We should commend leaders -- President Truman was the icon -- who boldly acknowledge that the buck stops at their desk. Nonetheless, it would be counterproductive in the extreme to insist on "I Am Always Responsible" as the standard by which leaders should be held to account or forced to confront.
There are now reports that Tamerlan Tsarnaev returned to his homeland because of disenchantment with life in America. There is speculation that while there, he may have become "radicalized."
When an organization (or an individual) makes a big, expensive and embarrassing mistake, it attracts loads of attention. But do you know what almost never attracts the attention it deserves? When things go the way they are supposed to.
Gnashing my teeth the other day after yet another frustrating morning of begging my 3-year-old to get dressed/go potty/put on her shoes so we could get out the door even close to on time, I found myself thinking that there had to be a better way. Enter morning routine apps.
Florida's law requiring public schools to maintain AEDs and trained personnel on school grounds is simply worthless if there is no duty to utilize these life-saving devices.
I do believe that decision is all about giving ourselves power. We are not as weak as we think! And if you feel you are -- dig a little deeper
The dramatic turnaround in views about same-sex marriage says hopeful things about Americans' capacity for tolerance, empathy, and fairness, and about our willingness to prize family in all its forms.
This is a present-tense story about a person in need of your and my help. There's a match out there for Nalini. Maybe it's you; maybe it's someone you know. It only requires a few moments of your time to find out.
Many of the ethical missteps we see in everyday life are made possible when we assign blame to other people ("The cashier gave me too much change, I didn't make her do it").
Something happens as they get older. We can't seem to allow them to suffer the natural consequences. Parents will fight the teachers over a poor grade and say it's their fault, that they, the parent, didn't spend enough time doing the homework with or better yet, for, their child.
The recent scandal with Tesco's burgers has reignited a discussion about who, along the value chain, should bear the brunt of responsibility for a product. The burden of the certification and the liability that comes with it is a major blessing in disguise.
As we get older, it becomes clear how cheaters do, in fact, sometimes win. Quite often, they win big and fall to a horrible disgrace when the truth is revealed about their compromised victories.
"I'm not done being the best father I can be for Ben -- not by a very long measure." This was recently declared by parent David Wheeler, whose 6-year-old son, Ben, was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14th.
We owe ourselves, and especially the children and adults we have lost to gun violence, both reasonable debate and sensible action.
For some people, I've noticed, saying you are going to do something feels just as good as actually doing it. How can we understand these promise-breakers, whose intentions start out both genuine and admirable, but who never seem to act on them?
Acknowledging one's own part in a difficult situation is one of the hardest -- and I think most honorable -- things a person can do.
Commitment is not about finding the perfect circumstance; it's about dictating a certain choice. It's not about making the right decision; it's about making a decision and then making it right.
Unless you are the quintessential fear-motivated person, harping on how bad something is will not move you very far in terms of taking positive action. This is where the power within comes into play.
The moment you accept responsibility for your reactions to anything that is happening around you, you have no way back. The moment you recognize that you are the one choosing your reactions, the blame and complain game ceases to have power over you.
Each and every one of us brings energy to our co-workers, loved ones, and even the stranger in line behind us at the grocery store. It would serve us all well to realize that the energy we radiate affects others' lives, and we need to be responsible for it.
Stereotypes seem to help justify inequality in social systems by providing the reasons why some are at the top. Ironically, dominant groups and the dominated seem to share the beliefs that justify the status differences we see around us.
We use a market response -- a fine -- to address a moral wrong. We focus on the corporation rather than the individuals responsible, acting as if we can permissibly separate the wrong from human agency.
Long before Ronald Reagan started the tradition of leaving a note behind in the Oval Office for the next President of the United States, my dad left a letter in my desk drawer when he stepped down as president. That was way back in 1964.
At base, creators are not entitled to an audience -- not even famous ones. What happens when an author we love starts to lose our goodwill?
Surely we should relish those rare things that make us happy. Surely we should experience the full, rich range of our emotions. And surely we can live freer lives without the dead weight of guilt.
