"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it."
- Jesse Jackson
Webster’s Dictionary defines responsible as being “able to answer for one’s conduct and obligations,” in a manner that is “trustworthy.” The term responsible is also described as “being able to choose for oneself between right and wrong.” Self-responsibility can refer to an individual engaging in a decision making process that promotes personal choices that ultimately affect their conduct and obligations. Self-responsibility can also be a sign of an individual’s self-determination, for example, recognizing how they choose to act, especially when deciding definitely and firmly on issues of importance to their personal life interests. Therefore, how you as a student assume self-responsibility in your daily life reveals information about your values, character, and attitude in ways that embody personal integrity (for example, your adherence to a code of principled or imaginative values). Self-responsibility also entails critical thinking strategies that empower an individual to develop their skills in reasoning, problem solving, devising and evaluating arguments and making inferences that enhance their quality of life and the attainment of personal life goals. While many of you are raised to be aware of the benefits of self-responsibility, learning how to integrate daily actions requires a sense of control over your life.
A STRONG FOUNDATION
The rich man plans for tomorrow, the poor man for today. Source: (Chinese)
As a student, self-responsibility may be the awareness of how your choice to practice an effective study behavior can positively affect your achieving the objective of learning a subject successfully; because you understand the material you are studying, you are more likely to pass the exam. While some of you may have already been taught basic strategies that help you assume the quality of self-responsibility, others may need the support of faculty, staff, and peers to grow and develop the best practices in this area. Self-responsibility should be taught in ways that promote“ thinking around situations, in seeing potential consequences of actions rather than taking the first thought and acting upon it. The child is taught reflection, introspection, reasoning, logic. As students progress in these ways of thinking and behaving, social capacity evolves. First there is sustenance of personal need; then group need; and finally, students emerge as champions of relationship, able to look at the needs of many, embracing the concept of multicultural and multinational interests and needs. Thus prepared, students enter the world of work and adult responsibility able to share the knowledge of personal strengths, acceptance of self, concern and care for those who are gifted and talented in other ways, and excitement about the challenges of the future. For a person thus prepared, it is not just excitement about a personal future, but a shared and global concept of future. For a nation thus prepared, the philosophical depth, emotional stability, and experience in building and maintaining community offer world leadership in constructing a positive future and advancing the well-being of humanity” (Ellsworth, 1998). J'Anne Ellsworth, 1998 Northern Arizona University
TAKE CONTROL OF YOURSELF
The Practice of self-responsibility entails these realizations:
I am responsible for the achievements of my desires.
I am responsible for my choices and actions.
I am responsible for the level of consciousness I bring to my work.
I am responsible for the level of consciousness I bring to my relationships.
I am responsible for my behavior with other people—coworkers, associates, customers, spouse, children, friends.
I am responsible for how I prioritize my time.
I am responsible for the quality of my communications.
I am responsible for my personal happiness.
I am responsible for accepting or choosing the values by which I live.
I am responsible for raising my self-esteem. (Branden, 1994).
Nathaniel Branden also identifies the fact that by accepting personal responsibility you must realistically recognize that there are some situations and circumstances in which matters beyond your control can and do occur. When this happens, you must discern what is happening and use good judgment in recognizing the limits of your self-responsibility.
Benson George Cooke, Ed.D.
Assistant Director and Counselor, CounselingCenter
Assistant Professor