Social Responsibility

One of the skills and attitudes of resilience focuses on our connectedness to others.  Relationships that can provide support and caring are one of the primary factors in resilience. Having a number of these relationships, both within and outside of the family, that offer love, encouragement, and reassurance can build and support resilience, by developing new friendships, for instance.

However, this aspect of resilience can and does extend further out in our lives. Social responsibility is the responsibility we feel for the welfare of others and not just for ourselves. In terms of resilience, social responsibility in general determines the resilience of the society as well as the individuals who make up the society. It involves taking care of yourself, but also involves taking care of others.

Over the last four years we could say that social responsibility in our society has reached an all-time low. Our country for too long has been focused on “what’s in it for me.” This is about tribalism. "If It helps me and my family, then I’m for it. If it doesn’t, don’t bother me with it." And of course, it has to do with money. “The hell with immigrants. If my 401(k) is growing, that's all that matters to me.” And so on and so forth.

If we are indeed the United States of America, then we must act like we are. This means we must be concerned about the welfare of each other. We are a society with many differences. But our fate as a country is intertwined with all the different groups, subcultures, and communities that exist. There is certainly strength in diversity in general and in cultural diversity, but only if we also focus on what we share in common. There must be a common core of beliefs that all of us can support. This is a time when the beliefs and desires that we all share in common should be focused on more than our differences, on the things that divide us. We need to come together and unite. If we do not, many (myself included) feel that we will not continue as the United States of America.

So as John F. Kennedy said, we should ask first what we can do for our country and for others rather than what our country and others can do for us. The culture of "What’s in it for me" needs to change. By being concerned about others and caring for others we build our own resilience as well as the resilience of others and of this country.