Though much modern psychology is built upon understanding why people do what they do, most successful psychological interventions are built upon the assumption that people must ultimately take responsibility for their own behaviors. Blaming the other person, or even the environment, has never been the power behind successful treatment plans. In fact, blaming others actually keeps us from doing what we can do for ourselves to become whole. If it were impossible for people to control their behaviors, therapists would have little to work with. People can and must take responsibility for their own lives. The truth is, for things to change in our lives, we must take the initiative and do something different than we are already doing --and we can. Sure, we can all understand that people come under stress, but does that excuse them from responsibility for heinous behaviors?
The last century ended with a basketball game being interrupted on a Friday night to show us all a dozen police cars following O. J. Simpson down I-5 as he fled from law enforcement officers in a white Bronco. As the evidence accumulated, police arrested Simpson for the murder of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. Since Simpson was a noted personality, police needed a nearly air-tight case before they dared to make the arrest.
The whole picture is further blurred by a never-ending stream of politicians in trouble, suspicioned to have done wrong, or accuse by other politicians of having done wrong. We just expect it. Even high level and low level military figures have become a part of the ugly picture. It has become harder and harder to tell which way is up by listening to the news or the editorials. Is it "much ado about nothing?" Or is this a devil being marketed as an angel? About all we can figure out is "who doesn't like whom." But, it's not too much to expect; I expect as much from my neighbors and they haven't disappointed me. Maybe my neighbors ought to become my new heroes.
Psychology cannot be allowed to become the excuse for every criminal behavior; we have to believe that people can do otherwise, and expect them to. Have we forgotten, "To whom much is given much shall be required" (Luke 12:48)? We're not upset because some of our luxury-laden, important, overpaid heroes have failed to give us perfection; we're upset because they’ve given us "diddley-squat." We're all very disappointed and sad, and we have a perfect right to be so. Too much to expect? Give us a break! Will the "white bronco syndrome" ever end? Probably not. In the mean time, I'll just play it safe and stick with Mom and the kids for my heroes. Good enough. And yes, they are "good" enough.