The Ultimate Responsibility

Emotion can often override intelligence…if we allow it.

What we know – the hard learned lessons life has taught us – can disappear in an instant when challenged by our heart. We can quickly forget what we know to be right if we allow our feelings to intervene, dominate and dictate.

Snap decisions are the result of emotional reactions. The obvious implication is that what can happen in a matter of seconds can have lifelong consequences. For many, regret is a heavy and troublesome load to carry.

The answer lies within us all. Self-control is personal. It takes time and effort to learn but it’s the ultimate responsibility.

A lack of control can lead us down a path of self destruction. The harm we cause ourselves can be much worse than the harm caused to us by others. We are our own worst enemies.

Key to self-control is self knowledge. It’s essential that we think and that we know what we think and why we think it. Personal opinions and attitudes may change as life moves on but the final choice remains our own.

And therein lies both the challenge and the reward. We get to choose but, in choosing, we must be prepared to accept the consequences of those choices.

There may be short-term satisfaction or brief fulfilment in an emotionally charged reaction. But the thrill of the moment can fade quickly when the ramifications become obvious.

The best decisions are made with a clear head and a quieted heart. A step back from a situation can often improve our focus. It’s not a matter of being indecisive, rather a matter of being as sure as it’s possible that the decision being made is the best one at the time and in the circumstances.

We all make mistakes. We all make dumb choices. But relying more on intelligence and less on emotion may minimise our error rate.