4) What Ever Happened to Personal Responsibility: A Rant
by Cameron Schaefer
“Life’s about choices,” said a college professor of mine. He taught finance and would impart (reveal) to my classmates and me the importance of the decisions we all have as to how we use our money, time and resources. It was his mantra (tune) and something that he passed on, not only to his students, but his children as well.
What do you expect the professor would reveal to his students
For instance, he recalled an experience when his 8-year-old daughter and him were going on a walk around the neighborhood. He had told her to take her jacket because it was cold outside. “No, I don’t need it,” she proclaimed. He explained to her that she would get cold if she didn’t have her jacket, yet she still insisted she didn’t need it. “O.K.,” he said and they went on the walk.
Who do you think should take the decision the father or the child?
What do you think will happen?
A few blocks in she began grumbling about how cold it was and rubbing her arms. What did my professor do? Did he cut the walk off short? Did he take off his jacket and lovingly place it around his daughter? No, he made her walk the rest of the way home freezing her butt off. “Life’s about choices,” he explained to his daughter.
What lesson is the father trying to teach his little girl?
60 years ago people reading this article would say of this example, “Well done, he taught his daughter a valuable lesson.” But today, many reading this would cry, “Child Abuse!” “It was the father’s fault for not making her take her jacket!” “You can’t blame the daughter, she didn’t know, she can’t be held responsible!”
This is what’s wrong with our society. We’ve become a people that hold everyone responsible, but ourselves.
1) What message has the professor passed on to his students?
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2) In what ways are you responsible for your time, money and resources?
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3) What is meant by resources? Mention some examples.
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4) What advice did he give his 8-year old daughter before going out for a walk?
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5) What was her response?
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6) What was he trying to teach her? t do you think of his How?
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7) Would your parents do the same?
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8) What do you think of his way of handling the matter?
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9) How would you feel if you were in the daughter's shoe?
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10) 'life is about choices', how can it be applied on the story of the 8-year old girl?
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11) Describe the differences between people's reaction 60 years ago and their reaction nowadays.
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12) Do you agree of disagree with the saying, " We've become a people that hold everyone responsible, but ourselves!" Why or why not?
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13) Who do you think is responsible for protecting you from yourself or your own decisions?
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