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> Wise Choices | > Index | > Responsibilities |
Responsibilities
I will fulfil my responsibilities.
A typical wish
"I wish that others would fulfil their responsibilities to me. I wish to live in a world where people can make commitments and be relied upon to fulfil them."
"I wish to live in a world where, if I am in distress, that others who can readily help me would have a responsibility to do so."
The principle of responsibility helps to fulfil a variety of ideals. In order to achieve most ideals, it is necessary to do some work, and to divide the work and roles among the people. This process is described in the topic Ideals Based Decisions.
Responsibilities often arise out of promises, and the making of promises has a lot to do with honesty (conveying accurate information about what you intend to do). This is associated with the ideal of Truth and Honesty.
The responsibility of helping when others are in distress is specifically related to the Disaster Relief ideal.
Making the Wish come true
"I will fulfil my own responsibilities, including my responsibilities to family or friends and any contractual obligations that I have willingly undertaken."
"I will help other people when they need it and when I am the best person to help them."
What exceptions may there be?
Each person has limited capacity. In recognition of this a person may avoid taking on responsibilities that are beyond their capacity. Sometimes a person may make an error and in such cases they may have to back out of their least important responsibilities.
If you find that you cannot complete a responsibility, consider:
- How does this affect the person(s) who are relying on you? Is there someone else who will take care of the responsibility in your place?
- Suppose that someone had failed to fulfil their responsibility to you in a similar situation, and for a similar reason. Would you accept their rationale as a justifiable reason, or as a lame excuse? (If it's not acceptable to you, don't assume it would be acceptable to others.)
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