Among the many challenges of parenting is teaching children the critical skills of accountable behavior. Kids are given freedom to make age-appropriate choices which come with consequences, some positive, some negative, all with potential learning experiences. Mistakes are normal and feelings like guilt become motivation to do better, so parents need patience and disciplined love to allow this process to unfold.
It’s difficult to watch a kid struggle with painful consequences, but enabling behavior must be avoided, or kids will quickly learn that parents are their constant cleanup committee. To be accountable, people of all ages must learn to own all the consequences of their decisions, especially the ones that harm others. Healthy, self-aware, humble humans quickly make appropriate amends by starting the cleanup process with the key words “I’m sorry,” and they learn by so doing as they make necessary changes.
Unfortunately, many don’t learn these fundamental skills, so much human strife continues. There was the 2008 Wall Street junk bond ripoff, but the government bailed out the irresponsible “too big to fail” financial sector. More recently, it’s Big Pharma’s ongoing price gouging, supported by “pay-to-play” politics. Meanwhile, the rich game the tax code and get much richer, while the underfunded IRS does little or nothing.
There are similar problems with our leadership. President Ronald Reagan had his Iran-Contra scandal whitewashed. President Richard Nixon was pardoned, which didn’t heal the country because President George W. Bush figured he could lie to us about Iran, which produced ISIS. And now there’s President Donald Trump, the latest irresponsible one, who makes Bush look like a noble prince.
Humans model behavior for others. If there’s no accountability, life becomes a very selfish, very destructive free-for-all, which isn’t free for anyone, because harmful consequences flood everyone.
Mike Beebe
Lyndeborough