Personal responsibility is a concept that is becoming more and more elusive in today’s society. We do not want to be responsible for our own mistakes, so we blame others for them in order to absolve ourselves from any wrongdoing and to preserve our egos.
The issue of personal responsibility has even become a political matter: Republicans who argue against entitlements often cite the individual’s responsibility to plan his or her own life, and Democrats want to leave morality in the hands of individuals, not government. Each side often accuses the other of not fostering personal responsibility with their policies.
Though I too sometimes blame my faults and mistakes on others, I am generally a big fan of personal responsibility. As a result, I become extremely annoyed when I hear stories of obese people suing McDonald’s for making them fat and Obama’s advisers insisting the sorry state of our economy is still Bush’s fault. When friends tell me about some “horrible” event that has occurred in their lives, I am not afraid to point out how their own actions influenced the outcome.
While it is true people do not have control over every aspect of their lives, there are just some things, like a smoker’s lung cancer, that are ultimately their own fault. Every action has consequences, and it is up to the individual to determine if the consequences are worth the enjoyment gained from the action.
This belief is one reason why I have a problem with the probation system in Greek life. Though I do not personally care whether fraternities get shut down or not, I think it’s ridiculous to put a fraternity on probation just because someone with irresponsible drinking habits happens to get sick at the house. More often than not, this person drank before he or she went out, and there was no pressure for him or her to continue imbibing upon reaching the frat house. By putting houses on probation for their “role” in someone’s mistakes, the concept of personal responsibility is being completely ignored.
Recently, I read an article about a college freshman at Penn State who died from head trauma after falling down a flight of stairs. He had a BAC level of .169. As a result of the young man’s death, the two individuals who supplied him with alcohol and two fraternities at PSU were charged with misdemeanors. In charging the parties involved with only minor crimes, there is recognition the student’s unfortunate death was partially as a result of his own actions. And yes, I realize I am committing a social taboo to blame someone for his own demise.
My point is: Think before you blame someone else for your own mishaps because chances are — excepting cases of natural disaster and others’ actions — something you did or didn’t do can explain why things didn’t go the way you planned. Accepting responsibility for one’s own actions is the ultimate sign of maturity.
—Aimee Sobhani is a junior in the College of Arts and Science. She can be reached at aimee.f.sobhani@vanderbilt.edu.
