Externalization of blame leads to verbal and physical aggression. This pattern of thinking results in an inability to learn, innovate, and keep up with current events. When this pattern of thinking occurs, people may end up stuck in the same place or drifting in the same direction. The only way to escape the cycle of externalization of blame is to take responsibility for your own behavior. This article examines some of the most common causes of blame and how you can avoid it.
Externalization of blame leads to verbal and physical aggression
Researchers have long thought that negative feelings of shame would lead to greater levels of physical and verbal aggression. Yet, there is no evidence that shame directly inhibits aggression. The relationship between shame and aggression is indirectly related to externalization of blame. This study investigated the relation between externalization of blame and self-reported aggression. We found that externalization of blame was positively related to physical aggression in two separate samples.
A second study used this same methodology, but analyzed data from the same sample of 234 adolescents. This study found that, despite the strong association between blame and aggression, the direct relation between externalization of blame and verbal aggression was marginal. The indirect effect of shame was found to be significant in the case of verbal aggression, but not for physical aggression. Further, the relationship between physical and verbal aggression and blame externalization were not significant for the indirect effects of shame.
Lack of learning
The tendency to blame other people is counterproductive and wasteful of resources. In fact, it inhibits learning, preventing us from learning from our mistakes and making improvements. One example of this is the Costa Concordia disaster, when the admiral said he hoped that finger-pointing would not undermine the need to pinpoint the root causes. However, this stance can be detrimental to the health of an organization or a society.
It prevents us from growing and maturing, and only increases our dependence on other people. In fact, blaming others is childish and prevents us from learning and growing. Instead, we need to learn from our mistakes and take responsibility for our actions. Hopefully, we'll begin to understand that blaming others for our mistakes only hinders our own development. So, what should we do instead?
Lack of innovation
The executives of three major oil companies - Exxon Mobil, BP, and Chevron - were grilled by lawmakers this week, and they fell over themselves to shift blame. Playing the blame game never works, as research has shown. People who continually blame others for a problem solution lose status and perform worse than people who take responsibility for their own mistakes. The same is true in organizations. Studies have shown that groups with an excessive culture of blame have a disadvantage when it comes to creativity, learning, innovation, and risk-taking.
In addition to creating a blame-free environment, organizations can foster a culture that encourages risk-taking and innovation. Most organizations require employees to take risks, ranging in magnitude and nature. These risks can include developing new products, entering new markets, or offering or withdrawing services. However, in organizations with a blame-culture, the desire to avoid criticism and blame for failure inhibits innovation and collective learning.