Think About It

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.