But since my name was mentioned, and my words quoted, here goes.
What I wrote to Jen was a conversation between the two of us, and in that context, when I wrote "our responsibility" I meant myself and Jen. It has to do with our personality type (or types, plural, but we are close in type). We each respond, in various ways, to the problems around us with a move towards reconciliation and positive growth.
If you think about the word responsibility, you probably tend to hear echos of parents and other elders talking drearily about duty and obligation. But if you listen to the word, you hear in it 'response' and 'ability.' When I referred to responsibility in addressing Jen yesterday, I spoke of that kindling in ourselves that makes us sensitive and willing to respond to society's need. In that sense, I was referring to a personality trait (inherited or learned) that involves a willingness to take action by 'responding. . . ' = response + able.
By what I meant with the word, yes you do feel responsibility!
Whether or not it's an obligation or a duty, hmmm, funny how I have literally never thought of that. I always thought of it in terms of an inner prompting -- that you are driven to respond.
Christa, if you see hardships and respond by wanting to be there, to offer help, support, presence, and if you act on that response, then that is social responsibility in action. It's all the more pure and profound for you being unaware of it.
That's exactly what I meant -- you feel it, you respond to it. You take action and you thus become responsible. Responsibility is not a burden; it is a strength.