Self-Responsibility And The Lack Of It

It is a very sad thing to see, and yet I see it every single day. What is this sad thing that I see? It is a loss of self, in the form of self-responsibility. More and more people cast it aside and look to others to pick it up for them.

First off, what exactly is self-responsibility? Simply put, it means holding yourself accountable for your own actions, or lack of them. A person who takes the blame for their own lives and their own actions and decisions. Only those who are honest with themselves can ever really take this kind of responsibility.

You may have to look hard to find examples of people who willingly hold themselves accountable for what they do. If you know someone who does, then count your blessings and learn from their example. Be the type of person who takes responsibility for who you are and what you do. You will have more self-respect and be more confident in yourself if you are.

You will see many people who try to lay the problems of their lives at someone else's feet. You do not want to be like these people, for if you really look at them and watch how they act, you will see that they are unhappy for the most part. A person who will not allow himself or herself to be held accountable for their mistakes and their failures, will feel, deep down, that they are doing wrong.

There are also those that would tell you that it is your responsibility to take care of people who cannot or do not help themselves. Look at social programs. Social security and welfare are two programs that are solely to "help" people. These are two perfect examples of programs created by people who do not think that people need to be held accountable for themselves, but they do think that you should "help" these people.

Let me say first that there is nothing wrong with wanting to help others. It is a good and noble thing to want to help where and when you can. Having said that, I must point out one major factor that goes along with that. That help you give to others must be voluntary. It is not a requirement that you help others, especially those who have failed to take care of themselves. I understand that there are many on both social security and welfare who are there through no fault of their own, and they have my understanding and my desire to help them.

These individuals are in the minority though. There are far more people who have decided that it is easier to milk the government and the taxpayers, rather than work hard and try to make it on their own. They have failed time and time again to take responsibility for their circumstances, and now they expect you to pay for it. They do not want a hand up...they want a handout.

This is what can happen to you when you fail to hold yourself accountable. Is this what you want to be like? A moocher, a drain on your friends and neighbors? To know that your very existence relies on the government's taking money away from those who have earned it...then turning around and giving that money to you, who haven't earned it? This is just an example of what could happen. There are many out there who are rich and powerful, but also have no shred of self-responsibility in them.

I see a growing attitude among people these days, an attitude that says "I am not responsible for what I do, somebody else is." If you believe that, then I truly feel sorry for you. I hate to break this to you, but the world doesn't owe you a damn thing. If you are not responsible for your behavior and your decisions in life, then who is?

Your parents are responsible for bringing you into this world, and they are responsible for doing their best to make sure that you are brought up to know what is right and what is wrong. In an ideal world, all parents would show their children love and kindness, mixed with discipline and an understanding of what it means to be an adult and a good person. Granted, this does not happen anywhere near as often as we would all wish, and a good many otherwise upstanding young people turn down the other road that leads to a great deal of suffering and hatred.

While their parents and their teachers are partly to blame for this, the ultimate responsibility lies with each person. No one held a gun to these peoples' heads and said "Do this or die." We all have choices in this world to make, right or wrong. Some people do their best, and even if they make mistakes, they accept it and move on. Other people give up, then blame others for their misfortunes and become stuck in a neverending cycle of "It's not my fault."

If you will not take responsibility for yourself and for the things you do and the choices that you make, then your life is a lie and nothing that you do will ever really have any meaning. Placing blame is easy, but it proves that you have no strength of character. Stand on your own two feet, accept the blame for your own failures and strive to become better. When you take that responsibility onto your shoulders, you will gain something much more important. You will gain self-respect.