So as a kid, I was raised on the idea of taking responsibility and accountability for mistakes, actions, and work. I have always been kind of neurotic about making sure all that I do is proper, but I’ve lately been questioning if it’s even worth it.
Being an adult, all I ever see is evasion of responsibility.
Evasion of taxes Evasion of liability in car accidents Evasion of responsibility for mistakes etc.
For example, if you get into a car-wreck, the first thing anyone does is try to pin responsibility and liability on you for injuries and property even if you were in the right.
If something goes wrong, it’s never that person’s fault. If something goes right, it wasn’t just your work.
Idk, it’s a really random thought I had this morning. No one wants to take the blame, I get that, but the idea of evading responsibility is so deeply ingrained in our culture, that insurance companies use AI to auto-reject claims to avoid payouts.
I could go on with this little reflection, but I just find it so hypocritical that I was raised to act responsibly when American society’s MO is the exact opposite in the most fundamental ways.
Most people (including myself) are cowardly and selfish. If we have the opportunity to avoid responsibilities, especially if no one is watching or if we can “get away with it” … chances are most people would. I’m not saying that all people are selfish … if they are being watched or there are witnesses, many people (I believe the majority) would do the right thing and take responsibility.
Which is why we need a world with checks and balances … we constantly need to watch one another and set to systems where everyone is literally on a stage of sorts. Especially when it comes to politicians and government … if we leave people to do things in the dark without anyone knowing, chances are very high that they will do terrible things.
In a promo for his book, Nico Semsrott asked the audience if they would embezzle funds. Most people voted no. Then he asked if they would embezzle funds if it was guaranteed that nobody would check them. The vote widely swung towards yes.