Responsibility

In an interview with Dr. Joseph DiStefano, Robert Greenleaf talked about what he viewed as one of the key downfalls of our own, and all societies; namely a lack of responsibility. Excerpts from the interview can be found in the book On Becoming a Servant Leader.

Here is some of what Greenleaf had to say.

the problem of our society is no different from what the problems of societies have generally been […] that is that the abler, stronger people do not take enough responsibility. […]. Most now do some good works, sort of with their left hand, but they simply entertain themselves with most of their time, energy, and resources, which is what the populace in general does. We’ve got to develop an ethic that says that the abler, stronger people, must take a lot more responsibility. […]. It has happened in other periods of history; […]. It hasn’t happened very often, but when it does happen, great things ensue, and I think they could ensue now if somehow we could release the spirit of the abler and stronger people.

I can relate to what Greenleaf was talking about. More often then not, I choose to avoid responsibility. When I come face to face with the problems in our society, whether they be homeless people seeking shelter from the cold in a box; pollutants contaminating our air, water, and land; wars that my Country is waging; or any of the other in-human symptoms of my lifestyle; I in essence look the other way and find my own escape. So how do I find the courage to become more responsible?

Greenleaf had some ideas on how to become more responsible that I hope to share with you in some coming Blogs. So what is responsibility?