Responsibility doesn’t really exist. Responsibility is an abstract concept. Yet, unlike some other often used concepts, responsibility is very useful. Because responsibility doesn’t really exist, in reality you can’t have it. Nevertheless, even though you never really have responsibility, either for your own actions, events you are mixed up in or the actions of others, it is almost in every case smart to take responsibility.

There is a big difference between having responsibility and taking responsibility. If you have it, responsibility can feel as a burden, as something other placed onto you. When you take responsibility, you empower yourself. Because taking responsibility also allows you to change your behavior, influence others to behave differently and change events. When you take responsibility, it no longer feels as a burden other put onto you, but as a sign of strength you took upon you. That’s why taking responsibility, even though you didn’t really have it, is such a smart thing to do.