What ever happened to responsibility?

I've been learning a pretty interesting lesson lately through teaching- so many people these days have very little sense of responsibility for themselves. People who expect you to help them out or to go out of your way for them when they demonstrate no initiate of their own. For example, students who don't start a project until the day before it's due and expect me to drop everything ot help them, or the student who didn't know we're having an exam (on the syllabus since day 1) and expects me to give them a make-up test later.

What lessons are kids learning these days? I fear it's that they are entitled to what they want and that others should do whatever it takes to make them happy. Success isn't achieved by getting what you want, when you want it, it's achieved by taking responsibility for your own actions and working hard.

You can see this same thing at play all around you- people who want others to help them, but aren't willing to work or take responsibility. I think the Habitat model has it right- we'll help you own your own home, but you are going to be responsibile by paying for it and putting your own "sweat" equity into the house. That's more like teaching a man to fish, as opposed to giving him a fish, when he feels like he's entitled to that fish.

My extreme forgetfulness

Well, my absent mind has come in quite handy again (note the sarcasm). I managed to forget my password to my last blog. No problem, I figured I would just have them reset it and email me the link. Only problem... I don't have that account anymore. So, I have had to start over again here, which isn't a huge loss, considering my impressive 1 post in about 11 months of having that blog.

So, here is to more posts and maybe better memory... wonder if those herbal supplements really work?