Humanity has always known that there is an invisible but great connection between responsibility and freedom. Personal freedom is limited by the need to be held accountable for the actions committed. However, too much responsibility and too little freedom make a person unhappy. There must be, therefore, a balance between freedom and responsibility for human happiness. Understanding how freedom, responsibility, and accountability are interconnected helps people become the best version of themselves.
Interaction of Three Elements
The terms ‘accountability’ and ‘responsibility’ are often used synonymously, but there is a difference in their meanings. Accountability is what happens after a situation has already occurred. When this term is used, it refers to how one perceives the results of their activities. Responsibility is an ongoing obligation to perform a specific action or refrain from performing it. These three elements are in a state of interdependence with each other.
Accountability to Others as an Opportunity to Find Inner Freedom
Although sometimes it seems that when being in a state of duty to other people, a person loses their freedom, this is not the case. This state helps one to follow a strictly marked path. In this way, a person can establish remarkably trusting relationships with others. The interaction of freedom and accountability mainly has only positive sides in the context of communication between people.
Freedom through the Lens of Personal Responsibility
The responsibilities towards others help people be attentive to other’s desires and needs. However, freedom grows not only from duties to other people but also from having a responsibility to oneself. As Steve Farber notes in his article, taking responsibility will help one become “a leader that others can count on consistently (Farber, 2019).” There is no explanation allowing one to say that life without responsibility is better than when there is such responsibility.
Knowing how these three components relate to each other helps improve the overall quality of a person’s life. Moreover, being understood and accepted by others is extremely important; it directly affects how happy a person is. Thus, since a person needs to be in a state of communication with others constantly, getting to know the meaning of ‘freedom’ and ‘responsibility’ will significantly facilitate such communication.
References
Farber S. (2019). Seven Reasons to Become a More Responsible Person. Everyday Power.