» Are You Sure It’s Not Your Fault?

Surely I’m not in the minority by thinking it’s about time people stopped looking for someone, or something else to blame for things that should be laid at their feet?

The rise of the ‘nanny state’ and success of compensation claims have led many people to step back from taking responsibility for their own actions it seems.

Who's responsible when someone ignores good sense?

If you’re walking along the street not looking where you’re going, stumble over an uneven surface and twist your ankle, or even fall and suffer some grazes, should you be able to sue the council? Okay if you hurt yourself on an obviously dangerous piece of road that ought to have been repaired, or at least fenced off, you might have more of a case. But to be honest, if you’re walking along the street not looking where you’re going why should anyone else be to blame if you hurt yourself?

If you choose to eat or drink something that you know isn’t good for you, or to carry on smoking when you know of the health risks, should you be able to blame someone else if you become ill?

Unless you’re being held as some sort of prisoner (when you’re highly unlikely to be reading this, unless it’s being used as a punishment) you make your own choices about what to do, what to wear, what to eat and drink etc. No-one can force you to make certain choices, however much you might want to convince yourself they can. No-one is force-feeding you burgers or alcohol, no-one is luring you to that uneven road surface. You’re choosing it yourself.

Having the freedom to make your own choices goes hand in hand with taking responsibility for these choices, and for your own actions that flow from the choices.

Why should it be otherwise? Why should you have the right to make choices that could hurt you in some way, then expect someone else to take responsibility for the consequences. Part of growing up, of becoming a fully functioning member of society should be learning the realities of cause and effect, of actions and consequences, of freedom and responsibility.

A teenager who ignores all the warning signs to climb onto a glass roof in pursuit of a kite or ball, and falls through that roof sustaining injury, is indeed a tragic story. But while you’re sympathizing with them or their parents you shouldn’t forget that they had two choices.