Responsibility: Do the Right Thing or Face the Consequences Lesson 9

Introduction According to the PURE model, responsible action or doing the right thing is the key to living the good life. Most problems can be resolved by accurately proportioning responsibility. Who is responsible for my marital problems? Who is responsible for addiction? Who is responsible for date rape? Who is responsible for depression?

The Negative Meanings of Responsibility Responsibility is an unwelcoming word. It implies finger-pointing and blaming. It implies guilt-trips. It means moral obligation and burden. It poses a threat to personal freedom.

The Positive Meanings of Responsibility A sense of moral agency. A sense of freedom & self-efficacy. A sense of trust-worthiness & personal significance. Being a worthy member of a group. Having control over my future and destiny.

Freedom and Responsibility (We covered this topic in lesson 3) Without freedom, there’s no responsibility. Viktor Frankl maintains that we always have the freedom of choice. We are condemned to freedom. We are blessed with the capacity for freedom and choice.

Existential Perspective To Frankl (1985), responsibility means “response- ability” to meet the demand of meaning unique in each situation as well as the demand of life. According to Jean Paul Sartre (1973), “existence precedes essence”. The responsibility to exercise freedom to choose how we exist determines what kind of people we become.

Responsibility as a Moral Duty Max Weber (1904) in the book Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism argues that we have a moral duty to work hard and achieve material success. People who fail to put effort are held responsible or blamed for the poor outcome. Moral victory is achieved because of the effort to overcome temptation.

Responsibility for Others “Responsibility includes the wisdom to be responsible for others…as well as for oneself” (Sternberg, 2003, p. 5). Jesus says, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10: 27). “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). The story about the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: ).

Jesus’ Ministry Jesus spent most of his time healing the sick and feeding the poor. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” (Luke 4:18)

Reasons for the decline of personal responsibility Victim mentality Entitlement Dependence on others Defense mechanisms Self-serving bias (hedonic bias) Fundamental attribution bias (actor-observer bias) Scapegoating

Restoration of Responsibility Ultimately, we are responsible for what we do with our own lives and what happens in society. The fundamental choice before us is: a) Blame others for our miseries, OR b) Assume full responsibility for our own existence and future. We may not be responsible for what happens to us but we are responsible for how we react to it.

Don’t Blame the Victim Emphasizing personal responsibility without blaming the victim. It means empowering the victim to take control of their own future and rise above the trauma. Only in carrying out our responsibility for ourselves and others can we find fulfillment.

Developing Responsibility Recognize the rippling effects of our choices and actions. Exercise freedom within internal and external constraints. Assume full responsibility for our lives. Have the courage to do the right thing regardless of personal costs. Hold ourselves accountable to others and God.

The 3 R’s of Good Citizenship Please visit: n76lN9ho8Ks%3D&tabid=93&mid=1130 Responsibility Respect Resourcefulness

Teaching Responsibility (According to Alfred Adler) Provide an encouraging and democratic environment Encourage social interests & cooperation. Discipline thru natural & logical consequences. Avoid putting children in a position of inferiority. Don’t do for children what they can do themselves. Both pampering and neglect can undermine the development of responsibility.

Conclusion No matter how legitimate, blaming never moves us forward. Responsible action is the key to flourishing. We all have the freedom and responsibility to create a better future. Remember the rippling effect for our words and actions.

Inspiration Thoughts The price of greatness is responsibility. —Winston Churchill Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom. — Albert Einstein