Accountability: Virtues Studies

 

By Betty Bassett

The virtue of accountability is embracing responsibility.  How do you hold your life accountable?  Are you responsible for the thoughts that you think, the feelings that you have, the  words that you say and the actions that you take?  This, entirely is the structure of the human experience.  Your life is created by your choice of thoughts, feelings, words and actions.  When you consider yourself, you are a biological creature that is limited by your innate IQ and the nutrition that you have consumed; you have been shaped by your culture; you have been molded by the circumstances of your childhood.  Where is the choice in all of that?  How can you take responsibility for how you were made, who your parents were and the skills and talents that you have or don't have?  What are you really in control of?  

Can you  control your thoughts and feelings?  I suppose you can try.  You can practice.   When you catch yourself thinking that you could shift blame to escape responsibility simply say to yourself, "What was my ultimate contribution in this? How was I responsible?  How can I make the responsible choice now?  In what way can I hold myself accountable?"  It takes a big person to do that.  The choices that you make become the consequences that you live with.  It is taking responsibility for your life that gives it meaning.

Reference:

"Moral responsibility ." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_responsibility.

Seisdedos, Patricia. "Taking Responsibility: 3 Simple Tips to Take Control and be more Responsible ." https://blog.cognifit.com/responsibility/#:~:text=Becoming%20a%20responsible%20person%20means,her%20own%20actions%20and%20decisions..

Marais, Dina. "9 Ways to Take Responsibility for Your Life Replace blaming and complaining with acts of intention. ." https://thriveglobal.com/stories/9-ways-to-take-responsibility-for-your-life/.