Do you Believe in This Saying: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished?

Question

***Any Thoughts? xx

abc3643 · Accepted Answer

Yes, this is definitely often true.

In fact, there's an Aesop fable for this:
"The Farmer and the Viper"

THE FARMER AND THE VIPER

One winter a Farmer found a Viper frozen and numb with cold, and out of pity picked it up and placed it in his bosom. The Viper was no sooner revived by the warmth than it turned upon its benefactor and inflicted a fatal bite upon him; and as the poor man lay dying, he cried, "I have only got what I deserved, for taking compassion on so villainous a creature."

Kindness is thrown away upon the evil.

=========

I've learned this a few times in my own studies in my decades at The School of Hard Knocks.

I will also say this: Avoid all Objectvits and never help them. They view altruism as the greatest of all sins. They will gladly use you or fuck you over because the only ethics they have is "What is best for me is what I should do."

They should all be up against the wall and shot.
One of them - Alan Greenspan - helped create The Great Recession and that didn't turn out good for anyone.

EaterPeter · Accepted Answer

Kind a sort a

OlderAndWiser · Answer

This is the kind of "truism" that people tend to notice when it seems to be manifesting itself, and they don't notice when circumstances disprove it.

ArrowheadSW · Answer

I've seen it happen! Usually it is when someone buys, or deeds over, a house for someone. Like a family member or whatever. The person who gets the "free house" doesn't appreciate it because they didn't have to earn it. A lady who I know was going to sell her house and take the profit to buy her daughter and son in law a house. I firmly told her NOT to do it because her daughter and son in law had a drug problem and it would enable them further. (She did NOT end up giving them a "free house".) A few years later they were arrested for drug trafficking and went to prison.

Another guy I know (30 years older than me), had a business that had a house on the property. There was some technical reason he put his daughter on the deed to the business as being a co-owner to the business. (She and her husband and their son lived in the house.) One day, she came up to him and said that she wanted her half of the value of the business in cash. She even took him to court and the court ruled in her favor and he was forced to sell the business and give her half the money because he didn't have the $600,000 in cash to pay out her half. All because he listed her as a co-owner and she didn't do ANYTHING to work for the business.

But, sayings are just sayings. Of course there are a lot of good deeds that go rewarded also!!

White_Widow · Answer

There's another saying:

The road to hell is paved by good intentions.

As an example, someone can tell a lie, with all the good intentions in mind, but in the end, it will backfire.

Other than that, I don't believe doing actual good will get you punished. (and I also believe it has a lot to do with how someone handles doing good, if one believes that the end justifies the means then maybe they do deserve to be punished) but I do believe that doing actual good can make you a target for those who've mastered the art of getting better at the suffering of others.

Lynx122 · Answer

I don't think so. First of all I was lucky, I was born in the richest country in the world if you look at what the people actually own. And even though I'm on disability I can have a comfortable good life surrounded by beautiful and clean nature. And I don't care that much about money or things other people chase so my perspective is a bit different I guess.

In general I think feeling good when you've done something good is enough of a reward and I don't think I've ever felt like something bad happened to me because of something good I did. I believe more in Karma that having good intentions and acting on them comes back around to you :)

Maybe if you have high expectations because you did something good then it may feel that way but then you just did it because you wanted something not because you cared about the deed.

Massageman · Answer

OlderAndWiser is just that. The individual is "sensitized" to look for the situation embodied in the Saying. A similar construct (kon' strukt- noun) is established when someone tells you, "From now on, I want you to avoid looking at silver pick-up trucks". You are now "sensitized" to them: heck - in order to know enough "not" to see them, you will specifically have to look FOR them!

Yet, if the "deed" is specifically targeted to the evil deed/doer, I'd have to agree with SiberFox and abc3643: being on the side of good is a sure way to get the "evil one" riled up and ready to ruin your day! And just because you wanted to do the right thing!

DaveJord · Answer

I said half and half. I mean every action has an equal and/or opposite reaction... Newton's 3rd Law.

I believe that if you do good things, with good intent, then good things happen... with that said some times even bad things can be good things in disguise.

But if you do bad things, very, very, very rarely does anything truly good or meaningful happens that would be positive, but there will be a cost or consequence assigned to it.

Still-alive · Answer

No good deed goes unpunished  All helpful urges should be circumvented  No good deed goes unpunished  Sure, I meant well  Well, look at what well-meant did

menina · Answer

My English teacher was always saying that and I never knew what she meant. I was too afraid to ask Lol So I can't say whether I believe it in or not.

SiberFox · Answer

A good deed often means pissing off the wrong people, meaning they will do everything they can to punish you for doing it.

hahahmm · Answer

In my experience people who say that have a whiny victim mentality & they forget the 20 good things they did that didn't end up in a bad way.

NathanDavis · Answer

nope, not in the least... I see plenty of bad deed the even goes rewarded... lol

Guardian45 · Answer

It seems my good deeds are NEVER recognized or rewarded.

loveslongnails · Answer

Not really, but it's what you say when you do something good and it turns out bad.

Likes2drive · Answer

I hope so, I’ve done so many I’ve banked them by now

Anonymous · Answer

Some people just want to watch the world burn 🤣🤣🤣

jimmy2 · Answer

It sure is now days you find yourself in a hate crime

jshm2 · Answer

Nope.  Deeds are not punished. Stupidity and ignorance are punished. Just because you do something you think is good, doesn't mean it is,

exitseven · Answer

I say this all the time.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

SURE AS FUCK SEEMS THAT WAY!!

MCheetah · Answer

It's mostly true, to me.

Pinay_ako · Answer

I am speechless dk what to say

VIVANT · Answer

I have experienced it many times 🤦🏻‍♀️

Sixgunsound · Answer

That has generally been my experience.

douride2 · Answer

I say you get what you give.

Andres77 · Answer

Victim of one’s own success as well

pizzalovershouse · Answer

What you give is hat you give

clampfan101 · Answer

It can feel like it sometimes, but no.

Wise4myage · Answer

I do believe in that Paris. :)

Dinosaursandanime65 · Answer

*No good deeds go to waste

msc545 · Answer

Yes, very often

SnowedIn · Answer

Very often, sadly.

Anonymous · Answer

Yes. Especially in the current age of this sick, twisted and demonically-possessed world of reprobates. Jesus please come quickly

Pete671 · Answer

wow yes so true,

anton_dee · Answer

Was quite true olden days, but now I dunno...

misfittoy · Answer

sadly yes

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