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.

  • mrgoosmoos@lemmy.caEnglish
    4·
    6 days ago

    I’m also very pro accountability.

    I once screwed up and got into a minor fender bender. just a pushed in plastic panel on the other guys car, and a scrape on mine. immediately owned up to it and said yeah my bad and got his info and paid him back for it after he got a repair quote

    nowadays, I would first judge the person in order to determine how I act. do they look like someone that cares about how their actions affect others? if not, then I’m going to treat them how they probably treat me. leave a shopping cart in the middle of the sidewalk? fuck you. have a giant ass car with LED headlights on pointing directly into a restaurant when you’re not even in the car? fuck you. tailgate the shit out of me for no reason? fuck you. blow a stop sign and nearly run me over in the marked crossing? fuck you. have your shit laid out all over the bus and a bunch of people are getting on? fuck you. standing in the middle of the whatever blocking people from going by and you goddamn well know you’re in the way? fuck you.

    my point is that I am only going to bother treating other people well so long as they don’t seem like they don’t treat others well. otherwise, I’m just following the golden rule