Imagine a world where personal responsibility did not exist. No one would be held accountable for the actions they performed whether helpful or harmful. People would not feel compelled by external forces to help other individuals who need assistance. Individuals would not be empowered by completing difficult or complicated tasks. This hypothetical world does not exist; instead, the modern world exists. In this world, personal responsibility is an important life virtue because it helps make the world a better place and provides a sense of empowerment.
The idea of personal responsibility has changed through human history (Brown, 2009). One ancient belief centered on the idea that “personal responsibility puts the emphasis on our relationship with the Gods” (Brown, 2009, p. 20). In contrast, the modern idea of personal responsibility is not defined by the dictionary. To come to a conclusion on the concept’s meaning, the individual worlds are analyzed. According to Dictionary.com, personal means “of, pertaining to, or coming as from a particular person; individual; private” (2013). Also according to Dictionary.com, responsibility means “the state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one’s power, control, or management” (2013) and “reliability or dependability” (2013). These definitions lead to the conclusion that personal responsibility means the accountability and reliability of an individual. In other words, personal responsibility can be seen as “fulfilling one’s moral and social obligations as a purposeful and self-reliant agent” (Scarbrough, 2001, p. 261).
Personal responsibility allows an individual to feel empowered by the tasks he accomplished. He will be able to complete other requests or goals which will in turn increase his confidence in his abilities. This will lead him to continue seeking other challenges to finish. In between the tasks, his sense of responsibility assists him in completing...