American All Call
Personal Responsibility is American
By Sam Frescoe,
Veteran’s Recall
http://veterans-recall.blogspot.com/
There is a significant shortfall
of personal responsibility in America today. It was once permitted by
exception, but now it is promoted as a life style. If you are responsible for
nothing, then you can get away with anything. If you can get away with
anything, then what is the meaning in what are doing? If what you are doing has
no meaning, then what is your purpose? I offer all of this to you for one
reason. To show you that personal responsibility is defining to individual
Americans and inherently valuable to the American way.
“Personal responsibility
begins from the inside and moves outward. We must begin by taking
responsibility for our thoughts, choices, and reactions. Then we can be
responsible for the circumstances we create in our world.”
This is a huge topic. There are entire
divisions of libraries dedicated to housing the many volumes on the subject.
Fortunately for us, this blog is in no way capable engaging the entire topic.
So, in an effort to keep it simple, I intend to tailor this post according to
my own experience. Perhaps some of what I understand reflects your
understanding as well?
Personal Responsibility
While growing up in an American
household, personal responsibility was expected and enforced. My parents were
accountable for teaching me. I was held accountable for learning. As a result,
the responsibility I had to myself and others was clear and well understood.
Now that the roles are reversed, it is my duty to teach my children. In this
way, personal responsibility continues to be handed down to future generations.
Why is personal responsibility
so important? Simply stated, personal responsibility is important because you,
and only you, can make decisions for yourself. Every choice you make can
benefit or harm yourself and others. Even avoiding decisions is a choice. In
this way, personal responsibility, at least in part, defines us as human beings
and individual Americans.
“We have the divine
gift of free will. Conscious choice is a gift that carries great
responsibility.”
What is personal responsibility?
Let’s start with an American definition.
“Personal responsibility is the willingness to both accept the importance of
standards that society establishes for individual behavior and to make
strenuous personal efforts to live by those standards.” It is a choice, not a
circumstance. It is learned, not bestowed. It is a duty, not an option. It is
inwardly personal, yet outwardly impactful. It is ever present, even if no one
else is around. Because personal responsibility has an unavoidable and sweeping
nature, it falls to each of us to master our own sense of personal
responsibility while mentoring others to do the same. For better or worse, we
are all in this together.
How is personal responsibility
manifested in day-to-day living? To avoid specific examples, and the
potentially endless caveats to each, I am going to offer what works for me. For
me, personal responsibility in action boils down to only two rules. For any
given decision presented to me, I apply these rules and react honorably. If I
cannot sufficiently apply these rules, then I am likely getting ahead of myself
and need to think before I act.
Rule #1: No one has the right to do what is wrong.
Rule #2: Everyone is singularly responsible for their
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Wrapping Up
The American way requires
Americans that fully and proudly embrace personal responsibility. Personal
responsibility is the result of an internalized, morally grounded, conscientious
decision-making cycle. It cannot be avoided. It is inherent in each of us as
human beings and individuals. One way or another, whether we like it or not, we
are all individually accountable for our interactions with each other and the
world around us.
Is there a significant shortfall
of personal responsibility in America today? Regardless of your answer, for me
and my house, the answer is no.
Challenge
Think about it. During a quiet
moment, be still, and think about it.
Are you personally responsible or are you making excuses?
Are you mentoring others as you were once mentored?
For your current station in life do you need a mentor?
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