ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE?

Being responsible is not easy. Too often people think they can do things and say things without repercussions. This is not only  delusional, but also irresponsible. Freedom to do and say what you want is not “free.”  There is a price to pay in the form of how your behavior affects others. Enjoying freedom does not include doing things that harm your fellow humans. To many, this extends to all living things. For true freedom to exist, all people must take responsibility for their actions.

Unfortunately, some are unable or unwilling to do this. That is why we have laws.

This is not to say all laws are necessary or even good. Some laws may actually infringe on personal freedom, and this is unfortunate. However, until everyone can be trusted to be fully responsible for their own actions, laws must exist.

If we want to live in a truly free world, we must not only be responsible for ourselves but demand the same of others. Otherwise, the dream of freedom for all is not possible. So long as people are irresponsible, they cannot demand freedom. That is why “Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility,” according to Sigmund Freud.

Responsibility involves self-examination, unselfishness, and empathy. This can be scary for sure. It requires us to love ourselves and others as we love ourselves. It demands of us to ignore our own egos and reach out to understand others. Though they may have different beliefs and goals, we must acknowledge that theirs are as legitimate as our own and respect their choices (within the rule of law). It also asks us to stop blaming others for our own outcomes.

There is a theory that states there are two kinds of people in the world: those that return their shopping cart, and those that leave it in the parking lot. Once each individual takes responsibility for themselves, our society can become truly free. We need to all return our shopping carts, and we have a lot of work to do.