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The Law of Compensation

“You reap what you sow; every act rewards itself.”

A visible application of Cause and Effect: the universe returns to you, in tangible form, the equivalent of what you put out — in effort, generosity and intent. Blessings, abundance and friendships are the compensations of seeds already planted.

Also known as

The same law appears across traditions under different names.

  • “Law of Selfless Giving / Flow”· Theosophical (Hodson)
  • “Give more in use value than you take”· New Thought (Wattles)
  • “Dāna — generosity”· Buddhist
  • “Tithing & the law of return”· Abrahamic

How to apply it

  • Plant generously where you want a harvest — value out tends to return as value in.
  • Stop counting the immediate return; compensation often arrives later and elsewhere.
  • Audit what you've been 'sowing' if you dislike what you're currently reaping.

From the source

“Every act rewards itself.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, 'Compensation'
“What you sow, you shall reap.”
— Galatians 6:7 (often cited with this law)

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