Viktor Frankl and the sense of responsibility

The sense of responsibility is the essence of civility and respect for ourselves and others. Viktor Frankl, famous Austrian psychiatrist and philosopher, already warned us in the 80s that we were failing in this very relevant social competence. We are forgetting that being responsible means understanding and applying some basic rules of engagement in our daily lives.

Winston Churchill said that the price of greatness is responsibility. It’s true, Every position, every prominent position requires a high sense of maturity and a refined moral and personal responsibility. However, this dimension goes much further and is in turn related to the concept of freedom.

Viktor Frankl himself witnessed an event that he had the opportunity to reflect on throughout the years he lived in the United States. During that time, in which he worked as a lecturer, writer and teacher at Harvard and Stanford Universities, he did not hesitate to be very critical of the values ​​that lived (and live) in American society and also in different societies in our world.

We are referring to the sense of freedom, where many have come to believe that being free is having the license to do what you want. Frankl held the belief that humanity is degenerating the pristine concept of what it means to be free. We are overlooking that this beautiful word must always be accompanied by a sense of responsibility. The first must always go hand in hand with the second.

The sense of responsibility in our society

Not understanding that freedom has limits, principles and responsibilities ultimately means ending up violating the rights of others.. This is something that most of us understand but even so, individually or collectively we continue to avoid that border until we harm others in an unsuspected way.

An example: we all have the right to express ourselves, but not to do harm through words. Each person is free to choose their own destiny, to create with their effort, creativity and energy the reality they desire, but that does not mean that to achieve a goal we have to sabotage others. Nor does a country or nation, no matter how powerful, have the legitimacy to subjugate others to obtain benefits.

The statue of responsibility

The issue of the misinterpretation of freedom worried Viktor Frankl for quite some time. In jobs like ‘Prisoners of our thoughts: Viktor Frankl and meaning in life and work’ From the psychologist Elaine Dundon we can see it in depth. Her concern was so great, when she saw the direction that American society was taking in the 80s and 90s, that He came to propose something as striking as it was evocative.

He asked that if the Statue of Liberty stood on the east coast of New York, It was advisable that another statue should also be erected on the west coast, but this time said artistic piece should represent the sense of responsibility. The project has been underway since then. But yes, It is expected that it will be completed by 2023…

Learning to be responsible requires awareness

The sense of responsibility implies, above all, having common sense, honesty and a social commitment. Now, on average it is common that when educating in this value, an excess of individualism and even narcissism is often instilled.

They teach us, for example, to be responsible for our things, to avoid behaviors that may be harmful or dangerous to ourselves, and they also remind us of the importance of being respectful of others.

Now, in reality, none of these ideas is fully consistent with the authentic sense of responsibility. Because Being responsible is more than just respecting others, it also implies promoting their well-being and having certain principles clear.

Sense of responsibility what does it really mean?

The sense of responsibility does not only mean acting correctly at all times.. It is feeling the internal need to always proceed appropriately without the need for others to see it or congratulate us for it. It is also have a clear and firm position towards the things that happen in our environment and the world itselfIt also means worrying about how our actions affect others.It involves generating changes (no matter how small) that improve the reality in which we live.It is being willing to take risks for certain goals and assume the mistakes we may make. It is, in turn, Do not blame others for the negative things that may happen to us. We are responsible for ourselves, let’s avoid carrying our own frustration on other people’s shoulders. It means be honest, believe in justice, be humble, compassionate and grateful.

To conclude, let us therefore keep these dimensions very much in mind. No value is as appreciated in our society as being free, as being owners and lords of our destinies, of our voice and ability to choose.

However, Let us remember to apply an adequate sense of responsibility in each of our steps. The whole world will gain from it.

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