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Cynical sayings

Posted by R. Berg on December 04, 2002

In Reply to: No good... posted by ESC on December 04, 2002

: : "No good deed goes unpunished."

: : Is this a "Murphy's Law" sister ideology

: Murphy's Law is that everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

: "No good deed goes unpunished" means that if you help someone, you'll get more grief and aggravation than if you'd just walked on by. Not that you shouldn't do good deeds, but just don't expect any reward. Expect a hassle.

: Both are pessimistic views on life since a negative outcome is expected - but for the most part they represent a true picture of reality. So I'd say, yes. Anyone else want to get in on this discussion?.

Both sayings are uttered offhandedly, not when people are trying to be profound but simply when something doesn't go as they wanted. They amount to forms of "Isn't that always the way!" But it isn't always the way. Many things that could go wrong don't. Many good deeds bring no punishments. Some folk sayings, I believe, contain wisdom--just not these two.

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