A Human Need for Accountability

Accountability. Something that you may think gets in the way of your freedom to do what you want. This desire for freedom is something that probably innate to human nature to want to have less boundaries and stipulations. It is not so much that the rules and laws that hold society together are what people pull against, but possibly the need to be held to those standards. Rules and guidelines are really meaningless if there is no one holding a person accountable.

We could all agree that a society without rules and regulations would fall into chaos. So why would a person question the need for a force such as accountability, that applies you to those principles? Consider what life would be like if we have all these laws but no police force. Do you think you or others would still be safe? It is a slippery slope when one says they or others have no need to help accountable.

Is accountability worth it? I will refer to my personal experience as an example of what can happen when accountability is lacking. I work a job where I am salaried and have a somewhat flexible schedule but where there is chunks of down time. This downtime is noticed but unaddressed by leadership. I eventually just give up and find time to my own things like school work.

Sounds like a sweet deal right?

Sure for a few months it was nice to bust out some school work and do my own thing. But that does get old. You start wondering why is no one checking on you. Am I really not that valuable to the team that I can just do my own thing? I would go so far to say that the amount of accountability one has proves the level of value that person has to society or their organization. The more good or damage you can do, the more you need to be accountable to something or someone.

I want to, actually need to, be needed for who I am and what I can do. Otherwise I should do something else or go to a place where I am actually valued. Now that this has been going on for quite some time, it actually has made me less motivated and even somewhat cynical.

I could see this playing out in just about any aspect of society. Once one pulls away the sense of connection to a larger team or society culture, it can be a downward spiral into self focused despondency, depression, and narcissism. So yes, that freedom we all yearn for where no one is telling us what to do is nice in an ideal world. However, when you think about the effects of having minimal accountability and its overall effects on society, the cost is often more than the impulsive “freedom” from accountability.

I do want to clarify the difference between being micromanaged and being held accountable. Being micromanaged is a prison where you do not have any say so or ability to make choices. Accountability allows you to make choices but will hold you and the results to an expected standard. There is freedom there but also being held responsible for the out come. Accountability can actually free a person to be more productive over all. When done right, it enables a person to prosper in the given bounds and be rewarded for going above and beyond the standard. Without accountability, there would be no measure.

Few things in life are cut and dry and this subject is very well one of them. However, I think it is worth sharing a provoking thought or two on something that may be taken for granted or carelessly scoffed at.

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Also would appreciate it if you would actually read my post carefully — I said that I cancelled Medicaid after my husband and I got married. At which point his employer said their insurance would…