The Blame Game
Have you ever played this game? The blame game is pretty easy to play, and it comes naturally. You learn it by observing your friends, your family, your neighbors, and even strangers. But, if you really want to be good at it, you have to jump in and play yourself.
You can play it by yourself, or with others. Here are the rules:
Rule 1. Blame whatever or whoever you want.
Rule 2. Don’t take personal responsibility for anything, and never ever say you are sorry.
Rule 3. Blame others whenever possible, because it shames them at the same time and causes guilt.
Rule 4. It does not make a difference if blame is irrational. If it makes sense to you, that is all that matters.
Rule 5. Blaming others or your circumstances can gain you sympathy. Milk it.
Are you a master of the blame game? I hope not, but if you are, here are some practical tips:
Tip 1. Quit blaming others for what happens to you. Sometimes it is nobody’s fault. Poo-Poo happens, as they say. It is part of life. And by the way, everyone poo-poos.
Tip 2. Taking responsibility for when you make mistakes makes you not just human, it shows you are growing up. Kids have to be taught to take responsibility. If you are a child, that is understandable and forgivable. If you are an adult, grow up, for Pete’s sake.
Tip 3. Blaming people and circumstances deflects pain only temporarily. If you are truly responsible for what happened, eventually the truth will come out and you will have to admit it.
So, are you ready to quit playing this game? My hope is that you quit it and never play it again. I would not blame you if you did.
Shalom!
Dan Skognes