Is it normal to compare people to a fable character?

I feel like over time our actions are added up on a scale. When we do good things (for others) it produces a positive alignment and when we do bad things (to others) that produces a negative alignment. In effect changing us over time into a corrupt person or a virtuous person (or somewhere in between.) I suppose this is the same concept as gaining bad/good karma, but you can physically see your character change and doing bad/good things isn't necessarily going to come back to you.