What's wrong with a sense of entitlement?

steddyeddy

Another thread on here talked about a sense of entitlement some people have towards house ownership, another inherence, education and health. What exactly should we feel entitled to? Nothing, the basics or the best? If we work hard for it shouldn't we feel entitled to anything we want?

I don't think people should feel entitled to the best of something and expect someone else to pay for it except when it comes to basic education and health.

biko

There is a difference between being entitled and feeling entitled.



Unfortunately people's sense of obligation doesn't rhyme at all with their sense of entitlement.
They feel they are owed, but never that they themselves owe.

mynamejeff

whats wrong with is that those who have a sense of entitlement get what they want becase those who lack the same sense of entitlement are forced to pay for it.

Its really about useless people choosing to take the easy road in life rather than work for what they want.

its a very prevalent occurrence now a days where the vocal minority shout down the honest minority

just look at the dail as an example

ToddyDoody

What's in it for me?

steddyeddy

mynamejeff wrote: »

whats wrong with is that those who have a sense of entitlement get what they want becase those who lack the same sense of entitlement are forced to pay for it.

Its really about useless people choosing to take the easy road in life rather than work for what they want.

its a very prevalent occurrence now a days where the vocal minority shout down the honest minority

just look at the dail as an example

Do you not feel entitled to good education?

mynamejeff

steddyeddy wrote: »

Do you not feel entitled to good education?

primary and secondary yes in a first world country

third level yes up to a point .

Education is something that should mature a person and help them understand that hard work has benefits like a well paying job etc.

But staying in collage for ten years going around and around in a Arts or humanities course without ever planning on contributing to the tax payers who footed the bill all them years ?

no i dont think that kind of entitlement is acceptable

Speedwell

Red Brick Whiskey wrote: »

I feel entitled to nothing. I try to get what I want through hard work and being intelligent technically and socially.

Well, you feel entitled to what you've earned through your hard work, right? Other people feel entitled to things they think are coming to them because of what they have not earned (like, for example, your intelligence). Some of those people are incorrect about how they perceive their earned and unearned entitlements.

In a decent society, we tend to hold as an ideal that people are entitled to a safe place to live, safe and nutritious food to eat, conscientious and appropriate health care, education adapted to their abilities, equality of opportunity, and protection of their individual freedom and dignity. Determining whether a given "entitlement" meets these ideals without violating others is part of the art of policy-making.

Most people recognise that if you work hard and provide for yourself/your family, that you/they are entitled to enjoy the rewards.

It's only when you expect others to do the hard work for you that it becomes objectionable.

An exception would be people who need assistance such as unemployment benefit, not everyone gets the same opportunities to provide for themselves and a caring society recognises that inequality.

B.A._Baracus

Big difference between someone working to get what they want and feeling they deserve something..... Compared to
someone who lives in the flats whose never worked a day in their lives and no intention but feels they deserve the same.

But sadly most people are entitled. In so many ways.

Two Tone

steddyeddy wrote: »

Another thread on here talked about a sense of entitlement some people have towards house ownership, another inherence, education and health. What exactly should we feel entitled to? Nothing, the basics or the best? If we work hard for it shouldn't we feel entitled to anything we want?

I don't think people should feel entitled to the best of something and expect someone else to pay for it except when it comes to basic education and health.

I think maybe the thread title should be changed to reflect you mean this, as it looks like you mean a sense of entitlement in any context.

Even if a person has worked extremely hard, they are not always owed something for it. E.g. when it comes to something as competitive as house purchasing - you can't always get the house you want.

People are entitled to their basic rights - shelter, food, healthcare, education. People are entitled to anything above that basic provision if they provide it for themselves.

No one is entitled to a own a house if they can't afford it, but everyone is entitled to shelter.

Speedwell

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Big difference between someone working to get what they want and feeling they deserve something..... Compared to
someone who lives in the flats whose never worked a day in their lives and no intention but feels they deserve the same.

You've raised a good point. Being deserving is not the same as being entitled. For example, we consider prisoners entitled to protection from abuse, adequate nutrition, and legal representation, even though they are clearly not "deserving". We consider small children entitled to a certain standard of care as well, though in no sense can they have done anything to "earn" it.

In a decent, fair society, we hold that the population is not protected if we allow the usual ills of poverty, illness, and ignorance to flourish, so we do what we can to alleviate all three. We're healthier when there are fewer sick people to spread illness, richer when there are fewer destitute people who do desperate things to survive, freer when the legal system is just and everyone's rights are protected, smarter when everyone is educated so they don't make errors in judgment, and kinder when we institutionalise fairness and equal treatment to people we otherwise might look down upon and mistreat.

There's nothing wrong with being someone who holds these ideals even though they directly benefit from them, just as there's nothing wrong with being someone who holds those ideals even though they don't directly benefit from them. In the end, everyone is a beneficiary. What's wrong is when you are entitled to these benefits but, since you disagree with the ideals, you refuse to be a full participant in society. That's just as wrong as being a selfish prig who holds on to an "I got mine, eff you" sort of ethic.