"The buck stops here!" We’ve all heard this saying before at some point in our lives. The phrase was popularized by US President Harry Truman. It refers to the fact that Truman felt the President had to make decisions and accept the ultimate responsibility for those decisions. Today, business leaders, parents, teachers, and individuals from all walks of life use this statement. In essence it means responsibility is not passed beyond the person making the point.

We have the freedom to choose our decisions but we are not free from the consequences of those decisions. It is the fear of the responsibility of the consequences, often unknown to us, that creates a tendency in people to pass the responsibility of making decisions to someone else … even when those decisions affect our lives. Passing on responsibility or "passing the buck" is prevalent in today’s society.

It can be seen in all aspects of life:

* There are thousands of lawsuits filed every day in which defendants are looking to escape responsibility for their decisions and other lawsuits in which plaintiffs are seeking to place responsibility for their own actions on someone else, usually for financial reward. For example, the cigarette industry is a perfect example of this. The companies (defendants) deny responsibility for releasing products they knew was unhealthy, and smokers (plaintiffs) blame the cigarette companies for their decision to smoke two packs a day for forty years.

* The investment world is comprised of brokers, agents, and sales people. These individuals are necessary to the process but it is interesting to note that the massive number of these individuals is evidence of a "passing the buck" mentality. How many people do you know who are invested in the stock market and yet know nothing about their investments, the potential rewards, or the risks? Lots of them. Most people would prefer to abdicate the responsibility of making financial decisions so they choose to put their financial future in the hands of someone else.

* Many of our government social programs exist because people want to pass the buck. Some would rather leave the responsibility of managing their money in the hands of the government until they retire in hopes there will be an income from that money during retirement. Additionally, other programs exist because people feel it is easier to give money for a program than it is to be personally responsible for reaching out to those in need. It is easier to say, "Government is responsible for taking care of the poor." But, where is our own accountability in the existence of the poor?

The list goes on and on but you get the point. In order to avoid taking responsibility, we create excuses and "pass the buck" for many decisions. What excuses do you use? "I am too young." "I am too old." "I have to listen to my parents." "I have to listen to my boss." "I don’t have enough money" "I don’t have enough time" "I’m not smart enough" "I have no control, it’s in my DNA" … and gain the list could go on and on. Think about it, what are your most common excuses?

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