Ex - Titlement

What am I hoping not to hear?

People seem to be of the opinion that they, we, us, humans deserve anything at all (outside of human rights) and can make decisions about other people based on our hard work or the sweat of our brow. It's the idea of entitlement. I thought at first it was a generational thing, that the older generation simply wants what is theirs and should be able to dictate to the younger generation how to give it to them simply because they're older and paid their dues. (It came up in conversation about whether or not to allow immigrants to Canada to have the old age benefits without having to wait the minimum 10 years as a Canadian Citizen - don't argue this point with me.....) The idea that a group of people (primarily older people, but I'm sure there was a smattering of younger folk in there as well) should be able to argue that another group should be denied benefits or some social justice or equality based on the fact that they haven't paid as much as born and raised Canadians is really unsettling to me..and has been on my mind since it came up. But I'm attempting to deal with that.

But I've seen it in more places and from a wider age range than I initially thought. (sometimes on TV sometimes on the bus in a conversation people are having) People seem to think that they are entitled to certain things just for being themselves (or even for the fact they may have worked for it). It's bewildering. And frustrating.

I don't like it when someone tries to tell me that the deserve something, for any reason really. (primarily because they've worked so hard and they've sacrificed so much). I think it has to do with the idea that work is suposed to, ultimately lead to nothing but benefit, and afer a period of time your should be seeing enough profit that you should be allowed to do what you want with the spoils.

And there inlies the problem. This is how people think of money and time. Spoils. They don't say it out loud and they likely wouldn't admit it if you called them on it, but people treat their spare time and money like it was earned and they can do with it as they wish.

Remember the olden days? When you worked until you were no longer able to work, simply to provide for your family (women and men) and when you had a little extra you might put it towards something useful. (I am by no means a "good ol' days" kind of person...for the record) But I mean to say that when I was growing up I had two parents who cared very much and sacrificed a lot (a dad who would work a couple of jobs and still does in order to earn enough, a mom who worked a couple of decent jobs in offices and has recently learned even more what money can do for you) But I can't recall either of them saying or having something extra simply because they thought they deserved it. Which, I suppose is where I've developed some of my school of thought on the topic.

So I guess when I hear people say that they've worked hard for a while, and thus they should be able to buy what they want, it rubs me the wrong way. We want to work somewhere nice. A good environment, steady pay, you know the story. But remember when the fall happened? Childbirth is now painful and now work is going to be toilsome and we'll need to work off the sweat of our brow.

People (who know that work could have been so much more glorious than it is now, and will one day be redeemed) seem to forget that what we have and what we are, belongs to God.

There. I know I was rambling for about 400 words or so. And I was struggling to figure out what I really wanted to say, something that would clearly and concisely say why I think I have a problem with entitlement.

Entitlement, in my mind, is the act of praising yourself for a job well done and placing priority on rewarding yourself for work that was either in your contract to do, or in your job description. Furthermore, entitlement is often attached and folled by a sense of status. When we reward ourselves in this manner it usually tends to be in ways that will show others just how hard we've worked and how much we deserve what we have.

We are enabled to work using the gifts God gave us, and to praise ourselves and place priority on rewarding ourselves for what we agreed to do (our jobs) is misplaced. I don't know how else to say it.

Does it seem right to justify a lavish lifestyle, an expensive car, poor spending choices (expensive tastes for the sake of appearing rich rather than for the sense of quality products)? Do we as a society really believe that this makes us better?

Putting yourself first never makes you better. Never.