Are you responsible for everything that happens to you?

I have encountered in a number of circles the idea that people are responsible for everything that happens to them.

There are two issues here.

One is that, yes, most problems have solutions; and, yes, in many cases people’s attention must be directed toward solving their problems instead of whining all day about their bad fortune. If someone is complaining about his bad fortune, the correct solution is to point out to him the situation of people who have it worse than he does, of whom there will always be plenty. If I catch myself feeling sorry for myself, I remind myself of the situation of people in Haiti. If you are in the West, most likely you are privileged by historical and global standards; and that is the case also for the people in the West who are professional victims.

However neither are we God. The idea that you are responsible for everything that happens to you is both factually false and morally wrong. You don’t owe your situation only to yourself. You also owe it to parents who raised you, teachers who educated you, military and police that protect you, business and labor that provide your prosperity, and intellectuals and Freemasons who gave you your liberty. Morally it is wrong because it would excuse any crime under the sun. If everyone is responsible for everything that happens to him, then if I were to rape you and kill you it would be your doing. And that is a terrible belief structure to have.

This issue merits being dealt with by separating the valid from the invalid. It is valid for people to solve their problems; it is not valid to misassign responsibility. If I kill you it is my choice, not your karma or your consciousness. By all means encourage responsible behavior, but don’t either blame or credit people for things that aren’t their doing. See the problems for what they are and address them for what they are.