More Responsibility Examples

Responsibility is the behavioral trait that distinguishes those who own their actions and admit their mistakes from those who try to find someone or something else to blame.  From sports to politics to everyday experiences the practice of good responsibility seems to be getting more unusual.  The sun got in my eyes, I’m addicted, I’m a victim, the cards are stacked against me, it’s the computer’s fault and a host of other excuses with the full support of “advocates” have become common.

Problems with responsibility have significant drawbacks.  Passing off the cause of the problem onto some outside influence never leads to a solution, just more of the same.  And as I have emphasized many times in the past, when we step away from our responsibilities, someone else, often the government, is happy to step in to force behavior on us – even if that new rule turns out to have unintended consequences.

This is common in corporate America as well where executives claim ignorance of corporate wrongdoing or in everyday customer service.  Here are a couple of strange examples from the world of casino gambling.

At one casino in Illinois a woman was startled by the bells and flashing lights on the slot machine she was playing.  The machine told her she had won $28 million!  She immediately heard the call for a supervisor, who told her not to touch the machine.  She remained calm enough during the ensuing chaos to take a couple of pictures of the machine.

The casino refused to pay her after an internal investigation found a computer error responsible for the jackpot message.  Executives would not comment directly, but continued to blame computer error for the mistake and offered her a free dinner instead.

In another casino a 90 year-old woman from Antioch, IA put her money in the slot and soon found a message on the screen awarding her a 185-credit along with the message, “The reels have rolled your way! Bonus Award $41,797,550.16.”

Again the casino refused to pay, again blaming a computer error, and paid her the $1.85 for the initial credit.  After a couple of years in court, the casino won the case.

The slot machine manufacturer had warned these casinos of a problem, which they were supposed to have fixed.  Perhaps some admission of fault was in order.  A free dinner or $1.85 hardly seems like an adequate settlement for a problem they were supposed to have dealt with.  But even a judge agreed that it wasn’t their fault; it was the computer – as if the computer were some distant third party and not their computer!

The other point is that when individuals fail to take responsibility, institutions take over. For a recent example, we turn to the Nebraska schools.  Apparently some parents couldn’t be relied on to track their children’s health numbers, so the schools have been conducting routine health screenings including a measurement of body-mass index (BMI).  If this ratio of weight to height is too high, the parents are notified of possible diet or exercise issues.

Some parents thought this could cause potential embarrassment for children, affecting their psychological health while trying to look out for their physical health.  Others felt the time would be better spent on traditional school subjects like adding and reading rather than measuring body size.

As of this month, the schools are allowed to decide whether to include that measure in routine health screenings.  In those schools that do not drop it, parents can send a note to school opting their kids out.  Some districts have already announced that they will continue the practice unless they receive the note.

Still, for some reason the state feels it is necessary to screen the health of students.  That reason is surely related to their perception that parents will not or cannot take responsibility for health screenings of their own children.  (BMI calculation can easily be done at home at no cost with a bathroom scale and a tape measure.)

These are just a few of so many examples.  Responsibility failings are easy to spot.  And when institutions spot them in a few citizens, they are quick to take over, imposing rules even on those who are conscientious and capable.

Dental Care, Obesity and Many Other Things

If I were to tell people that if they don’t take care of their teeth they would get cavities and gum disease, I would get very little argument.  Behavior has consequences.  Sometimes behaviors include those of omission.

But suppose a large number of Americans, more than half, started neglecting their teeth.  How would we handle it?  Would the news media identify this as a crisis, as a dental care epidemic?  Would the White House and the corporations get involved with public service campaigns, image advertising and start recommending or requiring changes to school scheduling to include mandatory tooth brushing breaks during the day, taking local control of the curriculum away?  Would those employers who provide dental insurance feel like they must set up in-house programs to encourage oral hygiene?  Would these programs make the news and would we see those companies as good citizens for doing so?

How would the people react as their teeth began to fall out?  “I just don’t have time to brush and floss.  With my job and the kids and my club and vacation planning and chores and social obligations, I just don’t have the time!  I hardly have time to sleep without trying to add another activity.”

