13 Characteristics of Responsible People
Responsibility is one of the most appreciated values in society. Some think that it’s a value that’s automatically acquired in adulthood. However, in reality, we know that not all adults assume it. In fact, there are many characteristics that define responsible people, some of which aren’t entirely obvious to the naked eye.
Responsibility doesn’t appear out of the blue. Education, religion, ethics, and morals are just some of the variables that affect whether someone is responsible or not.
As a matter of fact, the real scope of responsibility tends to be greater than that attributed to it. Indeed, it’s not something that only determines the life of the individual, but also of those around them. Today, we look at 13 characteristics of responsible people.
The characteristics of responsible people
Before telling you about the main characteristics of responsible people, you should know that there are many types of responsibility. For example, it’s not the same to speak of legal responsibility as moral responsibility. Nevertheless, these are the two variants with the greatest impact on society since they directly affect it.
Experts have long been deeply interested in moral responsibility. There are codes or behaviors that are expected of certain people. Most of them are tacit, although some may be included in a country’s laws. Legal responsibility has also attracted the interest of specialists, in relation to excuses or ways to avoid it.
Etymologically, the word derives from the Latin, responsum, and the verb, respondere. In fact, responsibility is a highly complex value. It translates as the quality or ability to respond to commitments. Let’s look at some of the main characteristics of responsible people.
1. They keep their promises
One of the most valuable qualities of responsible people is their fulfillment of promises. Certainly, people who accept responsibility as one of their primary values avoid making promises that they won’t keep. They also make sure to keep their word when they’ve made a commitment to someone to do something.
2. They assume the consequences of their actions
This is one of the most common manifestations of responsibility. A responsible person accepts the consequences of the things they say or do. On the contrary, an irresponsible person does just the opposite.
A responsible person responds directly to everything that caused their actions, especially in the face of unfavorable consequences.
3. They avoid using excuses to avoid issues
It’s extremely common for people to use a thousand and one excuses to avoid certain commitments. However, those who are really responsible don’t adopt this kind of attitude. In fact, they’re not afraid to accept or refuse to participate in something if they consider it to be the right thing to do.
This is also related to the other characteristics of responsible people. Indeed, they feel true consideration for others in all respects.
4. They’re transparent in their actions
Responsible people aren’t afraid to show themselves as they are. This means they don’t hide what they do and think. Of course, this doesn’t imply that they live in glass houses, but certainly much information about them is usually known by others. It’s related to the fact that they’re usually really straight because they avoid behaviors or actions that contradict their principles at all costs.
5. They have no qualms about apologizing
Nowadays, people often forgive or apologize without really thinking about it. However, responsible people apologize when they feel they should, and always do so sincerely. That’s because they have a strong regard for others.
This is an extremely important characteristic, as it’s all too easy to apologize when we don’t really mean it. Nevertheless, responsibility always goes hand in hand with honesty.
6. They think before making important decisions
Responsible people know that they must deal with consequences and respond to them. They don’t manage their decisions spontaneously but try to assess all eventualities to ensure that they make the correct choices. They also employ this attitude, albeit less methodically, to the smallest of decisions.
7. They don’t continually procrastinate
Procrastination is undoubtedly on the opposite side of responsibility. Those who are responsible fulfill their duties or their actions when they must do so. They don’t continually postpone necessary assignments or jobs. This applies to everything, from their chores at home to assigned projects at work.
8. They avoid useless complaining
When not accompanied by action, complaints are always useless. They simply cause frustration and, if nothing is done to solve the problem, it’ll always be there.
Far from choosing to complain about an unfavorable situation, a responsible person will try to reverse it. That’s when it’s possible, of course. Naturally, this isn’t always possible.
9. They’re punctual
This is one of the most important characteristics of responsible people: punctuality.
They don’t waste their own time, nor that of others. On the contrary, they value and appreciate it according to their own and others’ schedules that have been stipulated in advance.
10. They’re dedicated and meticulous in their work
This is basically because they try to give the best of themselves in anything they undertake. That’s why they’re so outstanding when it comes to fulfilling academic and work assignments. However, it’s not only in these contexts that they excel. In fact, they’re dedicated and meticulous in everything they do. They take care of their health, achieve their life plans, and manage their agendas, along with everything else.
11. They’re honest
As we mentioned earlier, responsible people are ruled by their honesty.
As a matter of fact, this quality can be uncomfortable for other people, as it doesn’t always match with what they expect. Responsible people aren’t shy about dishing out compliments and saying thanks. In the same way, they’re not afraid of pointing out faults or criticizing things that they don’t like.
12. They’re consistent
Consistency is extremely important in the lives of responsible people. They’re consistent with their values and principles and don’t do or say things that deviate from them.
This doesn’t imply that they don’t change their minds. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. That said, when they do, they’re equally consistent so they’re not at all unreliable or unpredictable.
13. They take care of themselves and others
Responsible people actively practice ethics and morals. According to Gustavo Bueno, ethics is understood as all those rules aimed at the survival of the individual. Morality concerns the rules aimed at the survival of the group. Responsible people will always ensure the care and integrity of themselves as well as that of the society that surrounds them.
As you might expect, there are also many other characteristics of responsible people, although the ones mentioned above describe their behavior and actions in a nutshell. Responsibility is one of the supreme values, so it’s natural that it’s one of the most difficult to assimilate and maintain. Our advice is to value all the responsible people you have around you since they’re usually quite rare.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Eshleman, A. Moral responsibility. 2014.
- Hart, H. L. A. (2013). Legal responsibility and excuses. In Readings in the Philosophy of Law. 2013; pp. 501-524.