In our present state, we can seemingly feel at time over-burdened with a sense of responsibility. This can be transparent in our schoolwork, the jobs that we have, the friendships we’ve made, and the family that we come from.  At some point we began to realize the long list of things that we have to do is innately part of how we make sense of the world in which we live.  Happiness can only be achieved when we recognize the responsibilities we have in the world – the obligation we have to our family, friends, employers, and most importantly ourselves.

As simple as it sounds, we have a responsibility to first and foremost, take care of ourselves. As selfish as it sounds, the only thing standing in the way of anyone’s personal happiness remains the cognitive functions lying deep within that person’s head. We constantly take the responsibility of our actions every day based on the repercussions they have on the world around us.

Just like Newton’s law of motion says “Every force has an opposite and equal reaction”, every action too ultimately has a consequence. Not to be confused with karma, the world around us is constantly spinning and we have the ability to affect positive change around us. By taking the personal responsibility of setting a good example and doing good deeds, we can systematically change the world around us – even if it only affects one life.

And then that begs my only question I will raise on this post: How much responsibility do we truly have? More importantly, as raised in nearly every Superhero movie (but most recently, Spiderman), do we have a moral responsibility to positively change the world if its within our power? I believe so. If we know something bad is going to happen, it should be within our power to stop it. If we know the consequences of somebody else’s actions can have a negative impact on the world around it, it is our responsibility and our duty to stop it. As much as people question the negative ramifications of the federal government, I have been working hard campaigning for Ron Paul because I believe there is a responsibility on my part to try to inform people of what is happening. Whether they agree with me or not is another story. I believe the U.S. is headed towards an economic collapse if its empire doesn’t keep expanding and its government keep spending more than it has. Because I believe this, and because I believe there are so many sheep and people that need to wake up in the United States, I will continue supporting Ron Paul and continue spreading the message of liberty for as long as I live. This is not a sense of PERSONAL responsibility that in fact will change my life in any way. Instead, it is a sense of MORAL and CIVIC responsibility that I feel compelled to do so.

And, even though I disagree with the Socialist activists, I can respect them. Why? Because they are doing what they think will positively change the world. They are taking on responsibilities beyond their personal benefit, and striving to better society in the best way they think possible. That is magnificent. As long as there are people striving for economic and political change, the tides might turn, and we might overcome the political apathy that has plagued this nation for the past century. With starving kids all over the world, and rising environmental damage everywhere, it’s time for people to move beyond simply the realm of personal responsibility. I believe educating our children on a sense of CIVIC responsibility will forever make the world a fundamentally better, and happier place.