How to End Unhealthy Entitlement to Wealth

How to End Unhealthy Entitlement to Wealth

Entitlement is the belief that a person is deserving of certain privileges or special treatment. Everyone is entitled. And we all express entitlement is different areas of our lives.

Parents feel entitled to their children. Citizens feel entitled to the government and employees feel entitled to their salary. Having an entitlement mentality is thus not entirely a bad thing.

What makes entitlement bad is how entitlement is formed. And what type of entitlement a person has. There are two types of entitlement. The first type is the “Something for Something entitlement”. And the second type is the ‘’Something for Nothing entitlement’’.

The something for something entitlement is the entitlement that expects certain compensation for services rendered. That is, a person demands a reward in exchange for the provision of value.

For example, employees who invest their time and energy to grow a company can demand a salary reward. Citizens who pay taxes to the government can expect certain privileges in return.

This type of entitlement that expects something in return for a certain value, is healthy and beneficial. It is healthy because it requires a person to pay a certain price in return for income. 

This kind of entitlement helps a person develop the capacity to add value and thus is healthy. When a person works or adds value to another person. Their expectation for a reward is right and appropriate. This is thus the only type of entitlement that is beneficial.

The second type of entitlement is different. It requires something in exchange for nothing. That is, it demands compensation in the absence of value.

For example, some children enjoy certain privileges from their parents for no effort on their part. Save for their blue blood. These children see money as something they deserve. And not something they have to earn. This kind of entitlement robs children of two things.

First, it robs them of the ability to develop sound work ethics. Second, it diminishes their value for money. Children grow up to see money as a free resource rather than something that demands hard work. They develop rights to privileges without concerns for contribution. The something for nothing entitlement is thus an unhealthy kind of entitlement.  

So how is the Something for nothing entitlement formed?

The something for nothing entitlement is formed. When parents oversupply their children with unearned wealth and lifestyle.

Parents create these perfect family environments that reflects the kind of environment. They wished they had while growing up. But a perfect environment. That is laden with the trappings of wealth is seldom what a child needs to succeed.

Children in this kind of environment develop a dysfunctional relationship with money. They become lazy unhappy and dependent on existing wealth. For children to value money and manage it well. They must believe that money only comes through hard work. When access to money becomes easy.

And when money that is accessible is not earned or justified. The result is Laziness, unworthiness, and entitlement. Parents must resist the temptation to overprotect, over give, and overindulge their children. They must keep their protective tendencies within reasonable limits.

Parents must also understand that there are two types of protection. And only one is beneficial for their children. The first type of protection is the threat protection and the second type of protection is Pain protection. Threat protection is protection that keeps children away from life-threatening diseases or danger. This type of protection is beneficial for a child.

Pain protection is protection that shield a child from pain. This type of protection robs a child of valuable life lessons. Pain is how life helps us grow. Shielding a child from pain is impeding natural development and growth. Without pain, a person cannot grow to the next level in life.

For example, if a mother decides to protect her child from the pain of falling and crashing into things. And decides to carry the child throughout childhood.

That child will never walk or stand on his own two feet. The only way for a child to grow into an independent adult is for a mother to release the child from safety.  Similarly, if a mother refuses to deprive a child of breast milk after the stipulated weaning period.

Because she wants to protect her child from the pain of weaning. The child will not eat the right kind of food. That will help him develop into a mature adult. The only way for a child to develop into a mature adult. Is for the mother to starve him of breast milk. Without the right exposure to pain.

Natural development will not take place. Valuable Lessons will be lost and growth will be impeded. When this happens, parents will have to carry their children for the rest of their lives. Parents must thus release their children from safety.

Wean them off over dependence on wealth. And help them develop the ability to create new wealth. Only then can they become resilient adult that can withstand the many hard knocks of life. The road to wealth is tough, full of pain and perseverance. Without the right exposure to pain, children will break under the weight of life. Shielding children from pain is producing a generation of fragile children. Fragile children will break in the absence of their protective parents

While it is the duty of parents to protect and provide for their children. They must make sure that protection does not stand in the way of development. Parents must resist the temptation to bail children out of pain. This is the only way to end unhealthy entitlement forever.

The role of existing wealth is not to stand in the way of growth and development but to enhance it. The true role of wealth is to help a child develop the capacity to seize priceless opportunities.

Such opportunities that parents could not seize due to the lack of capital. When children see wealth as a tool that helps them add value. They will succeed like their parents. Otherwise they will fail.

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