Entitlement

Life – Terror. Ecstasy. Fight. Denial. Flight. Failure. PAIN. Forgiveness. Reconciliation. Hope. Love. Peace – Death. 

There seem to be broadly ‘Two Types’ in society now-a-days?

‘Those who Have’ and ‘Those who Want’. The Haves & the Wants.

Those who have [often middle aged or above] are determined to keep everything they have [at all cost], and believe they are entitled to even more. Often, even more, is never enough. There is never, enough.

Those who want. They want everything and they believe they are entitled to ‘everything.’ They do not believe they should (have) to work for anything, it is, simply, ‘their right’, to have everything’.

• They think they deserve special treatment. …
• They feel that they deserve more than what they have [in life]. …
• They feel like people should do things for them because of who they are or how much money/power they have. …
• Their personal needs come before everyone else’s needs.

In law, an entitlement is a provision made in accordance with a legal framework of a society. Typically, entitlements are based on concepts of principle which are themselves based in concepts of social equality or enfranchisement. We are all innately selfish to some degree. The real challenge is achieving a balance of “healthy selfishness” that allows you to become self-focused, instead of self-involved. Since they struggle to see the value in supporting those around them, they think other people’s wins are unfair and the result of special treatment.

We’ve all met people who have a sense of entitlement. Maybe it’s that person who tried to cut in front of you at the coffee shop queue. Perhaps it was someone who demanded to be seated before you at a busy restaurant without a reservation. Simply put, people with a sense of entitlement think the rules don’t apply to them.

We expect immediate and round-the-clock access to connect with our friends and favourite brands on social networking sites. If we can’t instantly share our holiday pictures and last night’s dinner with one click, we find & download another app that will. We demand instant gratification.

Social media has created a culture of entitled, whiny cry-babies who expect that everything will be given to them without compromise, fees or responsibility. Technological advancements are moving at such a fast pace that I wonder about the impact it’s having on the world and on us as individuals? Internet devices are always on; meeting face-to-face has becoming rare as people choose to meet screen-to-screen.

The demand on technology to facilitate better communication with our family, friends and colleagues has grown exponentially alongside our demand for unrestricted, fast and glitch-free services. We blindly accept Terms of Service agreements without reading the fine print and then act  surprised and shocked that someone is collecting and sharing our information. We want it all; we want it now. AND; so many want it for free.

There’s no answer in this post. Only question(s).

What is the impact of social media’s culture of entitlement? Are we setting unrealistic expectations? Will society continue to accept social media’s free services in exchange for reduced privacy?  Will there be a tipping point? 

Thanks for Reading

#Peace