The Issue of Disresponsibility

Many times we dither between taking responsibility for an action. If it is work that we have done directly and solely, then we have to take responsibility and face the consequences –beneficial or harmful. If we have not done the work properly, we are deemed to be irresponsible. We are not good enough to have taken up the job. We have failed to perform according to certain standards.

Being responsible is a terrific burden on a person. Superiors just love them. Many persons therefore try and avoid it by showing disinterest or nonavailability.

However there are certain areas in which we should have taken responsibility, but we did not—either due to passivity or laziness or because we did not feel like it. There are also certain areas, where we have no choice but to step in and take responsibility. For example, how can we avoid being a parent or a son or a daughter?? How can we stop being a doctor or an engineer or a Minister or an economist? Can we be a professional for 16 hours and unprofessional and nonprofessional (another debatable word) for 8 hours??

When we do not take responsibility and evade or avoid it, I propose the word “Disresponsible”. I also toyed with the word “Unresponsible”.

However, I immediately ran into a roadblock. Many dictionaries (Oxford and Cambridge et al) do not have these words. The Urban Dictionary however recognises one. Unresponsible is defined as :-

An entity which denies responsibility simply by the act of claiming they are not responsible, whereas from other logical reasonings they would take responsibility. Unresponsible is not responsible, but still should be.

Disresponsible isn't defined yet.

So what is disresponsible?

It is basically being disinterested in taking responsibility or in some cases disowning responsibility. It is a slinking away. Unresponsible  is a positive action of walking away from taking responsibility and not merely avoiding it.

You are walking down the road and see two people being killed by a group of murderers. You know that taking responsibility for intervention will be dangerous, time consuming and counterproductive. Besides it is the job of the authorities to enforce law and order. So you become disresponsible and walk away.

You see the neighbour’s teenaged son taking drugs, and do not tell his parents. You avoid responsibility for being a good social person because you are not sure what the reaction would be.

You see your best friend being corrupt and avoid informing any one. Your friend gives enough indication  of his irritation as you indirectly broach the topic. You do not want to break a friendship and yet you act disresponsibly as a friend.

You see your associate cheating his family by carrying out an illicit relationship. Do you inform his wife? You do not reason with him for he will simply deny it and accuse you of being nosy. You let things drift. You are acting disresponsibly.

If you look at the big scenario, then you are acting disresponsibly for a significant part of your life. Yet this disresponsible part is an integral part of  your life.

How can you ignore it in real life, and not put it in the language that we use?