Responsibility: What does it mean to you?
 

This is a thread where we state our views on responsiblity, and view others in the hopes that we might better come to understand our own values and those of others.

Starting off with the Wiki listing
Next, a dictionary definitionfor comparison's sake.
I only state these, so we have some common groundwork to start from.

To me, responsibility is the willingness to do what you want, and willing to accept the consequences of those actions. When you try to obtain something, but don't want to suffer any consequences, you aren't being responsible. (Ex: You want a child, but have a nanny that takes care of it most of the time. Obviously, the child is cared for, but is the parent really taking responsibility by laying most of the work it takes to raise a child on someone else? Obviously, some will disagree, but that is part of the reason I made this thread, so that we could both have a better understanding of our values.)

I think responsiblity is very important as well. While I wouldn't like this to get too far out of hand, certain problems in society can be attributed to a lack of responsiblity.

Suing fast food companies because you gained weight, blaming the media for the way your child is, and an unwillingness to actually research your vote choices all, to me mind you, seem like signs that American society (I don't feel I have enough justification to speak for anything else really) has a real problem with this value.

Ironically, in time of increasing "family values", this fairly major one is left unaccounted for. Our current President is allowed to get away with whatever he wants, yet we freak out over a lie that was told so a guy didn't get in trouble with his wife. (Still probably wrong mind you. Then again, that's between the three involved to decide for themselves. Again, personal opinion.)

So... what does responsibility mean to you?

The Wandering God

Free Will is Responsability...

You can do whatever you want... as long as you can face the consequences of it...

Quid Quo Pro, right?

Also... responsability, for me, is not doing anything you wouldnt want people doing it with you...

Responsibility is accepting the consequences of your actions. I can agree with that. But I think responsibility is also a matter of refusing to accept the consequences of anyone else's actions.

Responsibility is also following the obligation to act (or not act) in certain circumstances, e.g. if someone needs help and you're their only possible provider. Someone could live immoraly (is that a word?) and accept the consequences, but that wouldn't be completely responsible, at least, according to me. Maybe my definition is too broad.

Responsibility is:
Establishing a moral code and sticking to it
Treating women with respect and how you would want to be treated (this is one of the primary male responsibilities which, as of late, a lot of female friends I know have had their significant others not follow)
Saying you will do something and doing it on time
Accepting you did something wrong
Apologizing when its needed
Thinking of others as well as yourself (note: many times above yourself)
Helping those who need it
Realizing what your actions and words do to others (this is one of the biggest things I see the majority of people don't do in real life, although it could be said I do it too much. And just doing this one thing would make life so much easier for others)

Hm...more as I think of them. Responsibility is a HUGE topic and can't just be summed up by 1 sentance.

Responsibility is being able to say "Oops." when you make a mistake. In fact, to me, responsibility is learning from your mistakes, not just accepting the consequences of them. The fact of life is that we will all make mistakes. Truly responsible people will take those mistakes, say "Now what did I do wrong here?", and trying there best to improve themselves.

Responsibility for me is being the ability to say something, follow suite in actions, and regardless of the outcome good or bad, be accountable for it.

It also irks me when people vote in the elections solely based on each guys position on abortion (I'm looking at Catholics mainly, mind you I'm not stereotyping, I'm Catholic and every Catholic I've talked to said "I voted for so-and so because he's pro-life."). Its nice to see people concerned over a single issue, but thats just one issue, you need to look at the broader picture. Look at who will do a better job on the whole, then vote. Don't complain about the guy whose doing a poor job with everything else if you voted for him based on one issue. You should have known better.

It irks me when some people also decide to put TOO much responsibility onto one person because Their DEFINETLY not ready to carry that much responsibility yet (too young or lack of experience) and expect a good job out it.

Responsibility to humanity. Responsibility to maintain our existence and not make it rife with hate and strife the entire time we're here. I think it's such an important notion that doesn't occur to a lot of people--so many problems seem much more trivial when you think about them this way.

Suddenly, you realise that every act of malice or hate just contributes more to the overall "pool." Suddenly so many serious issue appear even more drastic because they are fabricating rifts in humanity that need not be there--they are sectionalising us, they are letting us succumb into tribal warfare.

edit:Yah, you're right shiney...sorry. I'll just stay away from threads like this, I suppose. They seem to be less discussion and more affirmation...and thats bound to get me proselytizing. /edit

Otherwise, same sort of things in this thread. Responsibility for your actions. Responsibility for what you do to your body (drugs...). Not that you aren't allowed assistance, ever--just that you should be fully aware of consequences or byproducts of your actions, or at least as much as possible.

Quoting A Tribe Called Quest--

Get in the zone of positivity, not negativity
Cuz we gotta strive for longevity

Locke, for fuck's sake, quit stirring the pot. You got banned over it recently. I doubt you want to be permanently banned but it's going to fucking happen.

This is your final chance. Don't be all snarky and push it, I'm not having that shit. You are intelligent enough to learn how to shut the hell up. Do it, like everybody else does. It won't make you less of a man, or some sort of sheep, or whatever. It will merely help you actually remain a member of Nuklearpower Forums. We've had that rule since the ezboards, how can you still be poking at it? That's 5 years of foruming now.

I'm not having it ever again. This is not shiney the sometimes discussion adversary, this is shiney the forum administrator talking. Please don't force my hand.

Heh. And the topic is about responsibility. The irony astounds me...

I actually think that the dictionary did justice on telling us what responsibility means. Thank goodness for lexicons!

That works for me!