"The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs"

This quote by Joan Didion talks to the value of taking ownership of one's life. It suggests that when we accept duty for our own lives, we have the ability to develop a sense of self-respect. This self-respect is not something that is offered to us, however something that we must cultivate within ourselves. Taking responsibility for our lives suggests that we are willing to take ownership of our successes and failures, and to gain from our errors. It likewise suggests that we want to take dangers and to make choices that remain in our benefit. By doing so, we have the ability to establish a sense of self-respect and self-confidence that can assist us to achieve our goals. Ultimately, the determination to accept obligation for our own lives is the structure for developing pride.