Karma (IMO) is a belief, like a higher power. I believe that if you engage in bad actions and do not get "caught" initially, your actions will catch up with you someday in some way. In other words, I believe people will pay for their crimes eventually. If someone steals once and gets away with it, you don't think they will ever steal again? I think they will be caught someday (perhaps for something worse).

You also sound like your asking if someone has no conscience of right or wrong, then why should they care? If society lives without rules and laws there would be mayhem. Aside from that, wouldn't you ask yourself would I want someone to steal from me or my family? As Hankster pointed out "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

If you don't believe you will ever be punished for a wrongful deed then I guess you don't believe in karma. I tend to believe that life will return the favor or badness someday. It may come in another form and affect you either directly or indirectly but you will be affected. My opinion only of course.

Its sad that you don't know what is to be gained by having self respect, being nice, honest and not stealing. If you've never seen someone suffer from the consequences of being lied to, beaten, having their belongings stolen...or you have no concept of how it would feel if it happened to you, then I'm at a loss as to what to say. If you just don't care about people in general and only care about yourself, then I have to wonder if you are well?