Sense of responsibility

“It is not only for what we do that we are held responsible, but also for what we do not do.”

~ MOLIERE

Most of the myriad difficulties and problems we are being faced in today’s world are human-centred. Everywhere we look we notice injustice and oppression which only gains momentum through silent crowds. We witness the massive destruction of nature and the surrounding natural environment. We have been left dumbstruck by the erosion of human beings’ character and virtue. The world tends to define itself by its cynicism.

When we analyse our current situation, we can observe that the core of all these dreadful scenarios originates from the faults, mischief and wrongdoing of individuals on the one hand, and ignorance and an irresponsible approach of society on the other hand — the latter fuelling and accelerating the former.

In order to change the current picture and create remedial solutions, we need to cultivate great or ‘ideal’ spirits within our society. Ideal spirits who could take us to the utmost heights by their sense of responsibility and service to humanity. Gülen elaborates on what these ideal spirits are like, he says that they are those “who strive to enlighten others, seek happiness for them, and extend a helping hand, have such a developed and enlightened spirit that they are like the guardian angels of the community in which they live. They struggle with disasters befalling society, stand up to “storms,” hurry to put out “fire,” and are always on the alert for possible shocks.”

The question that remains is: How can we embed such awareness and attributes in individuals that we interact? I think that by starting with the education of young minds towards accepting a sense of responsibility — and then widening the circle to society as a whole — will gradually enable us to rise against those myriad tides. Where do we start? As an educator I could list some of the things we can start within our classrooms and beyond to make a start:

• Positive belief and care for others: using the language of empathy

I believe that one should have a positive belief about the worth of human dignity and every other living being. Students should be taught that every living being’s life matters in this world, from an ant to a tree, from a child to an elderly person, from an orphan to a widow and from a friend to a foe... In our classrooms, we can facilitate discussion on the purpose of creation, the wisdom behind of every fact, the ecological balance that exists in nature, the goodness and wellness of human nature. There are many lessons which we can learn from the care a mother gives to a child, the cooperation and hard work ingrained in the life of an ant etcetera.

As educators, we should be role-models. Everyone whom we encounter should observe our positivity, they should hear the caring, compassionate and kindhearted calls to take our affection for the world as an example. We should be able to demonstrate empathy for others, and once our students are able to put themselves into shoes of others their understanding of the other through themselves would be much stronger.

• Teach that actions have consequences: building accountability

People who grasp the consequences of their actions could direct their intentions towards rewarding paths thus avoiding misconduct. Responsible people learn how to be accountable for the mistakes that they make and face its consequences. By balancing its dosage optimally, the small-scale enforcing reward-punish practices at an early age may create a sense of accountability and responsibility long term. Students may be encouraged to have role plays in groups and teach one another through presentations. We can advise students’ families to assign some chores in the family or similar tasks in the greater community. This accountability gained towards others would lead individuals to feeling accountable towards God which would, in turn, serve them throughout their lives and in the hereafter. Reaching this final phase of accountability would solve all problems at the macro-level because people who are God-conscious refrain from any sort of evil and wrongdoing.

• Sensible individuals and synergy: strengthening consciousness

Every decision that we make should pass through various ethical considerations and a deep thoughtful process. There is a common saying which reflects this truth: “think twice before acting once.” We have to be sensible in our actions and always question ourselves about our behaviour and manners, whether they reflect proper measures or not, whether our presence makes a difference. We should encourage people to become autonomous thinkers who are free from manipulation and mischief, teaching them how to create synergistic links between their consciousness and conscience to make proper decisions.

If we cultivate such sensibility on an individual level — one by one — I believe such trials will have a positive knock-on effect everywhere in the world. In this battle of good and evil, we shall guide our students or those whom we lead as fully as possible and teach them that their tongue of disposition will be a lot more effective than their words. The synergy that is created from actions and goodness will radiate to all corners and affect every person from all walks of life.

• Responsible members of society

The human species are obliged to live in society, therefore, our responsibilities are not limited or bounded to ourselves alone but they apply to the whole community within which we live.

We have responsibilities in being a family member, a friend, a colleague, a member of a group or community, or a fellow citizen of a nation at the baseline. All these positions load onto our shoulders certain responsibilities that we have to bear.

We should seek to clarify and understand our role on each level in depth so that our existence would be more meaningful and purposeful. The goodness that we build in ourselves should be expanded to the whole community. Freedom should be advocated up to the limits where others’ boundaries and customs are not disturbed, others’ rights are never to be misused or violated.

Every individual in our society is responsible for learning how to respect others regardless of their identity, gender, ethnical background, or beliefs. Love and tolerance are the keywords to achieve this, if we all live under the same roof we have to give preference to our commonalities rather than our differences.

Our motivation should be towards uplifting humanity. This should be the focus of many of our classroom discussions. And as advocates of goodness, we should put the cultivation of responsible human beings at the bedrock of our teaching practice.