When Accountability Is a Core Value

I saw this today (see image) and it hit me hard. Because it’s true.

When one of your core values is fairness, accountability isn’t just something you hope for—it’s something you need to feel safe. It’s cause and effect. It’s justice. It’s respect.

But the uncomfortable truth is that you can’t make someone take accountability. You can’t force clarity where someone is committed to denial. And asking for an apology that isn’t real? It feels like another form of betrayal—especially if authenticity is how you breathe.

Some days, I don’t need anything from them. Other days, I remember. The gaslighting. The manipulation. The mental gymnastics. And I want nothing but accountability.

That’s the thing about healing—it’s not linear. It revisits. It teaches. It strips illusions. And sometimes it simply reminds you: you woke up, and that in itself is enough.