A personal experience shed light on all this for me: The first time I few business class internationally, I was amazed to find a smug, entitled attitude cropping up out of nowhere in my mind. I suddenly became a different person fro the one I've always tried to be: I was found myself believing that I was a more worthy and valuable person…
A personal experience shed light on all this for me: The first time I few business class internationally, I was amazed to find a smug, entitled attitude cropping up out of nowhere in my mind. I suddenly became a different person fro the one I've always tried to be: I was found myself believing that I was a more worthy and valuable person than hoi polloi passing me on their way to their seats in coach.
In real life I know exactly how I ended up economically where I did: what came from genes, what came from my parent's teaching and examples, what came from teachers, what came from luck, what came from study and work. But many have not benefited from the kinds of backgrounds that would allow them to resist, or even think about resisting, the kind of entitled attitude that raised its head as I sipped my pre-departure beverage.
There's something innate in us that wants to take all the credit. Indeed, it may be a strong incentive to succeed, with the growing sense of entitlement the internal reward that makes external wealth worth it. Since I now know I'm not "without sin" in this regard, I'm careful about being judgmental of others (with the exception of certain tech bros 😉.)
On the other hand, on the collective level, an overweening sense of entitlement can be contagious and harmful in a society. This is one reason I agree with Elle and others here that it's important for societies to find ways to limit/reduce disparities between rich and poor.
A personal experience shed light on all this for me: The first time I few business class internationally, I was amazed to find a smug, entitled attitude cropping up out of nowhere in my mind. I suddenly became a different person fro the one I've always tried to be: I was found myself believing that I was a more worthy and valuable person than hoi polloi passing me on their way to their seats in coach.
In real life I know exactly how I ended up economically where I did: what came from genes, what came from my parent's teaching and examples, what came from teachers, what came from luck, what came from study and work. But many have not benefited from the kinds of backgrounds that would allow them to resist, or even think about resisting, the kind of entitled attitude that raised its head as I sipped my pre-departure beverage.
There's something innate in us that wants to take all the credit. Indeed, it may be a strong incentive to succeed, with the growing sense of entitlement the internal reward that makes external wealth worth it. Since I now know I'm not "without sin" in this regard, I'm careful about being judgmental of others (with the exception of certain tech bros 😉.)
On the other hand, on the collective level, an overweening sense of entitlement can be contagious and harmful in a society. This is one reason I agree with Elle and others here that it's important for societies to find ways to limit/reduce disparities between rich and poor.
I appreciate this introspection, it can be hard for us to recognize that we can easily fall into the same behavior we criticize!