Just several days ago, my good friend and I brought up the discussion of what entitlement meant and as of today, I am still trying to determine my stance on it. Thus far, my ideas are as followed.
The most basic idea of entitlement is a belief or a mindset that you deserve it–it being whatever is at hand that you want may it be adoration, materialistic items, or anything in between. That in itself brings up the question, as beings of this world, what are we entitled to? Are we entitled to anything at all? We all are blessed by the fact that societies have developed and transformed around the conclusion that we are entitled to free will, happiness, and basic respect. The rest of it, however, is never guaranteed to a single soul. Love is not an entitlement, neither is wealth, neither is success.
I am certain we all know a couple people who feel entitled to so much more than the average person. Why is it that some people feel entitled, becoming frustrated when they do not get what they want? From a personal perspective, I grew up in a middle-upper class family, was always provided for and more. I never had to worry about the things that I didn’t have so does having enough money to live a comfortable life lead to a sense of entitlement? I strongly think not. Getting what you want is not equivalent to holding an air of entitlement. As ironic as it seems, I believe entitlement stems from getting what you don’t deserve, through having things handed so easily to you that you believe that the world owes you.
Entitled people are more prone to being selfish in their relationships, expecting the relationship to be a give and take. People who feel entitled are more likely to be angry at their difficult situations than to work through them. Entitled people are more likely to fall into narcism. Instead of thinking through that, remember the outcome of anything is highly dependent on what you invest your effort into. In certain respects, we all feel entitled at times but the next time you come across this feeling, look at it from another perspective. Think about why you feel entitled to that because more than likely, you aren’t.
And once you realize that, I know that you’ll be that much more inclined to work for what you deserve and that will bring all the satisfaction in the world.