Does anyone take responsibility for ANYTHING anymore...

I could spend an hour writing what i want to here but "Haddon Robinson put it so well I will let him tell the story...

"...Have you ever gone to a restaurant, hung up your coat, and noticed a sign warning that the management is not responsible if it gets lost or stolen? Ever read the small print on your airplane ticket? The airline takes no responsibility for any delays or missed connections, and if your baggage is lost, they only have to pay an amount agreed upon at a convention they held in Warsaw in 1955. Park your car in some high-priced garage or lot, and a sign will tell you that management is not responsible for any items lost or stolen from your vehicle. Do those "Not responsible for..." disclaimers bother you? They do me. It seems no one takes responsibility for anything anymore.

A little girl was sent to her room for misbehaving. Sometime later her mother happened to pass by her door and heard her praying. "God, I am stuck up here because of YOU, you know. Last night I prayed for you to help me be a good girl. Well, you didn't, so it's your fault!"

Sounds a bit like the conversation between God and Adam and Eve in the Garden. God asks what's going on, Adam responds by admitting that he ate the forbidden fruit, but then he blames God ("the woman YOU PUT HERE ...") and if that is not enough, he blames her ("SHE gave me some fruit from the tree"). Is SHE responsible? Ask her. Of course not! "The SERPENT DECEIVED ME, and I ate." Genesis does not actually say it, but there must have been a "Not responsible for..." sign on one of the trees in Eden.

Poor Eve - she was only a victim. She could not be held responsible for eating the fruit. Neither could Adam. "The Devil made me do it!"

Adam and Eve's descendants -- thats us guys -- have refined victimization to a fine art. We do not use victimization merely to get off; we use it to cash in. If we trip on our shoelaces and fall flat on our face in the middle of the sidewalk, we sue everybody from the City of Warren to the shoelace manufacturer.

If you want to get rich, invest in victimization. It must be America's fastest-growing industry. Millions make a fat paycheck by identifying victims, representing victims, interviewing victims, treating victims, insuring victims, counseling victims, and, of course, being victims. Not only does it confer absolution for our stupidity and sinfulness, but it allows us to sue for damages. "If you have experienced personal injury," we are assured by the lawyers in their TV commercials, "you may be entitled to compensation." Even if you stepped in front of a car when the light was against you, somebody else should pay.

Victimhood allows us to be blameless, and someone else owes big for what happened. Blamelessness is as American as the Constitution - the Fifth Amendment guarantees that no one can make you blame yourself. That being the case, when something bad happens, it cannot be your fault. It must be someone else's.

You have heard of "no-fault" automobile insurance? "No-fault" elevates victimhood to a more sophisticated plane. Both the guilty and the innocent become victims, and everybody gets to collect.

The restaurant is not responsible for your stolen coat nor the airline your delayed flight nor the garage your burglarized car. And of course, neither O. J. nor Mike Tyson nor the Enron executives are responsible for any of their problems. Neither are YOU responsible. Are you? "The Devil made me do it." Right..."

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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Paula Gaon    Something to think about... Paula/BoomSpress Dec 26th 2007 05:40

Stupid Girlfriend   Good post Eric, I have had entire contents of my suit cases stolen and the suit cases. Make sure you put tags on all of them lock them and it will prevent someone with the same kind of suit cases from getting yours instead. That's a joke....no it's not it really happened to me. May sound silly with the world today and flying as it is. What happened in my situtation was many years ago. And it was a combined fault of many in charge at the airports. All I no is I was in the same clothes at the airport for days and a hamburger cost $18.95 each with soda and fries it lasted me the whole time I wore the same clothes. Eric that's the truth too! Reta Jan 11th 2008 15:32

Stupid Girlfriend   Oh I forgot this I have endured personal injury, and victimization more times than I want to admitt and I have not sued anyone yet! It takes more guts to walk away from a fight than it does to start one my mom use to say when I was growing up. Here's another one, sticks and stones may break our bones but words can never hurt us. My reply to that is this. BS words can make us are break us and they can even cause people to die if done in the wrong way for the wrong reasons. That's why Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. He did it for us all. Reta Jan 11th 2008 15:40

Teeray L.   Researcher, Blogger, Gamer Excellent Blog Post! Waiting for the follow up "How To Learn Accountability." You're on the mark, Mr. Smith - few people are responsible for the mistakes (or planned actions) that they perform. Where does one start to relieve this problem when it is so ingrained in us to blame someone else for misfortunes (or plain mistakes/errors)? I agree, also, with Reta on the topic of 'words.' Words are very powerful - even the tone with which they are said can make or break an attitude. Perhaps if we were to STOP at least once per day to consider how our words and actions affect others, we will start to notice instances whereby we can take accountability, apologize to others for mistakes if necessary, and learn where we have power to make situations better rather than playing victim roles. We can only control ourselves, anyway - but if it's a CHOICE to learn MINDFULNESS and stop being victims, I hope more people will decide that being accountable actually TAKES ONE OUT of victimization and offers empowerment in many situations. Making a mistake but owning up to it places one in a position thereby saying "I made a mistake, I am in control enough to admit this...I can make amends if necessary and therefore take action to AVOID making similar mistakes in the future." Well, one can hope people will do this...one can hope that I will remember to do this today and tomorrow, and so on, too. It requires action... :) Feb 5th 2008 13:38

Jen Casey    What an interesting topic. I think people should stop telling others it's ok when do wrong and tell them exactly what they have done wrong, so people will start taking responsiblity for they actions. Free communications business opportunity, free website as well: You will thank me for this business. http://riveroffers.com/affiliates.html?crid=157695 Jan 18th 2009 18:20

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