Taking responsibility for one’s actions can be one the most virtuous things somebody does. When a situation goes awry, the problem can only get worse for those who try to blame their faults on other things or people in their life. Not taking responsibility for one’s actions shows a lack of maturity and an overall weakness in character, a weakness that will no doubt come back to harm those people in the future. “It’s a rare to see a person taking responsibility for their mistakes because it’s so easy to blame someone else,” sophomore Anna Dickerson said. “By doing so, you relieve your guilt or think you will get less of a punishment. In the end, it just makes you look like you can’t own up without making excuses.” Unbeknownst to the irresponsible people, their excuses all sound alike.“When people aren’t responsible for their actions, they blame it on others, their circumstances, their surroundings,” Dickerson said. “Normally anything but themselves.” Indeed, the traits of a truly responsible person are hard to come across in this day and age, especially in high school, but there might be a way to teach these qualities to people who do not already possess them. “Obviously they don’t want to take responsibly for themselves and they blame it on other people, because they’re scared.” junior Tavon Alleyne said, “and don’t do something that you’d need to blame somebody else in the first place.” Responsibility is something people have to learn over time, but there are those who display these things at a young age, while there are others who have lived well past their prime who seem to have skipped this life lesson.
Money is a factor in the decrease of responsibility in today’s society. For example; kids don’t have to get a job because their parents will pay for everything, or they don’t value the things they own because the have enough money to replace them,” Dickerson said, “It’s hard for someone to practice responsibility if they have nothing to be responsible for.” So in an interesting turn of events it would seem that people with less money and possessions turn out to be the more responsible individuals. New quote “It’s hard to say, people who want to get out of the more poverty prone places are willing to work for it. They do something about their situations and take responsibility for getting themselves to a better place” Dickerson said, “the need to be better and make others proud is what gives you responsibility for yourself.” Though life doesn’t have to be hard and miserable for somebody to be responsible, it just something people must learn.“I’m definitely not the most responsible person, [but] I would consider myself a responsible person most of the time,” Dickerson said. “I have three younger siblings so I have to be responsible for them and lead by example. I have no other option but to be responsible for all of us.”
Taking responsibility for one’s actions can be a very difficult thing to do, especially when the threat of getting in trouble comes into play. “One time I rode with my best friend in a car when I wasn’t supposed to. It wasn’t a big deal, but to my mom it was” Dickerson said “By fessing up and saying sorry, I wasn’t punished as harshly as I would have been if I hadn’t taken responsibility for my actions.” Something should be said to the irresponsible people so that they understand that being responsible — though more difficult to get around to doing — is easier on the individual in the long run. “I’m not really in a position where I feel like I could give advice, I think taking responsibility now will prepare you for the independence of being an adult,” Dickerson said. “You’ll be ready to maintain a job, be a good student, taking care of things you own, etc. Not being responsible now will hurt your chances of success in the future.” It’s goes without saying that somebody who is responsible for their actions is more trustworthy and safe than somebody who does not know how to take accountability for their actions.