In times like the present men should utter nothing for which they would not willingly be responsible through time and in eternity.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
When government accepts responsibility for people, then people no longer take responsibility for themselves.
—George Pataki (b.1945) American Politician, Governor
I saw that we’re all doing the best we can. This is how a lifetime of humility begins.
—Byron Katie (b.1942) American Speaker, Author
You must take personal responsibility.
You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons,
or the wind, but you can change yourself.
That is something you have charge of.
You don’t have charge of the constellations,
but you do have charge of whether you read,
develop new skills, and take new classes.
—Jim Rohn (1930–2009) American Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker
All business depends upon men fulfilling their responsibilities.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Ef you take a sword an’ dror it,
An’ go stick a feller thru,
Guv’ment ain’t to answer for it,
God’ll send the bill to you.
—James Russell Lowell (1819–91) American Poet, Critic
You take on the responsibility for making your dream a reality.
—Les Brown
Each of us has the right and the responsibility to asses the road which lie ahead and those over which we have traveled, and if the feature road looms ominous or unpromising, and the road back uninviting-inviting, then we need to gather our resolve and carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that one as well.
—Maya Angelou (1928–2014) American Poet
We create the world in which we live; if that world becomes unfit for human life; it is because we tire of our responsibility.
—Cyril Connolly (1903–74) British Literary Critic, Writer
The feeling of a direct responsibility of the individual to God is almost wholly a creation of Protestantism.
—John Stuart Mill (1806–73) English Philosopher, Economist
No alibi will save you from accepting the responsibility.
—Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) American Author, Journalist, Attorney, Lecturer
Freedom is a package deal—with it comes responsibilities and consequences.
—Unknown
I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime.
—Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (1926-2004) American Psychiatrist
The way to avoid responsibility is to say, “I’ve got responsibilities.”
—Richard Bach (b.1936) American Writer, Aviator
The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. That sums up the progress of an artful leader.
—Max De Pree (1924–2017) American Businessman
Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.
—Viktor Frankl (1905–97) Austrian Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist
Fear, born of that stern matron, Responsibility.
—William McFee (1881–1966) English Writer
The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.
—Sophocles (495–405 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
Man has responsibility, not power.
—American Indian Proverb
Let there be no doubt: as long as you continue to blame others instead of assuming your responsibilities, you will make no meaningful and enduring change for the better. What kind of people are we, if we don’t have the character to own up to our own shortcomings and responsibilities? To have and enjoy certain liberties requires us to hold each other and ourselves accountable for our actions.
—Gary Ryan Blair
One must care about a world one will not see.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
If you mess up, ‘fess up.
—Unknown
I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty. I believe that the law was made for man and not man for the law; that government is the servant of the people and not their master. I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living. I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living and that economy is a prime requisite of a sound financial structure, whether in government, business or personal affairs. I believe that truth and justice are fundamental to an enduring social order. I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man’s word should be as good as his bond; that character-not wealth or power or position-is of supreme worth. I believe that the rendering of useful service is the common duty of mankind and that only in the purifying fire of sacrifice is the dross of selfishness consumed and the greatness of the human soul set free. I believe in an all-wise and all-loving God, named by whatever name, and that the individual’s highest fulfillment, greatest happiness and widest usefulness are to be found in living in harmony with His will. I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world; that it alone can overcome hate; that right can and will triumph over might.
—John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874–1960) American Philanthropist, Businessperson
True revolutionaries are like God—they create the world in their own image. Our awesome responsibility to ourselves, to our children, and to the future is to create ourselves in the image of goodness, because the future depends on the nobility of our imaginings.
—Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1934–2002) American Writer, Essayist, Critic
Those who are unwilling to invest in the future haven’t earned one.
—Harold Warren Lewis
I don’t think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who from an early age knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality
We hardly ever realize that we can cut anything out of our lives, anytime, in the blink of an eye.
—Carlos Castaneda (1925–98) Peruvian-born American Anthropologist, Author
Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else.
—Les Brown
A new position of responsibility will usually show a man to be a far stronger creature than was supposed.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
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