Who’s responsible? I didn’t do it!

During my careening career in the newspaper industry there have been many times when friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers, employees and strangers have used the all-too-familiar phrase, “It’s not my fault!”

What that often means is that the person involved actually is at fault but is unwilling to take responsibility. OK, so they lie, they rationalize, they duck the issue. We need to stop that.

And just so some will understand how often such prevarications become twisted, here is a good definition: “Prevarication is deliberately avoiding the truth or being intentionally vague to mislead or conceal information. It’s a fancy way of talking around the truth, rather than lying outright (although it can involve outright lies, too).”

Or as Mark Twain wrote, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” Also, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.” This all is meant to highlight the sad fact that too often we find these days that truth telling as a precious practice that simplifies life is avoided.

It’s a bit early, but maybe as a Christmas gift or a New Year resolution, telling the unshadowed truth can become more our way of life than previously. And now, here are a few of the excuses that have been used when a person is confronted after being found likely to be guilty. Don’t use them; just tell the truth.

“Something made me lose control.” “I didn’t mean for it to happen.” “It just happened.” “I saw stars.”

“Something snapped.” “I lost it.” “It wasn’t supposed to happen that way.” “I wasn’t thinking.”

“It just sort of happened.” “I was burned out and didn’t know what was going on.” “It went too far.” “I felt like I was someone else.”

“I really don’t know what happened.” “Everything went black.” 

Enough with excuses, because: “The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable.” (James A. Garfield) “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” (George Orwell)

And as Thomas Jefferson, one of our most prominent Founding Fathers, noted, “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” As well as Ben Franklin’s comment, “Honesty is the best policy.”