Would Dr. Oz and other television doctors (and dentists?) feature programs showing magic formulas or miracle pills or herbal remedies – no effort or sacrifice needed to achieve better teeth – with a new secret every week?  Would people writing books about teeth be on the best-seller list with conflicting advice, but each with a celebrity spokesperson attesting to the results of the program?  When the health reports came on the local news programs would they tell us that scientists say if we don’t take care of our teeth we will get cavities and gum disease (even though we should already know it)?

Would other scientists publish studies finding that some people are genetically more susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease?  It’s not their fault it’s in their genes.  Would advocates come along with evidence that some people are addicted to not brushing?  How about those young girls with rotten teeth who, instead of making a healthy change, announce their “pride” and that gum disease is beautiful?

Finally, would anyone be surprised that the habits of the parents are reflected in those of their children?

All that seems pretty far-fetched and ridiculous for a societal problem/crisis/epidemic that everyone could easily solve with better individual behavior.  Doesn’t it?

Why Behavior Matters

The foundation of this blog is that the vast majority of our so-called contemporary crises can be traced to individual behaviors.  If you agree with the majority opinion of Americans over the past 30 years, that the country is headed in the wrong direction, it should be reassuring to find that this negative trend can be traced to the consequences of our actions and decisions.  We are not victims!  Things are not beyond our control!

What the media and the politicians tout as crises, are situations we have gotten ourselves into and can get ourselves out of.  They are situations we can improve by improving our behavior.  Everyone makes mistakes, but if we educate ourselves about the source of these errors, poor behavior in five key dimensions, there is hope.  That hope does not come from political leaders of either party or from advocacy groups or helping organizations.  It comes from people becoming more disciplined, responsible, logical, values-oriented and savvy on economic matters.  That, in turn, forces the media, advertisers, the government and industry to respond to us in new ways, based on our new behavior.  By acting correctly more often we save ourselves from pain and also avoid contributing to larger societal problems.

Weekly I give a couple of examples of how poor choices can lead to bad outcomes, hoping to educate people about this new model, this new way of thinking.  Do you think that you or your children being overweight is something Michelle Obama can or should fix?  Do you think your being unprepared for retirement is the fault of some bank or the government?  If you do, you don’t remember that long before the Great Recession many Americans were using their houses as piggybanks, abusing their credit cards to take vacations they couldn’t afford or to buy things they didn’t need and betting on the market while they signed for loans on first or second houses .  We spent our money on the equivalent of witchcraft:  unproven supplements, psychics, magic bracelets, shoe inserts and feng shui.  If it was green, organic or based on ancient oriental wisdom, it went into our shopping carts without a second thought.  We bought things and acted in ways to impress our neighbors; fighting over the latest athletic shoes and designer merchandise; buying cooler cars and clothing; and believing the hype that these would make us more successful, more lovable, happier or better persons.  When the consequences of our actions arrived, we called ourselves victims, hired lawyers or voted for candidates who promised to fix our problems painlessly with (nonexistent) government money!  “Most people believe that individuals alone can't make much of a difference” as this article on energy conservation tells us, but the cumulative efforts, actions and decisions of everyone working together are so powerful that it can make or break America regardless of government regulations or industry initiatives.

Ultimately, our behavior does have consequences.  Our errors catch up to us every time we are lax in these dimensions.  Unlike the news, politicians, or ad campaigns, I am not trying to entertain, flatter, frighten or tell people what they want to hear.  This is the truth.  We, and we alone, must take control to get better outcomes.  It all adds up.  Examples are so easy to find and I will continue to present them here.

Childhood Obesity and Parental Responsibility

One of the most devastating life events is to outlive your children.  This may result from accidental deaths, drunk drivers, overdoses, mishaps with weapons, or childhood disease.

Our society (mostly through government intervention) now goes to great lengths to protect children from accidents and injuries.  Examples include placing rubber tire shavings or mulch under playground equipment, limiting second hand smoke, banning the game of dodge ball in some schools, mandating child car seats, dictating school lunch standards, encouraging helmets and pads for bicycle riders and skateboarders, etc.  It has gotten to the point where today’s grandparents joke about how they ever survived without all these safeguards.  Nonetheless, protecting children is important and a prime responsibility of parents.

