Danielle’s parents tore up their parent license early in her life. By
treating her like an honored guest in the home, they became product and
service providers instead of parents. As the years went by, they stripped
her of the need to act responsibly. As you can tell, she has become more
and more dependent on her parents while becoming less and less
appreciative of what they provide.
As Danielle enters the adult world, what her parents once provided will
become society’s responsibility. And as you can guess, that will never be
enough to satisfy her. Entitled people see themselves as victims. Once
this sets in, all unhappiness and disappointments are the fault of others.
Danielle’s parents, in their efforts to create a perfect life for their child,
failed to teach her that living in a democracy requires personal restraints
regarding personal behavior. Her discussion with the counselor indicates
that she has no ability to see how her personal behavior impacts others,
both in her home and in society.
Many kids arrive at college with wealth they have not earned. They
actually have no idea how to attain or maintain their lifestyle other than
demanding it from their parents. They have lots of money to spend but no
idea how to earn it. In other words, they don’t have a clue that the money
they spend comes from someone else’s hard work, sacrifices, and
responsibility. They have pockets full of credit cards without the
knowledge of how to use them responsibly.
We have major concerns about the rapid growth of entitlement in our
young people and its threat to the American way of life. As we study this
problem, we have become aware of the beliefs that entitled people harbor.
We like to call these beliefs “The Highs and Lows of Entitlement.” As
you read, you will become aware that they are all debilitating beliefs:
HIGH: High need for goods and services.
LOW: Low pressure to succeed or hold down jobs.HIGH: High amount of time to party.
LOW: Low amount of time to devote to accomplishment.
HIGH: High expectations of others.