responsibility
Our default social engagement is built on the simple premise of ‘effort = reward’, and, as rational as that may be, it does unfortunately translate into the more fundamental motivation of ‘what’s in it for me?’. In essence, all aspects of our social interaction are viewed in terms of trade, where any opportunity is assessed in terms of one’s own gain. Reward is such a primitive concept that even the very simplest of organisms can be taught to perform certain tasks for the promise of a prize. Incentivising is a normal strategy to encourage people to do something they otherwise may not.
However, responsibility is a mature expression where the motivation is to do the best thing, not measure it in terms personal gain. The global crisis is far more devastating than any other emergency we’ve faced in our history, all because we have abandoned our unique ability to be responsible. We are now so primitive in our ‘what’s in it for me?’ approach, that we no longer benefit from the evolved potential that responsibility should afford us.
If we are to avoid our impending self-extinction, we need to first save the planet from the decimation that our relentless and indulgent selfishness continues to inflict upon it. The responsible thing to do would be to simply stop that destruction. This would mean being less greedy, less materialistic, and less selfish. For example, if it were suggested that cars be banned – which would be a significant step towards safeguarding our delicate ecosystem and securing a future for the next generations to enjoy – we would all first consider the implications of how not having a car would impact us individually, not whether it would be the right thing to do. This just serves to demonstrate that our current education does not teach us to be mature adults and concern ourselves with the bigger picture by doing the best thing (being responsible), rather, it is intent on making sure we remain underdeveloped so that we continue to evaluate everything in terms of our limited selfishness, just like a child.
A thought experiment: to stop people using their cars, we offer them some financial incentive, enough that it is in their interest to do so. The bottom line is that they will consider doing the best thing (safeguarding humanity’s future) only if they can profit from it. This immaturity is currently the mentality of all governments, corporations, and individuals. It’s time for us to grow up.
As adults we ought to pursue the best course of action for the sake of all, including those who have yet to be born. That is the definition of responsibility.
Being response-able means knowing how to respond. Responsibility is an intelligent, caring, and selfless expression, one that humans evolved to benefit from. Our current lack of responsibility is why we are not finding genuine solutions to the crisis, because we are deliberately being channelled into preoccupations and distractions which require nothing more than feeding our raw instincts – greed, ego, competition, sport, aggression, status, selfish indulgence, violence against another, and making the ‘self’ the meaning of life. All are rudimentary, in that they are behaviours that do not need to be learnt, merely encouraged.
The very reason for having evolved such a large brain and remarkable intelligence, is that it allows us to override those puerile instinctive behaviours and reactions, and take advantage of a more considered way of being, one that utilises our compassion, generosity, and altruism. Perhaps it is more appropriate to replace the notion of being altruistic (often thought of as an exceptional virtue) with that of being responsible – the natural state of human maturity.
Aug 2024