Compensation: What Goes Around, Comes Around

Law of Balance and Reciprocity

The principle of compensation, or what some call karma, embodies a simple yet profound truth: everything we do returns to us, in one form or another, as reward or punishment. The Law of Compensation, as described by thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, is the universal balancing act that ensures no deed, good or bad, goes unanswered. It’s life’s way of keeping the scales level.

Ralph Waldo Emerson beautifully illustrated this with his poem that begins his essay “Compensation”:

"The wings of Time are black and white,
Pied with morning and with night.
Mountain tall and ocean deep
Trembling balance duly keep."

These lines portray time as a mix of light and dark, morning and night. The reference to “Mountain tall and ocean deep” represents the vast contrasts in existence, while “Trembling balance duly keep” reflects how equilibrium is delicately maintained in life despite its extremes. Emerson reminds us that life is always balancing itself—often in ways we may not immediately see.

Understanding the Meaning of Compensation

In this context, compensation means “payback” rather than a paycheck or benefits package. It refers to what is given in return for actions or choices. As the 17th-century poet Francis Quarles said, “As there is no worldly gain without some loss, so there is no worldly loss without some gain.” This law ensures we are always in a state of exchange with the world around us. Today, we might call these “trade-offs”: a wealthy person may have money but struggles with health issues, while someone with limited wealth may enjoy robust health and family time. These examples show how the universe doles out both benefits and drawbacks, striving to maintain a balance.

Emerson’s View on Balance

Emerson wrote, “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something else.” He noted that every lack is compensated for in some form, every effort is rewarded, every sacrifice made whole. This unbreakable pattern echoes through all of existence: for every gain, a corresponding loss; for every action, a consequence. We cut down trees to warm our homes, but in doing so, we lose that resource. This is nature’s way of ensuring that nothing is ever fully lost or gained without balance.

The Law of Compensation in New Thought Philosophy

The Law of Compensation is a central concept in the New Thought movement, which emphasizes that our thoughts, actions, and beliefs actively shape our lives. Emerging in the 19th century alongside thinkers like Emerson, New Thought principles argue that we live within a self-correcting universe that responds to our intentions and behaviors, always striving for balance. This perspective highlights how consciously choosing kindness, compassion, and generosity brings positive outcomes, while selfish or harmful actions lead to natural consequences. New Thought proponents teach that understanding and aligning with the Law of Compensation helps us actively co-create our reality in harmony with universal laws.

Reaping What You Sow

The Law of Compensation is closely related to the idea of “reaping what you sow.” It’s a reminder that our actions create our outcomes. If you plant seeds of kindness, kindness will return to you. On the other hand, sowing seeds of anger will bring conflict back into your life. This principle is also the basis of the Golden Rule: treating others as we wish to be treated aligns us with the law of compensation. As Emerson put it, “It is one of the most beautiful compensations in life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”

Karma and the Law of Action and Reaction

Karma, a Sanskrit term meaning action or deed, also reflects this law. The consequences of our actions shape our fate. The happiness or hardship we experience results from the choices we make. Similarly, Newton’s Law of Action and Reaction mirrors this balance, where every action elicits an equal and opposite reaction. Just as pulling back on a bowstring allows an arrow to fly, the energy we put into life directly influences the results we get back.

Not a Punishment, But Natural Consequence

The Law of Compensation doesn’t mean that a divine force is out to punish or reward us. Instead, it’s a natural law that governs cause and effect in the universe. Once we recognize that for every loss, there’s a compensating gain, we can let go of envy and resentment and find contentment. As Emerson said, “Blessed is he who has little and wants less, for he is richer than he who has much and wants more.”

Discovering Opportunities in Setbacks

Fully understanding compensation means we can view setbacks as stepping stones to future success. When problems arise, hidden within them are seeds of growth and opportunity. Failures, rather than ending our progress, often point us toward new beginnings and potential victories. Every problem we face carries the potential to shape us, teaching us resilience, patience, and wisdom along the way.

Giving Back: Our Duty to Balance

Most of us are blessed with gifts we did not earn—talents, intelligence, or resources that life has granted us. Balancing these gifts with our actions means using what we’ve been given to give back. Many people find that failing to use their talents leads to negative compensation, while sharing their abilities brings fulfillment and purpose. Each of us contributes uniquely to society, and by sharing our strengths, we become part of the universal cycle of give-and-take.

Avoid the Trap of Comparison

It’s easy to compare our lives with others and feel lacking, but remember: everyone’s journey includes unseen struggles. Though someone’s success may be visible, their hardships may be hidden. Compensation works for everyone, but its effects are often private and personal. Understanding this law reminds us that the grass is not always greener on the other side; it’s merely a different shade of life’s complex balance.

By embracing the Law of Compensation, we acknowledge that our actions shape our world. Living with this awareness encourages us to make choices that benefit ourselves and others, knowing that what goes around indeed comes back around.

---

www.MichaelCorthell.com