Entitled

                                                           (Photo: dailymail.co.uk)

Magboot kaw? The retort was given by a student who came to school wearing skimpy shorts. The guard asked why she was dressed that way and the girl answered back as if her clothes were appropriate to an academic environment. Other students seemed to blame the guard for asking the question as if they are entitled to do anything even if this is NOT acceptable to the school norms anymore.

Khan (2019) says that entitlement is defined as "an unrealistic, unmerited or inappropriate expectation of favorable living conditions and favorable treatment at the hands of others."

Since the Philippines is now adapting to the opening of its doors to the “world culture,” the orientation of the young and adults seems to experience a divide. One of these gaps is the sense of entitlement of the young as if they deserve to do everything they fancy putting traditions, culture and values on the sidelines.

Statistics show that 65% of American adults think that millennials are entitled. There are different reasons why they become self-entitled. It can be because of parenting, their sense of “ownership” to the world, or the fact that their generation has been more intellectually trained and skilled than other generations before them (Brown, 2018).

As a country, we were under the Spanish mindset for so long that we inherited the disciplinarian way. We trained our kids to behave and NOT answer or talk back to adults. Once they did, being punished was expected. The older ones got accustomed to this that it will be a questionable act to talk back especially NOT following their directions. The young persons will then be labeled as a rebel or “suplado” if they “break the rules”.

When the country joined with the United Nations, legislation on children’s rights became a reality. We then linked to the universal declarations and acculturation came in. Schools became learner-centered and everything is then focused to the customer. Principals and teachers became service-providers and now, the clients could question the way they are being SERVED.

Are these concepts and technological advancements the causal factors of being entitled among the young?

In society, entitlement is often perceived differently from a sense of entitlement. While the latter breeds negative connotations, Psychology Today cites entitlement as "an enduring personality trait, characterized by the belief that one deserves preferences and resources that others do not." At its best, entitlement can be viewed as confidence and self-assurance, and at its worst, the trait can be perceived as narcissism.

More often than not, a sense of entitlement manifests in various common forms. According to A Conscious Re-Thinker, the most frequent displays of negative entitlement include the inability to compromise with others, impractical demands, an attitude of supremacy, habitual anger towards people, and self-pity. Granted, all people have a sense of entitlement, to some degree, but when extreme or regular manifestations take place, it then becomes highly problematic.

Countless people have questioned the psychological roots of the dreaded sense of entitlement. Why do certain people believe they deserve admiration, respect, dominance, etc. when they have not truly earned it? What caused this? Is it an inherent trait or a characteristic that one picks up over time?

Psychology Today states that a sense of entitlement can manifest as an offshoot of experiencing maltreatment or being treated with contempt by other people. Essentially, the sense of entitlement becomes a coping method, only taken to the extreme. For instance, someone whose childhood lacked the same toys, games, and clothes of their more fortunate counterparts may grow up with a sense of entitlement. Rooted in resentment, the person who missed out on a plentiful childhood may believe that he or she deserves to have the finer things in life or deserves to be treated as special. Although missing out on certain childhood experiences is unfortunate, the overcompensation can be equally as damaging to their individual, if not more.

Persons who suffer from a sense of entitlement also tend to see their peers and other people around them as competition and struggle to compromise or reach negotiate on mutually beneficial agreements. A sense of entitlement is the epitome of the "Me! Me! Me!" attitude where the world is supposed to revolve around the person and what they want. However, this is not how life works. Ultimately, the individual with a sense of entitlement takes, yet rarely gives, prioritizes themselves over others at virtually all times, and fancy themselves as superior to others (Khan, 2019).

Be it bad parenting, acculturation, mental disorder or traumatic childhood, we still adhere to the belief the RESPECT begets respect. We might have a good sense of self-image yet we must know that others deserve to be treated well… As much as we want to be treaded fairly.