Harry Truman once said “The buck stops here.” A famous quotation which teaches us not to blame the other guy when things go wrong which are of our own making.
Another proverbial statement which is very humorous, but still used today is attributed to children, “The dog ate my homework.”
In more recent times General Colin Powell framed the same meaning in a different way.
“When things go wrong in your command, start wading for the reason in increasingly larger concentric circles around your own desk.”
It’s called taking responsibility for our own actions and stop blaming others for our personal failures.
“For every man shall bear his own burden.” (Galatians 6:5)
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
(II Corinthians 5:10)
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13)
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (I Corinthians 13:11)
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (Ezekiel 18:20)
“The reason Jerusalem was in decay and disarray was because the buck had been passed too long. Now Nehemiah was willing to accept the buck and rebuild the city.
Will Rogers, one of America’s favorite humorists, stated that there have been three periods in American history: Passing the Indian, Passing the Buffalo, and Passing of the Buck.
Why the passing of the Buck?
- I won’t have to assume the responsibility.
- I won’t have to be a target for criticism.
- If it fails, I won’t be blamed.
- Instead, I can blame the other fellow.
- If it fails, I can be a post-mortem expert.
Let’s give the buck-passer his due; he is especially talented and quick in the utterance of two sets of four words: “Let George do it”, and if it fails, “It is George’s fault.”
When the buck is passed to George, of course he sometimes fails. But George gets the recognition, the honor, the role of leadership, the thrill that comes from challenge, the victory over boredom, and the joy of the struggle.
The greatest reason for any person’s tackling the job that falls his lot to perform is that he is a man, which demands responsibility and performance. He cannot live like a cow or horse that is content to whisk away the flies and eat the grass around the hoofs.” ~ Leroy Brownlow
“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:11-12)
Eileen Light