RESPONSIBILITY

The concept of being able to care for, to reach or to be; the ability and willingness to be cause. To accept responsibility for something is to accept that one operated as cause in the matter. It should be clearly distinguished from such lower level considerations as blame or praise which include the further evaluation of the goodness or badness of the thing caused. Responsibility is not only doing something about a given situation, it can also be doing nothing in certain circumstances.

From the AOGP Abridged Scientology Dictionary — based on original LRH source materials, updated through 1982.

Usage

In Scientology, taking responsibility for something means accepting that one operated as cause in the matter — not assigning blame or praise, but simply acknowledging one's role. Responsibility can mean taking action about a situation or, in certain circumstances, deliberately choosing to do nothing.

Why It Matters

Responsibility is a key concept in spiritual advancement because the ability and willingness to be cause is directly related to a person's level of ability and awareness. As a person progresses in auditing, their capacity for responsibility expands, distinguishing it from lower-level reactions like blame.

Related Concepts

EVALUATION — Any attempt by someone to impose his arbitrary stable datum (whether correct or incorrect data) upon another.
CLEAR — (noun) A thetan who can be at cause knowingly and at will over mental matter, energy, space and time as regards the First Dynamic (survival for self).
HAT — Slang for the title and work of a post in a Scientology Organization; taken from the fact that in many professions, such as railroading, the type of hat worn is the badge of the' job.

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