Delphian Magazine - Issue 128

For the past several years, groups of students have gathered in my office for a lively discussion about the meaning and significance of Delphian’s logo. We talk in depth about the four points of the Delphian logo: Knowledge, Ethics, Leadership, and Integrity. We define those terms, discuss how they work together, and explore if and how you can have one without the others. 

In these seminars, we always find ourselves discussing one aspect of the Delphian culture which isn’t on the logo: responsibility. 

Our Student & Parent Handbook has a section called “Responsibility as a Viewpoint.” It’s a few paragraphs discussing two philosophical paths an individual can take: one believing they are the effect or victim of life’s circumstances and the other believing they are the cause of all effects in life. Here’s an excerpt:

It is popular today to excuse one’s troubles or conflicts by taking the viewpoint that they ‘are done to you.’ This can be described as the ‘victim’ approach to life. At Delphian, expect us to encourage you to take personal responsibility for the situations you find yourself in, and to work purposefully toward their resolution rather than acting as the ‘victim’ of the situations. This includes having the willingness to give and receive communication responsibly about disagreements, problems, etc.

“...This viewpoint may not always be easy and may take some practice, but it is the road to success, whether in school or in other situations and relationships.

I was curious what our students think about this idea, so I interviewed several, asking them to rate how vital “responsibility as a viewpoint” has been to their success at Delphian and in life.

Five students gave “responsibility as a viewpoint” a ten. Four ignored the scale altogether and gave it an eleven–one even saw fit to give it a fifteen. In the end, the average ranking of importance placed on responsibility as a viewpoint was 11.2 on a scale of one to ten–a pretty strong endorsement.

To elaborate further, I asked each student individually to explain their viewpoint. Here is what they had to say:  

When I consider myself the victim of any circumstances, I always have excuses available. On the other hand, maintaining responsibility as a viewpoint tends to lead me to action. Responsibility isn’t blame. It’s responsibility: total ownership for both sides and all components of any situation.

Adopting this viewpoint was a turning point of who I am and how I approach life. If I were to decide today that I am a victim, it would mark a huge step backward for me. If I feel like a victim, I trace my steps backward and figure out how I actually was responsible. It works every time. 

Anything that happens in my life is my responsibility, and anything that happens is no one else’s fault…it’s simply my responsibility. Me increasingly taking on this viewpoint has led me to care more and be more cause over my life, environment, and community. It has also allowed me to set and pursue high goals, like changing the world.

Sometimes people say there is only so much in life they can control, but I think you should leave nothing to outside forces. You are in full control, and the moment you decide you can’t control something, you won’t.

So, even though it’s not on the logo, this word “responsibility” is very much a part of the Delphian culture. Students are encouraged, to think about it, and to aspire to higher and higher levels of it as they move through the program.