Responsibility • [Variation] • dyn.pr. Commitment<–>Responsibility • taking, accepting, or assuming control to the exclusion of others • Responsibility is a determination of who will have control and also be held accountable should control not be successfully exercised. Responsibility can be taken, given, assumed, and relinquished. In practice, the desire for power or control often leads individuals to leverage a position as decision maker to the exclusion of others. The drive that grows from self-interest is Responsibility. The problem occurs when a character believes he knows what is best for someone and that someone doesn’t agree. “It’s for your own good,” and “This is going to hurt me more than you” are two expressions that exemplify this attitude. Sometimes the character is right in believing he knows best, other times not. Responsibility can both be given or taken, assumed or presumed, accepted or declined. • syn. assumed propriety, believed appropriateness, self designated aptness, accepted suitability

From the Dramatica Dictionary