“**We deny responsibility for our actions when we attribute their cause to factors outside ourselves**: - Vague, **impersonal forces**—“I cleaned my room because I had to.” - Our **condition, diagnosis, or personal or psychological history**—“I drink because I am an alcoholic.” - The **actions of others**—“I hit my child because he ran into the street.” - The **dictates of authority**—“I lied to the client because the boss told me to.” - **Group pressure**—“I started smoking because all my friends did.” - **Institutional policies, rules, and regulations**—“I have to suspend you for this infraction because it’s the school policy.” - **Gender roles, social roles, or age roles**—“I hate going to work, but I do it because I am a husband and a father.” - **Uncontrollable impulses**—“I was overcome by my urge to eat the candy bar.” --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[control]], [[illusion-of-control]], [[responsibility]], [[parenting]], [[causation]], [[false-causality]], [[fallacy-of-the-single-cause]], **Source** -- [[251115105628 - B - Nonviolent Communication]]