Tuesday; September 12

Have you noticed the inverted relationship between accountability and blame? While you would think that there would be a parallel – people assessing blame and those accepting responsibly – the adverse seems to be true. Traditionally, when we see a dip in personal accountability, we find a corresponding increase in blame. Additionally, when we hear more people trying to assess blame, there is a decreasing willingness to accept accountability. As I pondered this, I got thinking about how the two seem to reside on two separate plains. Accountability is based on logic and reason. When I accept personal responsibility, I do so fully aware that I am responsible for my own actions. Blame, however is more often based on emotion. When we don’t feel like people are accepting responsibility, we start looking to assign blame – whether it is justified or not.

If we ever hope to encourage a broader acceptance of accountability, maybe the best place to start is by limiting the blame game. When people are allowed to take their look at their own responsibility, maybe they will be more willing to accept the consequences of their choices. When this happens, there might be a lot less finger pointing in accusation of others, and a lot more hand-holding in support of each other.

Think About It!

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