Common Sense: Take responsibility for bad decisions
By Judy Lake January 25, 2013 9:42PM
Judy Lake
Updated: February 28, 2013 6:18AM
Everyone has choices to make in life. There is a saying that goes, “Don’t complain about where you are in life when you’re the one who got you there.” Our good or bad decisions at any age determine where we will be later in life. Your past quickly becomes your future.
No one can be perfect all the time; we all make mistakes. But I’m sick and tired of people not taking responsibility for their own actions or behavior. What about the people who continuously make poor choices in life? Is their drama or problems always someone else’s fault?
At work, we had to fire an employee for gross negligence for not following basic safety procedures. In spite of numerous safety trainings, he stuck his hand in a grinder without locking the machine out or turning it off. The employee filed for unemployment and the company denied it.
Eventually, the claim made it to an arbitrator who granted the former employee full unemployment benefits because, “the employee didn’t mean to put his hand in danger.” Read between the lines: it wasn’t his fault.
If the employee had cut off his fingers while putting his hand in the grinder, the company would have been liable for a worker’s compensation claim. The company is wrong no matter what and has to pay for the poor decision of the employee, regardless of whether he still has all his fingers.
What has happened in America? Why is it so hard for someone to admit they made a mistake and move on, taking the consequences for their behavior? People expect life to be fair. If it’s not, they complain that they’re “entitled” to … fill in the blanks to whatever it takes to make them whole.
Since when is life supposed to be fair? Did I miss that part of Economics 101?
There are such things in life as accidents and illness over which we sometimes have no control. I’m all for giving people a helping hand when they are down on their luck due to situations over which they have no control. But at what point are individuals responsible for themselves and their own decisions? Where do we draw the line?
The only person you can control is you. When you blame others, you give up your power to change yourself.
If this subject upsets you, please remember that it’s just my opinion. It’s not my fault that I hold these views.
Contact Judy Lake at Judy.lake.news@gmail.com.
