Taking responsibility goes a long way....

One of the most destructive human pastimes is playing the blame game. It has been responsible for mass casualties of war, regrettable acts of road rage, and on a broad interpersonal level (social, familial and work-related), a considerable amount of human frustration and unhappiness.

The blame game consists of blaming another person for an event or state of affairs thought to be undesirable, and persisting in it instead of proactively making changes that ameliorate the situation.

There are two main reasons why one would blame others: either because it makes one feel more confident about one's theory or worldviews, or because it makes one appear superior to the other person.

Blame is an excellent defence mechanism.

Whether you call it projection, denial, or displacement, blame helps you preserve your sense of self-esteem by avoiding awareness of your own flaws or failings.

It’s easier to blame someone else than to accept responsibility.

There’s less effort involved in recognising your contributions to a bad situation than in accepting the fact that you're actually at fault, and changing so you don't do it again.

The blame game stems from a person's irresponsibilities

If something has gone wrong (or is not the way it should be), then someone other than myself must be identified and blamed for causing the situation. It's simply pushing your personal responsibilities to others when the buck should have stopped with you.

Blame reveals a person's character flaws

Better to blame others than to admit culpability. For, making mistakes means being flawed and being flawed means being unworthy of respect.

Blame confuses the deed with the doer. Here it is not simply “what you did was wrong.” Rather, it is that you as a person have fallen from good graces. You are less of a person for your failing and hence less worthy of respect; it is personal; you are stigmatised for it; looked down upon; you are less than you were before you faltered. If you are blameworthy then you are less worthy of respect. It’s a cardinal rule of playing the game.

Even if someone does something wrong, this doesn’t mean that the person himself is bad or deserves less respect as a person. If this were the case, then we would all shed our respectability because we all exercise indiscretion and make some poor choices in the course of life. So we really oughtn’t to damn the doer just because we are inclined to damn the deed.

And this does not mean in any way that you are more superior than others.

Learning to tell when you need to own up to your role in a bad situation will help you grow from your experiences, and ultimately help you achieve more fulfilling relationships.

Stop playing the blame game.

Start taking responsibilities for your own actions and stop blaming others - The world would be a much better place.