You take on the responsibility for making your dream a reality.
—Les Brown
If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.
—Pauline Phillips (Abigail van Buren) (b.1918) American Columnist
You are not only responsible for what you say, but also for what you do not say
—Martin Luther (1483–1546) German Protestant Theologian
You have given me a great responsibility: to stay close to you, to be worthy of you and to exemplify what you are.
—Jimmy Carter (b.1924) American Head of State, Military Leader
Whenever we seek to avoid the responsibility for our own behavior, we do so by attempting to give that responsibility to some other individual or organization or entity. But this means we then give away our power to that entity.
—M. Scott Peck (1936–2005) American Psychiatrist, Author
No one will dare maintain that it is better to do injustice than to bear it.
—Aristotle (384BCE–322BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scholar
You must accept responsibility for your actions, but not the credit for your achievements.
—Denis Waitley (b.1933) American Motivational Speaker, Author
Nobody can do it for you.
—Ralph J. Cordiner (1900–73) American Businessman
One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And, the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
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
It is the responsibility of leadership to provide opportunity, and the responsibility of individuals to contribute.
—C. William Pollard (b.1938) American Businessman
We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility.
—Albert Einstein (1879–1955) German-born Physicist
We have the Bill of Rights. What we need is a Bill of Responsibilities.
—Bill Maher (b.1956) American Comedian, TV Personality, Social Critic, Author, Actor
In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have.
—Lee Iacocca (1924–2019) American Businessperson
Nothing strengthens the judgment and quickens the conscience like individual responsibility.
—Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902) American Social Reformer
As human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is up to us.
—Arnold J. Toynbee (1889–1975) British Historian
All business depends upon men fulfilling their responsibilities.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
What fate can be worse than to know we have no one but ourselves to blame for our misfortunes.
—Sophocles (495–405 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.
—Sophocles (495–405 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
Tomorrow’s leaders not only have dreams, goals and plans. They are willing to work hard and to take responsibility for turning their plans into energy, perspiration and effort. They don’t sit back and wait for someone else to turn their dreams into action. They take charge of executing their own plan.
—Denis Waitley (b.1933) American Motivational Speaker, Author
Freedom is a package deal—with it comes responsibilities and consequences.
—Unknown
If the master takes no account of his servants, they will make small account of him, and care not what they spend, as they are never brought to an audit.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.
—Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–80) French Philosopher, Playwright, Novelist, Screenwriter, Political Activist
You can’t escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
I never look at the masses as my responsibility; I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time – just one, one, one. So you begin. I began – I picked up one person. Maybe if I didn’t pick up that one person, I wouldn’t have picked up forty-two thousand….The same thing goes for you, the same thing in your family, the same thing in your church, your community. Just begin – one, one, one.
—Mother Teresa (1910–97) Roman Catholic Missionary, Nun
The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That’s the day we truly grow up.
—John C. Maxwell (b.1947) American Christian Professional Speaker, Author, Clergyman
One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it’s remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver’s license.
—P. J. O’Rourke (1947–2022) American Journalist, Political Satirist
“I must do something” always solves more problems than “Something must be done”.
—Unknown
The best way to create a genuine “responsibility era”—a genuine commitment to families and to the values they reflect—is to begin with those to whom we owe the greatest responsibility—those whom we most value—our kids. Let’s not just talk about it—let’s put kids first.
—John Kerry (b.1943) American Politician, Diplomat
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