So it's ironic that while obesity is linked to so many serious health issues, parents don’t seem to react with appropriate urgency.  Pre-diabetes and diabetes is on the increase among teens.  Diabetes can cause all sorts of problems, including blindness, nerve damage, heart attacks and strokes.  Half of overweight teens face heart problems.  Obesity can also increase the risk of cataracts and complications during medical tests and procedures.  What makes it worse is that younger people will endure the effects of these medical problems for many more years.  Diseases once thought of as common only among older people, such as heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and even cancer, could begin to show up when our children are in their prime.  A few years from now when young girls are ready to become young mothers, being at an unhealthy weight may increase the danger that their babies develop metabolic problems that lead to diabetes.

When there is a delay between behavior and consequences, even serious consequences, people tend to take the situation less seriously.   Smoking is an excellent example.  What most parents don't understand is that childhood obesity also falls into this category.  Isn’t it time for parents to step up and take an active role in the health and future of their children?   Don't leave it to the government to solve this problem.  First, it's not their problem to solve and second, examples of responsibility among parents on any subject will have a positive effect on their children.

Healthcare and Behavior

The topic of healthcare costs is so large that it takes many short essays to even scratch the surface.  On Monday, April 16, 2012, I listed 8 categories – reasons for higher healthcare costs that should be addressed to solve the problem.  These were explained further on that date and at other times including on the following Friday, April 20.  I did, however, leave out one very important point, that a major influence on healthcare costs is how well we take care of ourselves – yes, individual behavior.

This was reinforced as I read in the past few days articles about:  13,000 newborns needing additional hospitalization because they are born addicted to painkillers; more teens requiring drugs for obesity-related diabetes; and almost half the people treated in emergency rooms being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Remember, I have argued on several other occasions that the solutions to our problems, our ability to overcome the so-called crises challenging our society, come not from big government programs or from punishing the big, evil corporations, but from adopting more positive behavior in one or more of the five key dimensions.  Applying this same approach to the problem of rising healthcare costs we see that improved behavior in responsibility and discipline goes a long way toward solving it.  Take responsibility for our health and then do something about it. 

Remember back on August 5, 2011, I pointed out that all legitimate health advice we receive from the media can be reduced to a few basic habits, but we see them over and over presented as “news.”  Likewise reports about preventing or lessening the impact of many diseases include the same advice:  eat right, stay active, get enough rest, quit smoking, drink alcohol in moderation, avoid soft drinks and snack food, etc.  It’s not rocket science.  By taking individual responsibility, we improve our own health, reducing overall healthcare spending.  And reducing the demand for anything usually has a favorable effect on price.

Another recent article about more people walking shows that we are off to a good start. We can do it and don’t have to wait for any new programs or laws.  

Disney Backs Down

Walt Disney World is rethinking an exhibit on childhood obesity that was criticized for being insensitive.  They used superheroes to demonstrate good habits with villains to show poor habits such as eating junk food and not exercising.

The primary objection came from an organization called the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA).  I went to their website to research their philosophy.  

Their home page has a banner that reads: “Discrimination is Wrong.”  That statement is totally incorrect.  Illegal or irrational discrimination is wrong, but otherwise we discriminate every day, about the food we eat, the people we associate with, the television shows we choose to watch or skip, the kind of car we buy.  The list goes on and on.  Rational discrimination (or even sometimes emotional discrimination), choosing one thing or one brand over another, is a natural and important human activity.  It’s the way we narrow options for decision making.  I like chocolate and will sometimes make decisions to satisfy my preference, discriminating against other sweets or desserts.  It’s not illegal and it’s not wrong – but so much for nit picking.  There are more troubling things about this organization.

First, I agree with their basic premise that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity.  Those who are otherwise fully qualified for a job should never be turned down on the basis of any non-job-related characteristic.  That’s bad business and just plain stupid.  Bullying in school for any reason is unacceptable.  This ideal of respect for all is a noble mission.

