responsibility
Responsibility is often misunderstood as a burden – something restrictive, something to be endured. But in truth, it is quite the opposite. The ability to respond – to be response-able – is to be adaptable, and aware of the wider implications of our actions. It is the liberty to act in ways that strengthens life, the community, and the future, elevating us from being merely the prisoners of primitive impulses and instincts.
Although responsibility must be learned, it is the most profound expression of our humanity. And yet, modern society treats responsibility as optional – something that can be deferred, outsourced, or avoided in favour of personal preference. ‘What’s in it for me?’ has become the prevailing mantra, as if the only valid motivation for action is self-gain. As we grow up, instead of responsibility, we’re presented with ambition, acquisition, and competition – all symptoms of our suppressed development masquerading as freedom.
And the consequences are everywhere. Take, for instance, the beef industry. We know that deforestation, particularly in the Amazon, is driven overwhelmingly by the world’s increasing appetite for beef. We also know that excessive red meat consumption is linked to a range of health issues including cancer, heart disease, and obesity. So, what if we simply stopped eating cows, not as a punishment, or a grand moral gesture, but because it’s the best thing to do?
This is not a radical proposal, but a straightforward demonstration of responsibility. It simply asks, what do we value more – the fleeting satisfaction of our taste buds, or the future of our planet? By choosing to stop eating beef, deforestation would cease almost immediately, greenhouse gas emissions would fall significantly, and the desperate hope of inventing technologies to replace the forests’ natural carbon absorption would become unnecessary. Our own risk of chronic illness would fall too. It’s a real opportunity. A true win-win.
And yet, many would reject the idea outright – not because it’s irrational, but because it threatens their idea of entitlement. They might cite tradition, culture, or personal liberty, in an attempt to justify the ongoing harm. But to continue eating beef simply because we like the taste, knowing the damage it causes, is not freedom, it is indulgence at the expense of others – immaturity dressed up as identity.
If we truly understood responsibility, we’d work to bring everyone together, and make life better for all. Responsibility is a gift from nature, an adaption that is essential for our survival. When we act responsibly, we reflect our true humanity – as nature intended – not the primitive caricature that society encourages us to be.
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 being responsible.
What of those who assume positions of responsibility?
We have been trained to look upwards, to trust those in positions of authority, and to know they are the grown-ups in the room – the responsible ones, the ones who see further, understand more, and who prioritise our collective wellbeing. But the evidence tells another story.
Those we are obliged to rely on – the politicians – have abandoned responsibility for power, and wisdom for influence. They speak of progress while preserving the system that is destroying the world and all that lives upon it. Like the religious leaders, who pray in public but profit in private, politicians make promises to the future, while selling it off in pieces, lining their pockets along the way. They champion individual freedoms, yet imprison us in a world built on inequality and injustice – not on principle.
Their version of responsibility is a facade – presented to the cameras, discarded behind closed doors. While the planet burns and inequality deepens, their objectives reveal a loyalty, not to humanity, but to personal gain and the preservation of their own power. It is not ignorance. It is not inability. It is simply ego and greed.
True responsibility requires vision. It serves those without a voice: future generations, non-human life, the vulnerable, the invisible. But instead of custodians, we have controllers of catastrophe.
Altruism, often considered a virtue, is simply responsibility in action. It is not saintly, but it is necessary. Responsibility is the doorway to a better life – not just for ourselves, but for everyone.
Aug 2024