"Whenever we seek to avoid the responsibility for our own behavior, we do so by attempting to give that responsibility to some other individual or organization or entity. But this means we then give away our power to that entity"

The quote by M. Scott Peck speaks with the inherent relationship between responsibility and personal power. At its core, it recommends that there is an intrinsic link in between owning one's actions and working out control over one's life.

When we select to evade obligation for our actions, we often attempt to move the blame or accountability to something or someone else, whether it be another person, an organization, and even social structures. This act of shifting obligation is a typical defensive system, driven by elements such as fear of failure, insecurity, or an unwillingness to deal with potential consequences. Nevertheless, while such habits may provide short-lived remedy for the concern of responsibility, it has a more profound ramification-- the relinquishment of individual power.

Distributing duty to another entity suggests a loss of the power that originates from taking ownership of one's actions. By denying responsibility, we implicitly acknowledge that the external entity holds sway over the scenarios, and hence, over us. This act decreases our company, making us passive gamers in our life story instead of the authors of our own story. It disempowers us by placing our fate and the direction of our lives in external hands, therefore deteriorating our autonomy and self-determination.

Conversely, when we accept duty, we recover our power. Acknowledging and organizing our actions allows us to learn, grow, and adjust. It empowers us to enact change, conquer difficulties, and become more resistant. It transforms our mindset from among victimhood to among empowerment, acknowledging that while we can not always control external factors, we can manage our actions to them.

In essence, Peck's quote highlights a fundamental fact about human presence: that the path to empowerment is rooted in accepting personal obligation. By doing so, we preserve control over our lives and unlock our potential to shape our fates.