Self-responsibility is the concept that entails having personal accountability for the ethical and thoughtful decisions made by an individual besides bearing the repercussions that arise from those choices made. Responsibility as a concept of individual analysis means that one has to be aware of the changes that he or she brings.

Self-Awareness

The first stage is diagnostic – getting to know ourselves as people, including our actions and inactions, strengths and weaknesses, temper and personalities, preferences and beliefs. Being aware of ourselves helps to identify the impact we have on other people’s lives and their reactions to our behavior. For example, there may be certain behaviors that are normal for us but which are actually prejudicial to people or that demand more of their abilities than is reasonable. It enables us to make corrections on the undesirable characteristics we may portray when relating with other people.

Ownership

Another aspect of assuming individual responsibility is accepting accountability for the decisions a person makes and their consequences instead of shifting the blame to other people or circumstances. However, there are always constraints and limitations outside our control – be they in the social world or in our own selves – that influence the choices open to us and our capacity to act on them. Apologizing for the mistake, considering other people’s opinions as valuable and taking them into consideration, and acknowledging that one can improve are essential. Instead of looking at accountability as a mechanism which is used to penalize, it can be seen as a mechanism which empowers – mistakes are opportunities for change in the best possible way.

Ethical Choices

Accountability of individuals is a concept that requires one to evaluate his/her morality and make good choices in the society. This means that the process is no longer a purely selfish act but an act of realizing how our actions and presence can affect the common good. Some of the things we might ask ourselves could be: How do I care for community? Do I show compassion to individuals struggling with difficulties? Am I participating in positive change for social and or environmental issues? This orientation seeks to attempt to live in a deliberate and intentional manner choosing bravery or selflessness in even small things.

Ongoing Practice

Responsibility should not be equated with decision making because the former is a continual process and not a one-time activity. We have to learn being attentive to ourselves, decide and accept responsibility for our decision, and its possible results. It is also worthwhile to mention that the notion of ‘ethical’ decisions and actions changes over time depending on the experience. We can set and prescribe key values to which the choices and actions should adhere. I must say that it is not something you do for a day or a week, or try to say ‘I did it’ and tick it off a list and move on to the next. Responsible choices become easier as we train ourselves to do so, as well as cultivating more regard for how our lives are lived in connection with others’ well-being.

In conclusion, individual responsibility is about getting to know ourselves and ourselves as bearers of individual freedom for whom it is possible to assume responsibility for our decisions, to make value judgments consciously and only in this way become people who, in deciding, do not reduce others but raise them. It is something that is done on a daily basis throughout the year, month after month and year after year.