Sunday, April 8, 2012

Thought for the Day - Responsibility for the Act, For the Consequences

Do we show more responsibility towards the act or for the consequence of the act? I'd like to believe that if we showed more responsibility to the act, the consequence would not matter so much.

Taking responsibility for the action indicates that one is clear why one is undertaking that action. There is no confusion on that aspect. Whatever it is, we have undertaken the act for some particular reason that we are convinced about. The consequences do not really matter after that. (It would normally also leave out factors such as guilt, disappointment and blame because one would also do one's best when one takes responsibility for the action thereby neutralising these effects.)

However if one is taking responsibility for the consequences of any act - especially in a manner that is causing immense pain and negative emotions such as guilt, resentment and such others, it would probably indicate that one has not been fully responsible for the act. Instead one is attached to the consequence, the drama of the consequence, than to the act of doing things responsibly.

By taking responsibility for the act, the act in itself gets done better, and one can take responsibility for the consequences in a positive manner. By taking responsibility for the consequences mainly, one could very well get attached to the drama and not perform the act well, and sink into a mire of blame, guilt and resentment.

The act then - not the consequence.


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