Responsibilities redux
Mar. 5th, 2004 09:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sobriqueAnd now to what I was going to write about.
Responsibility again.
One cannot deny that each of us have our own responsibilities. Taking them away from someone is supreme contempt. But helping them in dealing with them is true kindness.
So ask yourself this:
A woman is struggling through a door, with armloads of shopping. She's also got a toddler with her and is having trouble with arms full.
Do you say "it's not my responsibility" and let her get on with it?
Do you hold the door to let her through?
Do you take some of the weight off her arms and carry it the rest of the way?
You're on your way to work, and you're running late. You might just about get in the door on time if you push. Just in front of you, a car suddenly swerves and crashes into a tree.
Do you stop, and see if this random stranger is ok?
Do you tell your self "it's not my responsibility, and I'm already late. Someone else will deal with it" and carry on?
Someone is being attacked by three or four thugs. You're not convinced that if they turned on you, then you'd not take a few bruises.
Do you walk on by, and pretend not to see?
Do you stop, watch, wait for them to finish and offer a hand?
Do you intervene. Do you make it your responsibility?
I'm not going to do this as a poll. I'd just like you to think for a minute. Which would you choose. And which _should_ you choose.
Then turn it around. You're in these situations. How would you feel about each of the responses?
It's the same question. It's just a different magnitude.
Too many would walk on by.
Responsibility again.
One cannot deny that each of us have our own responsibilities. Taking them away from someone is supreme contempt. But helping them in dealing with them is true kindness.
So ask yourself this:
A woman is struggling through a door, with armloads of shopping. She's also got a toddler with her and is having trouble with arms full.
Do you say "it's not my responsibility" and let her get on with it?
Do you hold the door to let her through?
Do you take some of the weight off her arms and carry it the rest of the way?
You're on your way to work, and you're running late. You might just about get in the door on time if you push. Just in front of you, a car suddenly swerves and crashes into a tree.
Do you stop, and see if this random stranger is ok?
Do you tell your self "it's not my responsibility, and I'm already late. Someone else will deal with it" and carry on?
Someone is being attacked by three or four thugs. You're not convinced that if they turned on you, then you'd not take a few bruises.
Do you walk on by, and pretend not to see?
Do you stop, watch, wait for them to finish and offer a hand?
Do you intervene. Do you make it your responsibility?
I'm not going to do this as a poll. I'd just like you to think for a minute. Which would you choose. And which _should_ you choose.
Then turn it around. You're in these situations. How would you feel about each of the responses?
It's the same question. It's just a different magnitude.
Too many would walk on by.
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no subject
Date: 2004-03-05 05:09 am (UTC)It's not something I'm especially proud of.
I can also say that I _have_ intervened. On that occasion, I got my glasses broken and in impressive shiner.
I can understand how/why it happens. I also truly believe it should not.
I hope to never see such things happen again. I also hope that I will find the courage to act.