Why do people around me tend to increase their responsibility load (i.e. have children, become a manager, do charity, etc.) while I (30M) try to avoid it as much as I can?

Hello, someone who went to a manager position here! I'm 100% with you, decreasing responsibility means decreasing stress and so is always a priority! However, there are a few reasons one might shoot for the moon anyway.

1. Ambition. This is the obvious one, some people just want more. More money, more power, more prestige. That is a valid reason to push further but isn't for everyone.

2. Empathy. Yep you read that right! Ambition isn't the only driving force to take on more responsibility. Empathy can lead people to see the ways to improve others' lives, workloads, and more!

3. Accidents. Especially with children but also in other areas, accidents happen and can often leave people with more on their shoulders than expected.

I personally am mostly number 2. I saw the terrible leadership that my team has had in the past and the ways I could assist my team to improve. I knew all the complaints and had ideas to fix them so I took the responsibility bullet so they don't have to.

I hope this helps you see into the mind of someone who accepts responsibility, even if it means more stress and less freedom!