The Importance Of Irresponsibility

1084 Words3 Pages

Eleanor Roosevelt once said “In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.” Although Roosevelt said this decades ago, her message still holds true today: people are defined by their actions and choices. However, over the years, society has developed the idea that intentions or thoughts can also define people with phrases such as “Don’t judge me” or “It’s the thought that counts” becoming more and more commonplace. While thoughts and feelings hold some importance, it is the actions that leave a lasting imprint on others. It is the choices one makes that leave a lasting impact on an individual’s life or even, multiple individuals. …show more content…

While this may be true in some cases, not all victims are blameless. There is a clear distinction between someone who is an actual victim of a crime and someone who ended up as a victim due a series of poor choices. For example, someone decides to leave his/her car running with the keys in the ignition while he/she goes into the store to buy a few supplies, and the car gets stolen. Although what the thief did is unethical, the individual’s irresponsibility opened an opportunity for the criminal to steal his/her car. On the other hand, an actual victim would be someone who parks his/her car in the driveway at night, locks it, and sets the alarm; however, in the middle of the night, it gets broken into and stolen. Here’s the critical difference between the two scenarios: the first person is a victim of his/her conscious, reckless decision to leave the car running; while the second person took responsible measures to prevent car theft, yet ended up in an unfortunate situation. The first person can be held accountable for his/her careless decisions, but the second person cannot be blamed because he/she took responsibility for his/her …show more content…

Afraid to take responsibility, these people refuse to make any choices that may lead to them to getting labeled as a “criminal” or “delinquent.” Some people go as far as to hide their own actions, thoughts, and behaviors by blaming others for their behavior or choices. Donald Trump exhibits this behavior himself, especially regarding his infamous “Access Hollywood” tape--a recording of him making vulgar comments about women. During his presidential campaign, he publicly admitted to the authenticity of the recording; however, Trump recently claimed that the voice on the tape was either Hillary Clinton imitating him or that the tape was fake. Whether or not his allegations are true, the fact that he has revoked his previous confession, and has begun to blame others indicates that he is hiding the truth. Admittedly, one could assert that somebody who hated Trump did fake the tape and thus, turned him into a victim of fraudulence. However, a more compelling perspective is that the voice on the tape does belong to Trump, and after the issue of his sexual harassment swept through America, he began regretting his decision to record/publish the “Access Hollywood” tape. People tend to blame others if they refuse to acknowledge their responsibility or are unable to accept what happened. He may have realized his mistake, but his pride and stubbornness

Open Document