“To say vice is involuntary is to deny man’s agency in forming character.”
— Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book III, Chapter 5
(Translated by W.D. Ross)
Big Idea
Character-building is like a gym membership 🏋️♀️:
- Accountability Deniers = “My genes made me skip workouts!” → Weak muscles.
- Ownership Champions = Lift weights despite soreness → Strength grows.
Real-Life Scenarios
💻 Workplace Ethics
→ Denial: “The system forced me to fudge numbers” → Fired + blacklisted.
→ Ownership: Blow whistle on accounting fraud → New integrity job offers.
📚 School Cheating
→ Denial: “Everyone cheats – I had no choice!” → Degree revoked.
→ Ownership: Turn in blank test → Retake class with pride.
💬 Social Media
→ Denial: “Trolls made me send death threats” → Account banned.
→ Ownership: Apologize publicly + take anger management → Rebuild trust.
What You Can Do
- The “Toolbox Test”
When blaming others, ask:- “What tools (skills/knowledge) did I ignore that could’ve changed this?”
- Daily Agency Journal
Track choices:
AM: Yelled at barista (blamed their slowness) → ☠️
PM: Apologized + tipped extra → ✅ - Responsibility Remix
Rewrite 1 excuse this week as ownership:
→ “Traffic made me late” → “I chose not to leave early”
→ “My parents messed me up” → “I’ll break the cycle today”