100 Responsibility Quotes To Take Back Your Power

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.

Here are 100 of the best responsibility quotes. You’ll find authors like Will Smith, Freud, Einstein, Roosevelt, Nietzsche, and lots more. Hope you’ll feel empowered after reading them. Enjoy!

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Amateurs blame others. Professionals accept responsibility. Shane Parrish

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This is not your responsibility but it is your problem. Cheryl Strayed

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Take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame. Erica Jong

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We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future. George Bernard Shaw

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I will keep constant watch over myself and‚ most usefully‚ will put each day up for review. Seneca

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It is not enough that we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required. Winston Churchill

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You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing. Richard Feynman

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Mindful amongst the negligent, highly vigilant amongst the drowsy, the man of wisdom advances like a race-horse, leaving the jade behind. The Dhammapada

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Quit thy childhood, my friend, and wake up! Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. Jean-Paul Sartre

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You get what you deserve. Instead of being a good person today, you choose instead to become one tomorrow. Marcus Aurelius

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Doctors won’t make you healthy. Nutritionists won’t make you slim. Teachers won’t make you smart. Gurus won’t make you calm. Mentors won’t make you rich. Trainers won’t make you fit. Ultimately, you have to take responsibility. Save yourself. Naval Ravikant

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Laws control the lesser man. Right conduct controls the greater one. Mark Twain

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My point is, in this whole wide world the only person you can depend on is you. Haruki Murakami (Kafka On The Shore, Amazon book)

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The wisest are the most courageous because they choose to do the right thing, not the popular one. Maxime Lagacé

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The Best Responsibility Quotes

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responsibility quotes gentleman someone does wants what should haruki murakami wisdom man walking nature

A gentleman is someone who does not what he wants to do, but what he should do. Haruki Murakami (Norwegian Wood, Amazon book)

I can pardon everyone’s mistakes but my own. Cato the Elder

So many things are unimportant. You’re wise when you focus on the few that truly are. Maxime Lagacé

The responsibility is all yours; no one can stop you from being honest or straightforward. Marcus Aurelius

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You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was. Abraham Lincoln

Why do we criticize tyrants, when in fact we are much worse than they are? We have the same inclinations as they do; we just lack opportunities to act on them. Musonius Rufus

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

You are not responsible for the programming you picked up in childhood. However, as an adult, you are one hundred percent responsible for fixing it. Ken Keyes Jr

Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him, and to let him know that you trust him. Booker T. Washington

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The single most empowering thing you can do is take responsibility for yourself, 100% of the time. Mel Robbins

Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life — is the source from which self-respect springs. Joan Didion

To be angry at something means you’ve forgotten: That everything that happens is natural. That the responsibility is theirs, not yours. Marcus Aurelius

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The highest good in life is the pursuit of the four cardinal virtues of practical wisdom, temperance, justice and courage. Massimo Pigliucci

I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty. John D. Rockefeller

The most important thing is to have a sense of responsibility, commitment, and concern for each of our fellow human beings. 14th Dalai Lama

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To live a life of honesty and integrity is a responsibility of every decent person. Noam Chomsky

The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny. Albert Ellis

There is no one else to blame. The leader must acknowledge mistakes and admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win. Jocko Willink (Extreme Ownership, Amazon book)

Responsibility to yourself means refusing to let others do your thinking, talking, and naming for you; it means learning to respect and use your own brains and instincts; hence, grappling with hard work. Adrienne Rich

Don’t waste life in doubts and fears; spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that will follow it. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Life gets easier when you don’t blame other people and focus on what you can control. James Clear

One of the most freeing thoughts you’ll ever have: No one is coming to save me, no one feels sorry for me. I am responsible for helping myself. Unknown

Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one. Eleanor Roosevelt

Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens. Epictetus

Related: 100 Confidence Quotes For More Self-Confidence

Part 2. Responsibility Quotes That Are…

The Most Famous Responsibility Quotes

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Searching for a famous responsibility quote or author? Check out these by Einstein, Roosevelt, Nietzsche, etc.
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Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. Jean-Paul Sartre

If something is broken it’s your responsibility to fix it. Will Smith

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. George Bernard Shaw

Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility. Sigmund Freud

You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. Abraham Lincoln

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The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. Albert Einstein

You are responsible for your life. You can’t keep blaming somebody else for your dysfunction. Life is really about moving on. Oprah Winfrey

It is wrong and immoral to seek to escape the consequences of one’s acts. Mahatma Gandhi

I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom. Bob Dylan

How few there are who have courage enough to own their faults. Benjamin Franklin

With freedom comes responsibility, a responsibility that can only be met by the individual. Ronald Reagan

Follow the three R’s: – Respect for self – Respect for others – Responsibility for all your actions. 14th Dalai Lama

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It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies. Noam Chomsky

The price of greatness is responsibility. Winston Churchill

One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. Martin Luther King Jr

Make it a point to do something every day that you don’t want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain. Mark Twain

A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master gardener of his soul, the director of his life. James Allen

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Taking responsibility is not an admission of guilt. Will Smith

