#responsibility

"Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must — at that moment — become the center of the universe."

"Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life — is the source from which self-respect springs."

"The right thing to do and the hard thing to do are usually the same."

"The master of the garden is the one who waters it, trims the branches, plants the seeds, and pulls the weeds. If you merely stroll through the garden, you are but an acolyte."

"The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility."

"The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon."

"To me, history ought to be a source of pleasure. It isn't just part of our civic responsibility. To me, it's an enlargement of the experience of being alive, just the way literature or art or music is."[The Title Always Comes Last; NEH 2003 Jefferson Lecturer interview profile]"

"All my failures as a human being I blame on my father. Life is about accepting responsibility, and it’s time my father started being held accountable for my deficiencies."

"I am blind and limited. I would be a fool think myself wise. And so, not knowing what the universe means, I can only try to be responsible with the knowledge, the strength, and the time given to me. I must be true to my heart."

"I don't want anyone to look to me, not for protection, not for happiness, not for love, not for anything."

"People have forgotten this truth,"the fox said. "But you mustn’t forget it. You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed. You’re responsible for your rose."

"Remember how far you’ve come, and you won’t have to rely on a destiny for your future. It will come on your own."

"Never compromise your values."

"So often survivors have had their experiences denied, trivialized, or distorted. Writing is an important avenue for healing because it gives you the opportunity to define your own reality. You can say: This did happen to me. It was that bad. It was the fault & responsibility of the adult. I was—and am—innocent.” The Courage to Heal by Ellen Bass & Laura Davis"

"Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility."

"Stop pointing fingers and placing blame on others. Your life can only change to the degree that you accept responsibility for it."

"you don't have to worry about burning bridges, if you're building your own"

"The victim mindset dilutes the human potential. By not accepting personal responsibility for our circumstances, we greatly reduce our power to change them."

"The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die."

"Your life begins to change the day you take responsibility for it."