Responsibility: Whose?

In psychology, a neurotic is someone who takes responsibility for things that are not their responsibility; and a personality disorder person does not take responsibility for things that are. The real question to ask is this, "What is whose responsibility?"

On this we have all sorts of different opinions. Some people see responsibility as being solely for oneself; others take a more holistic approach. Is it responsibility to drive a Hummer or burn dirty coal? Of course not. Yet some see that as personal responsibility and anything else as Communism.

What, really, is responsibility? It is choosing to act in a way that is aware of the consequences of one's actions and works toward a maximum positive and minimum negative outcome. It is understanding the world well enough to make targeted actions that are aware of their consequences. Above all, it's looking at what the results of any given action will be and avoid outcomes that hurt people or nature and do what they can to achieve the best scenario.

Responsibility for oneself is only a part of the picture. It is important to also look at how one impacts the rest of the world. From the standpoint of personal responsibility, driving a Hummer is a good thing. From the standpoint of the rest of the world, it isn't.

There will always be people who choose to act irresponsibly. But the real issue is as follows: Who is responsible for what? With that being rationally defined, there will be a coercion toward real responsibility. And that means: Taking ownership for one's choices regarding everything, whether it be refusing to drive a Hummer or refusing to beat one's wife.