But they go on to say: “This discrimination [against fat people] occurs despite evidence that 95 to 98 percent of diets fail over five years…” Assuming that diets fail at that rate, is it time to give up?  It’s not constructive or responsible for people to declare themselves victims.  Diets fail precisely because they are diets.  They entail following a certain course until the problem is fixed, and then folks go back to old habits.  What if we treated oral hygiene the same way?  We would wait until we got a toothache and then brush and floss like crazy and start keeping dentist appointments.  When the toothache went away we would go back to neglecting our teeth and then scratch our heads wondering why problems recurred.  Diets fail because they are short-term solutions.  The NAAFA solution would be to have government regulate “and closely monitor and control all aspects of the $58 billion+ diet industry” and to ban them from advertising on TV, apparently because they don't work or give false hope.  I say, don't blame the diet; take responsibility.

From the statistics on the failure of dieting they conclude, “Our thin-obsessed society firmly believes that fat people are at fault for their size.”  Well, with the exception of valid medical problems, they probably are.  And the valid medical problems are likely no more common than they were 60 years ago when obesity in the US was far lower than it is today.  So the question is, do we let people off the hook for a preventable problem?  Do we call it an addiction, call for “acceptance” and become enablers, or do we try to support them in their effort to lose weight?  As a comparison, how do we treat smokers?  People addicted to tobacco and have tried and failed over years to quit seem to be treated the opposite.  Since the behavior is bad for their health and general welfare, society takes every opportunity to warn them of the dangers and urge, sometimes nag, them to quit.  They are charged higher health insurance premiums and laws limit the places where smoking is permitted.  Yet you don’t hear an uproar over smoker discrimination.  You don’t hear calls for “acceptance.”

Let’s try this approach with children graduating from high school who cannot read.  These young people have behaved in a way that will negatively affect their overall welfare for the rest of their lives.  It is preventable in most cases.  Do we decide that it could be a medical issue, dyslexia, and excuse it, or do we support and encourage them to change?  Is having high school graduates who can't read acceptable because it adds to diversity in our society?  Ridiculous!

The change model, presented last time, shows that change does not occur unless there is some discomfort or dissatisfaction with the status quo.  The more we try to make people comfortable, even proud of any behavior or lifestyle, the less likely they will be to change to a healthier, more positive one.

Bottom line, I have a problem with the NAAFA, not because they are caring people, but because they promote excuse, apology and rationalization over responsibility, an approach that guarantees no solution, but rather a continuation of people putting themselves in danger of a myriad of physical and medical complications related to obesity.  Presented as a service, it is actually a disservice to both the individuals it claims to support and to society as a whole.

Responsibility - expanded

To continue the discussion from last time about failures in parental responsibility linked to their children’s ability to develop discipline, I cite the recent news story featuring a group of health professionals pressuring McDonalds to stop offering toys in kid’s meals and to retire Ronald McDonald as “mascot.”  This group is saying in effect that most parents have lost control of their children and are not expected to get it back.  Don’t ask the parents to change their behavior, instead put pressure on the corporation to change their advertising practices.  It’s not the parents’ fault that kids are not eating properly.  Blame it on the clown and the toys in the happy meals!

What is most disturbing is that as a nation we have become so complacent to these well-meaning activities by interest groups and advocates that our choices (our freedoms) are being curtailed, not because of any real danger, but on the assumption that parents are not in control.  (Remember also the Microsoft ad that plays on this very theme.  Mom and Dad can’t get the kids to sit still for a family portrait so she turns to a PC application for help.)

How do we get advertisers and lawmakers to change their assumptions?  How do we drive solutions that don’t strip rights from everyone due to the failures of the rest?  We, as a society, must improve that behavior!  There are those of us who may want to give the kids a treat from time to time, but not every time they whine for one, and we will not be able to.  The rights of everyone are limited because the behavior of the rest leads the government or well-intentioned advocates to ban these options to everyone.  Again it’s clear that taking away choices is not the long-term answer to people not making responsible decisions.  The problem is behavioral and no government or pressure group solution will work, because they impose restrictions instead of recognizing and addressing the core problem.

Based on this and my last blog, ask yourself where the cause and solution to the “childhood obesity epidemic” really lie.