Shooting From The Hip - 19 - Responsibility, Obligation, Principles, Values, Altruism

Responsibility: noun - the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone. "a true leader takes responsibility for their team & helps them achieve goals"
the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something
the opportunity or ability to act independently & make decisions without authorization. "we would expect individuals lower down the organization to take on more responsibility"
the quality or state of being responsible: such as: moral, legal, or mental accountability: reliability, trustworthiness.

What is the meaning of responsibility in life?
Responsibility, in its most basic essence, is 1 of the main things that gives life meaning. Responsibilities are things that we have to do. With no responsibilities, we could do (or not do) whatever we wanted. But in the absence of duty, it is difficult, if not impossible, to find any real purpose for our actions.

What is the value of responsibility?
Responsibility is accepting what is required & carrying out the task to the best of your ability. Responsibility is carrying out duties with integrity. When one is responsible, there is the contentment of having made a contribution. As a responsible person, I have something worthwhile to offer - so do others.

Obligation: noun - an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment. "I have an obligation to look after her"
the condition of being morally or legally bound to do something. "they are under no obligation to stick to the scheme"
a debt of gratitude for a service or favor. "she didn't want to be under an obligation to him"
1: the action of obligating oneself to a course of action (as by a promise or vow) 2: something (such as a formal contract, a promise, or the demands of conscience or custom) that obligates one to a course of action made an obligation

A saying from the Bible's story of Cain & Abel. After Cain had murdered his brother Abel, God asked him where his brother was. Cain answered, “I know not; am I my brother's keeper?”

Cain's words have come to symbolize people's unwillingness to accept responsibility for the welfare of their fellows - their “brothers” in the extended sense of the term. The tradition of Judaism & Christianity is that people do have this responsibility.

What does it mean when someone says my brother's keeper?
The phrase "my brother's keeper" is a reference to the Biblical story of Cain & Abel from the book of Genesis. It is generally understood to mean being responsible for the welfare of a brother or other sibling or, by extension, for other human beings in general.

Keeper means protector, watcher, or defender. noun 1. a person who manages or looks after something or someone.

Principle: noun - 1: a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.
What does principles for life mean? - a hypothetical force to which the functions & qualities peculiar to living things are sometimes ascribed. synonyms: vital principle

Three such fundamental principles, that of Justice, Rational Self-Love & Rational Benevolence, are often called 'maxims', for they are not principles that simply state facts, but are those that serve as a guide for determining actions that ought to be done.

Justice: just behavior or treatment - Justice is the ethical, philosophical idea that people are to be treated impartially, fairly, properly & reasonably by the law & by arbiters of the law, that laws are to ensure that no harm befalls another & that, where harm is alleged, a remedial action is taken

Rational Self-Love: Self-love, defined as "love of self" or "regard for one's own happiness or advantage", has been conceptualized both as a basic human necessity & as a moral flaw, akin to vanity & selfishness - Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride & shame

Rational Benevolence: beneficence refers to actions or rules aimed at benefiting others, benevolence refers to the morally valuable character trait - or virtue - of being disposed to act to benefit others - rationality, narrowly defined as the maximization of a person's self-interest & benevolence, broadly understood as behavior that moderates the pursuit of one’s self-interest by taking into account the interests of other individuals or of the community as a whole

Value: noun 1- the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something. "your support is of great value"

Altruism - means acting in the best interest of others rather than in one's own self-interest. Some people believe altruism constitutes the essence of morality. Although we often act selfishly, we also appear to be wired to cooperate with others