None of what is going on in business or education or government is anyone’s fault.

Nobody has decided things should be this way.

But then again, nobody has decided they shouldn’t be this way.

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Whenever we talk about “holding people responsible”, “finding out who is responsible”, “taking responsibility” — it all has a punitive tone.

Who is responsible for this?

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I keep thinking about the Stanford Prisoner Experiment. From inside the logic of the situation nobody was doing anything wrong. To take responsibility here meant to transcend the logic of the situation, and take responsibility for the perverse sense of responsibility that had overcome all parties involved.

Until we look behind the actions, and behind the actors, and into the situational dynamics, whatever responsibility we take will be irresponsible and moved by forces we do not know.

Our actions are practically active, but morally passive.

We know not why we do. We know only what we do, and how it ought to be done.

We go along with the best practices of business, with the standards of education, with the procedures of government. We are programmed with our nam shubs, or if you prefer, with the way things are.

(It’s been a long time since I read Snow Crash. I’m not sure if I’m using the term “nam shub” right. The right term might be a “me“. I need to educate myself on Sumerian mythology.)