Inner Work

For the week of: October 14, 2002

Aberrations of Responsibility

Of the most important human qualities, responsibility is second only to love. To be fully human, we must be and act responsibly toward ourselves, toward our family, toward society and toward God. One way of growing more responsible lies in seeing our many aberrations of responsibility, on small scales and large.

            The worst aberration occurs when we abdicate responsibility altogether, walking away from or ignoring a situation which is rightfully ours to address. In shirking responsibility, we malinger by continually dodging actions meant for us to step up to, sliding toward the easy way out. Procrastination supports and enables shirking.

            The flip side of aberrant responsibility involves inappropriately grasping responsibility not rightfully ours. One type meddles in other people’s business. Another imposes their own views unnecessarily, like the parents or teachers who cannot, even when appropriate, let go of their growing children and students, to let them learn and mature through their own decisions and mistakes.

            All aberrations of responsibility emanate from self-seeking, assigning priority to the wrong place. For this week, notice your own relationship to your responsibilities.

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