Quotations
Written: 28th September, 2006
"Whatever happens, take responsibility" - so said Anthony Robbins, but not many people seem to these days.
The notion of responsibility is something that traditionally has been drilled into all of us. It has always been seen as a good thing, in fact perhaps necessary for society, that we take responsibility for our actions.
Unfortunately, in the last ten years in particular, there has been a steady and alarming erosion in the idea that we should take responsibility for our actions.
This is the 'blame culture' in full effect, perhaps driven by lawyers encouraging us to go litigation crazy, and the increasing number of strange human rights that we all seem to have, without a corresponding responsibility.
No matter what happens or what goes wrong, it is always someone elses fault. There are many stark and alarming examples of this. For instance, if a cup of coffee burns you because it is very hot, and the product does not clearly state that coffee tends to be hot, and it tends not to be a good idea to get hot products on your skin, then you can sue whoever gave you the coffee for burning you!
What about two notions that have been the mainstay of a coherent and stable society: common sense and responsibility? Is it not up to me to know that coffee tends to be hot, and take the minimal responsibility not to spill it all down me. If I do, then isn't it my fault I spill coffee, not whoever heated the water up to give me a hot coffee?
It seems we have a right to everything and a responsibility for nothing. Anything conceivable can be construed as an infringement on one of your rights, and there will be enough people to take you seriously that before you know it you are up infront of the European Court of Human Rights arguing some ridiculous point, and winning.
Of course, having and respecting rights like never before is a good thing, but not in isolation and at the expense of other critical human concepts.
"Responsibility is the price of freedom" said Elbert Hubbard. The problem is that these days we all seem to want the freedom, but to shed off the responsibility.
Unfortunately, rights without responsibilities does not make a good society. Specifically, it is not good news for those who still take responsibility for their actions. And if they are discouraged enough to give up on the concept of being responsible for their own actions too, then the whole fabric of society will completely be gone, and full-on chaos will result.
We need to move back to the society stated by John D Rockefeller, where
"Every right implies a responsibility. Every opportunity, an obligation. Every possession, a duty".
Only by moving back to a society where responsibility goes hand in hand with everything else are we likely to make society stable enough to last well into this millenium and not self-distrust into a life that is nasty, brutish and short.
By - dannyboy