderful life together. Nah, I'll pass.
Report
16points
#59
One night not too long ago I was on the highway. I had my cruise set to speed limit or slightly over. Hardly anyone was on the highway. I was in the left lane, slowly approaching & passing a car on the right. All of a sudden I noticed a car right behind me. Have no idea where 'he' came from. He was right on my bumper--so close I couldn't see his headlights or even most of his hood. If I'd brake-checked him, he would have definitely hit me. I continued my speed, passing the car I was originally passing. The car behind me stayed right behind me. I figured if he backed off, I'd move over, but if he stayed on my bumper, I was NOT going to move. It was a matter of principle at this point. He finally went around me & zoomed on by. A couple of miles down the road, I saw that same car on the side of the highway--both his front end & his rear end CRUNCHED. Two other cars were pulled over with him. They were all getting out of the cars as I passed, so no one seemed hurt. He'd tailgated someone else, and they brakechecked him!! YOU NEVER SEE THAT. Those aggressive drivers usually get by with it, terrorizing folks on the road. I hope that dude learned a lesson. It was quite satisfying to me.
16points
#60
Literally happened yesterday. I was out running trash during some down time. A lady speeds into our parking lot, sees me, and proceeds to speed up so she doesn’t have to wait the .5 seconds for me to cross in front of her, almost hitting me. (Mind you there was no drive thru line.. no need to rush)
She ended up leaving her card in drive thru. It was perfect.
She ended up leaving her card in drive thru. It was perfect.
Report
15points

