Origin and Meaning:
“What goes around, comes around” mirrors the concept of karma and the idea that actions have consequences. According to the linguist Margaret G. Lee (American Speech, winter 1999), the phrase originated as an African proverb and found its way into general use through African-American vernacular. The phrase encapsulates the idea that negative actions will ultimately lead to negative outcomes, similarly, good deeds will bring positive results.
Literary References:
- Kevin Cullen: “But what goes around always comes around in the Balkans, and today Albanians are exacting their revenge, killing Serbs” (Boston Globe, April 22, 2000).
- Jon Cleary, Dilemma (1999): “When I was young, condoms were for stopping pregnancies. Then they tell me, sales fell right away when the Pill came in. Now the condom is back as armour-plating [against infection]. What goes around comes around.”
Related Terms and Expressions:
- Karma: The concept of actions influencing future outcomes, common in Eastern religions.
- Reap what you sow: An expression indicating that future consequences are shaped by current actions.
- Law of reciprocation: The idea that what one gives is returned.
- Full circle: Events reverting to their original state.
- Tit for tat: A situation of equivalent retaliation.
Synonyms:
- Cause and effect
- Natural law
- Comeuppance
- Retribution
Antonyms:
- Random chance
- Unpredictability
- Chaos
Humorous Quote:
“Revenge is always the perfect excuse for bad behavior - kept safe under the cloak of destiny.” — A. Spectre
Proverbs:
- “You sow the wind, you shall reap the whirlwind.”
- “As you do, so shall you fare.”
- “Life is a boomerang.”
Recommended Literature, Songs, and Movies:
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Books:
- Oedipus Rex by Sophocles: the tragic fate stemming from prior actions.
- Moby Dick by Herman Melville: obsession and revenge.
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Songs:
- “Instant Karma!” by John Lennon.
- “What Goes Around… Comes Around” by Justin Timberlake.
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Movies:
- No Country for Old Men: A spiraling cycle of violence.
- V for Vendetta: Cyclical retribution and revolution.
🌟 Quiz Time 🎉
Remember, actions resonate through time, and what you set in motion today will invariably circle back. So make your waves worth catching! 🌊
Farewell: Keep kindness at your core, for what you give will return multifold. – A. Galeor