A new position of responsibility will usually show a man to be a far stronger creature than was supposed. William James

No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible. Voltaire

What is an anarchist? One who, choosing, accepts the responsibility of choice. Ursula K. Le Guin

No price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. Friedrich Nietzsche

Short Responsibility Quotes

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One-liners, short responsibility quotes, sayings, thoughts, and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, and backgrounds.
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Take ownership. Jocko Willink

This is your life. Maxime Lagacé

No way around it: It’s on you. Ryan Holiday

Let deeds correspond with words. Plautus

Only you can control your future. Dr. Seuss

The time is always right to do right. John Lewis

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It’s not your fault, but it’s your responsibility to do something about it. Shane Parrish

Problems get bigger when you ignore them. Jack Butcher

Is this fair? Is this the right thing to do? Marcus Aurelius

I am responsible for everything in my life. Kamal Ravikant

Help yourself. No one is coming to save you. Noah Kagan

Taking responsibility is taking your power back. Will Smith

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I am responsible for what I see. Gabby Bernstein

Never trouble another for what you can do yourself. Thomas Jefferson

When you’re in victim mode you are stuck in suffering. Will Smith

Responsibility… that’s where the meaning in life is. Jordan B. Peterson

Freedom and responsibility aren’t given, they’re taken. Seth Godin

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The right thing to do and the hard thing to do are usually the same. Steve Maraboli

My transformation is my responsibility. Terri Cole

Take responsibility for everything that happens to you. Naval Ravikant

Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular. Roy T. Bennett (The Light in the Heart, Amazon book)

Accept the terrible responsibility of life with eyes wide open. Jordan B. Peterson

Just complaining without looking for a solution is irresponsibility. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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Inspirational Responsibility Quotes

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We have the responsibility to put our gifts to work. Les Brown

Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders and know that you’re the creator of your own destiny. Swami Vivekananda

Notice that opportunity lurks where responsibility has been abdicated. Jordan Peterson

The more you progress, the more responsibility you’ll have. People will count on you. You’ll have new standards to reach and maintain. New difficulties to handle. Embrace it, choose to see the good. There’s nothing you can’t overcome. Gal Shapira

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The smarter you get the more you respect who you truly are. Maxime Lagacé

Responsibility to yourself means that you don’t fall for shallow and easy solutions – it means that you refuse to sell your talents and aspirations short. Adrienne Rich

If you want to earn respect, just take on responsibility. Naval Ravikant (Source)

You change your life when you stop blaming other people for where you are and take responsibility for where you’re going. Mel Robbins

We’re all flawed heroes. Responsibility is power. Take responsibility for the consequences of your actions, and the world is yours. Tom Hiddleston

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Responsibility begins with courage and ends with honor. Maxime Lagacé

Some of us have great runways already built for us. If you have one, take off. But if you don’t have one, realize it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and for those who will follow after you. Amelia Earhart

Glory is apt to follow when industry has prepared the road. Publilius Syrus

It takes a great deal of courage to stand alone even if you believe in something very strongly. Reginald Rose

No one is in control of your happiness but you; therefore, you have the power to change anything about yourself or your life that you want to change. Barbara de Angelis

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Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Hold yourself accountable in all areas of your life. Do not blame anyone or anything. Do not think of yourself as a victim. Do not make excuses. Take responsibility. Yvan Byeajee

Taking responsibility is a recognition of the power that you see when you stop blaming people. Will Smith

Responsibility is done by you. It’s voluntary. You can take as much of it as you want. Ben Sasse

Related: 9 Ways to Take Responsibility for Your Life (thriveglobal.com)

Conclusion

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It is your responsibility to figure out how to take that pain and how to overcome that and build a happy life for yourself. Will Smith

The past is past, and the future is yet to come. That means the future is in your hands – the future entirely depends on the present. That realization gives you a great responsibility. 14th Dalai Lama

Becoming responsible adults is no longer a matter of whether children hang up there pajamas or put dirty towels in the hamper, but whether they care about themselves and others – and whether they see everyday chores as related to how we treat this planet. Eda Leshan

Winners do what is right and then they feel good. Whiners want to feel good before they do what is right. Are you a winner or a whiner? John C. Maxwell

Further Readings

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Are you responsible? What’s your favorite responsibility quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.

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Author Bio

maxime lagace

Maxime Lagacé started collecting quotes in 2004 after he lost his girlfriend in a car accident.

In search of meaning, he dived in the self-improvement world, psychology and trail running.

Books, blogs, quotes and nature became his guide.

He started journaling, reflecting, writing his thoughts, feelings and quotes.

His goal was to understand his pain, his depression, his fears, his lack of motivation and inspiration.

He finished his software engineering degree in 2007 at the École de Technologie Supérieure de Montréal.

A few years later, he started his first website to share his love of quotes.

Maxime is a father of two, husband, and INFJ.

Other notable interests of Maxime are health (mental and physical), meditation, bananas, SEO, human potential, and education.

You can find him on X, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube.

Last update

March 7, 2022

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