I am sure, at least once in a person's life, he has blamed another for his problems. From the childhood excuse, "the dog ate my homework" to "he/she did it", no one seems to want to 'fess up to his faults. I, of course am not completely scotch-free on this one, but I still ask myself, "Why?". There is usually a way to fix the problem, so why can't we accept blame for our mistakes? Everyone makes mistakes and everyone has those days; it's human nature. This is most likely because (benefit of the doubt here) most people hold themselves to higher standards to not make mistakes. Or, no one wants others to know he actually has a fault or weakness that can be penetrated. But, really, who owns the problem? Sometimes the fault must be owned up to, no matter how big. Avoiding the problem and putting blame on another won't make your own situation better.
In Fahrenheit 451, there are two very good examples of blame mis-placement. Montag believes his hands stole the books, not him. But, obviously, a person's hands cannot move without the engagement of the brain, right? Right. Now, I know Montag is supposed to be the heroic, wise, non-conformist character, but is he doing anything different (in this sense) than anyone else? He isn't. Montag cannot blame his actions on his body. The action of Montag's hands stealing the books is like saying my eyes cheated on that test, not me. The action can't be done without the thought first.
Another good example is on pages 148 and 149. After Montag crossed the river, the hound lost his scent and lost track of him. So the chase decided to make the public believe that Montag changed directions just so they didn't have to admit the fault. These actions, though, unlike Montag, didn't just end in personal guilt. They ended in the homicide of an innocent man who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. All of this because the law enforcement decided to hide its mistake and not own up to the fact that it lost Montag.
So next time you are faced with a situation where you could either blame someone else for your actions or own up to them, choose the latter. After all, who owns the problem?
~ Linzey Rice
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Being honest and owning up to our mistakes, however big or small, is one of the hardest things to do sometimes. I also believe it's one of the most noble things to do, however, as it takes real courage to admit our imperfections and humble ourselves enough to change.
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely ludicrous that this government kills an innocent man in place of Montag. Truly, whose fault is it?
~Mrs. Stoller