I have written articles and spoken about entitlement on the podcast, but it has become a hot topic that needs to be discussed again. Here at Reven Concepts, we help people get the results they want in their life. When they reach that point, we must ask ourselves, should that person feel proud of what they just did, and does that pride come off as entitlement? Your mind will most likely say no, but when I switch the context, you have worked hard to where you are and shouldn’t bend over for anyone; now, the mind starts to think down that line of entitlement.

Entitlement in the context I will speak about today is the belief that one inherently deserves special privileges or special treatment. The word we must watch out for in this definition is “inherently” because this term adds to reference something permanent or essential. This can cause conflict in the definition of entitlement because if someone has a permanent idea of special privileges they deserve or feel they MUST have or be given special treatment, is this mindset helpful?

The simple answer is that being entitled is not a good mindset. If I think people or the world owe me something, then I am relinquishing my most potent ability, which is the ability to take action. When one has a sense of entitlement, they will feel like it should be given to them rather than that they should work for it. The issue with what is happening today and with entitlement is that people look at others’ accomplishments and struggles as their own. To this, I say, I love your imagination, but you are using it in the wrong power.

I often get asked if I believe I am entitled, and I tell them that is a great question. My mindset can easily be misconstrued as arrogance, presumptuousness, and entitlement to people who do not know my story. However, more than an account is needed to make someone entitled because what is happening today is that people are telling themselves lies about what they are owed and why. The issue is that if you tell yourself a lie long enough, it becomes your truth. What is the truth about entitlement?

The truth about entitlement is that it is a mindset running rampant in our younger generations. They feel they are owed something because they were brought into this world. They operate on their feelings alone, the key factor that makes entitlement negative. If you feel that you are owed something or have an inherent right to something, then you must ask yourself, how did I get to this point and earn this sense of justice?

Many young people say I didn’t ask to be brought into this world, so my parents owe me. I mean, they are not wrong because parents have a responsibility to take care of their children, but at some point, it ends, and their life should not be a factor of your parent’s responsibility. This is because if you reach adulthood, 16-21, depending on the country, your life will become a product of your goals and actions toward them.

Right now, there is this ideology of my body, my choice. Should people feel “entitled” about their bodies and choice but think their parents owe them something? No, because they contradict each other, many people will operate in this conflicting mindset because they do not know how to take ownership. Then there is another big issue with people who believe they shouldn’t have to take a vaccine because it is their choice. However, the people who see these people as not willing to get the JAB as entitled because they are not doing what is right. But what about my body, my choice?

There is a fine line between what makes a person entitled and strong-willed. If you have worked, and I mean worked your butt off. You had many lonely nights and days filled with blood, sweat, and tears, should you be able to feel proud of what you did or have accomplished within your time alive. Yes, because you are the product of your action, not your thoughts. Yes, people wish they were a product of their thoughts because then everyone would be millionaires and happy, yet today, most people struggle to make ends meet and are not happy.

Should a person feel entitled if they have actions that match the mindset? At this point, this person is not entitled. At this point, though it could be synonymous with what people “think,” there is an aspect where we can look at the data. We live in a fact-based world where the truth can hurt, and life is unfair. There will be prettier people than you or more handsome, intelligent, ambitious, etc. Should we curse these people because they have something we do not? No, what they lack might be what we can fulfill.

Humans rely on community and lean on one another for survival and growth. I have spoken about this before, and I will continue to talk about this because the truth must continue to be told; otherwise, it will be replaced with the lies and insecurities of the weak-minded.

“Tough times create strong men, strong men create easy times, easy times create weak men, and weak men create tough times” ~ Repeat the cycle.

As this cycle continues to remain prevalent, human conditioning will struggle throughout life. Whether that struggle is to create purpose, find meaning, or feel that the world owes them everything is the product of the era we are living in. As I write this article in 2023, most people have a weak mindset that is warped by the ease of the world and lack of responsibility. We have a school system that passes along children even if they do not meet the requirements for the next grade level. Our government provides for people who do not want to go out or cannot go out for some reason. Lastly, our culture thinks being like-minded is a good thing.

The three factors above are issues in our society that corral people into entitlement thinking or mindset. The way I think is different than many people, and it causes significant conflicts within the minds of others. Due to that, I have become a product of attacks because of my mindset or belief system. That belief system could easily be confused with entitlement to hard work and the results that come with it. The truth is people do not know what real hard work is anymore. That is why some people are unwilling to work for 30k a year. They feel they are worth more but have to gain real-world experience. It is one thing to understand your value and worth and then have a mindset of being too good for something.

The foundation of my mindset is the struggle that has strengthened into something concrete that I call resilience. If there is something in this world I want to reach or attain, I know I can get it because my actions can be directed toward that resolve. However, people who see my ambition will think I am owed that. I am not owed anything and never will be. I work hard and will do more than the average folk to get desired results.

Entitlement is one of those things that people will think is a harmless mindset, but it can be one of the most destructive ideologies we will have to dismantle or be violently shuck awoke. We live in a fantasy world where it is no longer the merits of your work or accomplishments, but the simple factor you are human is that you should be given earned rights automatically. Though we are all people on earth, we are not made the same. Men are different than women, and even within the genders, there will be other traits and mentality that can stem from genetics to mindset; the world is not equal, but people fight for this notion of equality.

Equality is different from entitlement, but people feel they are owed at least equal to those around them. That is why they will take from the rich and give to the poor. The sad truth is these people who live in entitlement have a scarcity mindset and are not willing to do what is needed to make improvements in their life to move past entitlement and into what was the product of their actions. To be able to say you built something and you are proud of what you have done is toxic if you operate under the notion you deserve what comes next. Again, we are not owed anything in life, but we can work hard for the things we want and be proud we have them.

The conversation of entitlement has many twists and turns that can lead to different mindsets and beliefs that many people will find hard to get through. Getting a Mindset Coach for this journey would be best because you do not want to be a victim of what entitlement will bring. At some point in your life, you can deserve to take a break or vacation, but you first understand you worked for it, whether it be hard work or easy work; if it is the product of your actions and sacrifice, then you should feel proud of it. If you’re a person who would instead think and feel with no actions, then you have to ask yourself what gave you this entitled mindset and work towards destroying that way of thinking/being.

Until then,

Michael Rearden

Founder of Reven Concepts