Blame divides. It brews a culture of who is up and who is down. It strips us of our personal and communal responsibility. It disables us from acting with empathy and compassion. It keeps us from doing what is right.
Self-responsibility enables us to leap forward. It pivots our attention on solutions. It creates a culture of meaningful conversations by forcing us to ask the right questions and follow up with courageous actions.
Blame keeps us shortsighted. It blurs our perspective and misrepresents our imagination, and thus, limits our attempts to understand one another better.
Self-responsibility allows us to reclaim our power to change our experiences, lives, and ultimately create the change we seek to make. It may not be (and often is not) the most welcoming path, but it is the necessary one.
The work starts with us.