I didn't do it, I'm not guilty, I'm not taking the blame!

I knew a person that said "I didn't do it, I'm not guilty, I'm not taking the blame." almost every day when (s)he walked through the door at work. It wasn't a matter of something having happened, it was just their standard statement. Unfortunately, it seems to be the theme these days. No one wants to accept responsibility for their choices. Get to work late and the boss fusses at you?? The boss must be picking on you. Screw up and someone calls in a complaint about you? The boss must be picking on you. Need to get off early and the boss will let anyone else, but not you?? Surely it couldn't have anything to do with the list of 'issues' you've had at work over the course of the week! The boss must be picking on you.

We aren't doing our children any favors when we smooth the way for them. When we insist that ALL of the children must be winners or someones feelings will be hurt, what lesson are we teaching? When we play sports 'for fun' with no winners or losers, what lesson do they learn? Could it be that if they excel, it doesn't matter because kids that barely participated receive the same recognition, meaning that striving to do your best doesn't matter? Showing up is good enough? Sure, showing up is important, but isn't it about what you do while you are there?

What on earth are we thinking? If we are all treated the same, what incentive is there to do a good job? If we don't hurt a little when we fall down, do we learn to be careful so we don't fall? If we don't have to answer for our actions we don't learn personal responsibility and that's something that is rampant these days. It's sad.