[Jagriti55] Faces 🐣 of Responsibility 🐥
Mamma bird rounded off her five little chicks in a circle and said in a solemn voice, "For us birds, it is important to be responsible".
"But we are already responsible", was the immediate chorus response.
"Okay", said mamma bird, "tell me how?"
"Mamma whenever sis disturbs us when we are working, I give her a good whack so that she understands how to behave. I am teaching her responsibility."
Listening to this, mother bird wondered if responsibility was about taking care of others' feelings, or was it about making them understand certain things at the cost of their feelings, or is it about both?
Another chick asked, "Mommy, if I complete my Cleaning work on time by pushing dirt into her space, am I being responsible?" This triggered a train of questions for the mother bird. She wondered if responsibility is about the means or the end, about the process or about the outcome, or is it about both? And if a situation arises where you need to make a choice between the two, what is to be chosen?
" Mamma, though i leave all the worms out, I eat my food by myself. Am I being responsible?", asked another chick.
"And mummy, I reach flying practice in time everyday though often i skip my bath. So it is better to skip bath and be on time," said the chick. "Is it really better, is it really more responsible behaviour?" thought the mother.
Another chick who was thinking all this while asked," mamma, I clean up the nest everyday by sweeping it and throwing the garbage out on the road. But brother says i am not responsible, but I AM doing my work responsibly, no?"
"Mamma, the other day you had asked me and sis to tidy up our nest. But sis was feeling unwell. I thought taking care of sis who was not well was my responsibility and did just that. But doing so, we could not tidy up the nest which was also our responsibility. Was I irresponsible then?" asked the eldest chick.
Mother bird again wondered about many such situations when fulfilling one responsibility affected fulfilling some other responsibility. So what is responsible behaviour? What one does at a time of conflict?
The mother bird had wanted her children to understand responsibility, but this discussion made her wonder whether she understood responsibility in entirety.
She addressed her chicks, "I dunno what responsibility really means. All I know is whatever way I think, feel and act, I am all the time responsible for all my thoughts, feelings and actions. I'm fooling myself, if I blame others. However, If I own up responsibility of myself, I am responsible".
This brought about a hushed silence as the chicks began to realise the full impact of the mother's statement.
"Okay", said mamma bird, "tell me how?"
"We take care of ourselves by being neat and clean," said one chick. "We also take care of our little nest by keeping it clean," said another chick. "Mamma, when we keep our things neatly and in order, are we being responsible?" asked the eldest of the brood.
"Maybe," replied the mother. "How else do you think you are responsible?" asked the mother, wanting her chicks to think more about responsibility."Mamma whenever sis disturbs us when we are working, I give her a good whack so that she understands how to behave. I am teaching her responsibility."
Listening to this, mother bird wondered if responsibility was about taking care of others' feelings, or was it about making them understand certain things at the cost of their feelings, or is it about both?
Another chick asked, "Mommy, if I complete my Cleaning work on time by pushing dirt into her space, am I being responsible?" This triggered a train of questions for the mother bird. She wondered if responsibility is about the means or the end, about the process or about the outcome, or is it about both? And if a situation arises where you need to make a choice between the two, what is to be chosen?
" Mamma, though i leave all the worms out, I eat my food by myself. Am I being responsible?", asked another chick.
"And mummy, I reach flying practice in time everyday though often i skip my bath. So it is better to skip bath and be on time," said the chick. "Is it really better, is it really more responsible behaviour?" thought the mother.
Another chick who was thinking all this while asked," mamma, I clean up the nest everyday by sweeping it and throwing the garbage out on the road. But brother says i am not responsible, but I AM doing my work responsibly, no?"
"Mamma, the other day you had asked me and sis to tidy up our nest. But sis was feeling unwell. I thought taking care of sis who was not well was my responsibility and did just that. But doing so, we could not tidy up the nest which was also our responsibility. Was I irresponsible then?" asked the eldest chick.
Mother bird again wondered about many such situations when fulfilling one responsibility affected fulfilling some other responsibility. So what is responsible behaviour? What one does at a time of conflict?
The mother bird had wanted her children to understand responsibility, but this discussion made her wonder whether she understood responsibility in entirety.
She addressed her chicks, "I dunno what responsibility really means. All I know is whatever way I think, feel and act, I am all the time responsible for all my thoughts, feelings and actions. I'm fooling myself, if I blame others. However, If I own up responsibility of myself, I am responsible".
This brought about a hushed silence as the chicks began to realise the full impact of the mother's statement.
By Aditi & Ratnesh
And some more articles if you are in a reading mood:
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Aditi-Ratnesh (Ph: +91-98450-45833)
Aarohi is a community of self directed learners - Children who decide what they want to learn, how they want to learn, when they want to learn and use self assessment. We do not follow any philosophy, we follow the child. Aarohi offers an open learning environment at:
Aarohi O-Campus: Bodichipalli Village, Kelamangalam, 16km from Hosur, 55km from Bangalore (in Tamil Nadu) Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/JQx0H
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