Entitlement Culture

Extracted Attributes

• Core Belief

  Society, a company, or government owes individuals something without them having to earn or deliver value.

• Associated Traits

  Lack of altruism, self-serving actions, less interest in the common good, focus on what is owed rather than contributed, peer pressure to conform to the lowest common denominator, looking good over doing the right thing, assumption of special treatment, exemption from rules, not held to same standards.

• Opposing Concepts

  Personal responsibility, culture of merit, integrity.

• Key Characteristic

  A 'you owe me' attitude.

• Societal Observations

  Often associated with wealth and power, and sometimes used by older generations to criticize younger generations (Millennials, Generation Z).

• Potential Negative Impacts

  Friction between generations in the workplace, jeopardizes service quality, output, and long-term growth; leads to subpar team players and selfish behavior.

• Proposed Solutions to Counter

  Fostering a culture of merit, making tough decisions and having tough conversations, consistency, exposure to diverse social classes/cultures/value systems, modeling honesty, integrity, and empathy.

Timeline

• Senator Joe Manchin discusses the concept of an 'Entitlement Culture' on the All-In Podcast, linking it to President Joe Biden's legislative proposals and contrasting it with personal responsibility. (Source: related_documents)

  2024-03-18

Culture of the United States

The culture of the United States encompasses various social behaviors, institutions, and norms, including forms of speech, literature, music, visual arts, performing arts, food, sports, religion, law, technology, as well as other customs, beliefs, and forms of knowledge. American culture has been shaped by the history of the United States, its geography, and various internal and external forces and migrations. America's foundations were initially Western-based, and primarily English-influenced, but also with prominent French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Scottish, Welsh, Jewish, Polish, Scandinavian, and Spanish regional influences. However, non-Western influences, including African and Indigenous cultures, and more recently, Asian cultures, have firmly established themselves in the fabric of American culture as well. Since the United States was established in 1776, its culture has been influenced by successive waves of immigrants, and the resulting "melting pot" of cultures has been a distinguishing feature of its society. Americans pioneered or made great strides in musical genres such as heavy metal, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, country, hip hop, and rock 'n' roll. The "big four sports" are American football, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey. In terms of religion, the majority of Americans are Protestant or Catholic, with a growing irreligious population. American cuisine includes popular tastes such as hot dogs, milkshakes, and barbecue, as well as many other class and regional preferences. The most commonly used language is English; while no law making it the official language exists, a 2025 executive order declares English the official language. Distinct cultural regions include New England, Mid-Atlantic, the South, Midwest, Southwest, Mountain West, and Pacific Northwest. Politically, the country takes its values from the American Revolution and American Enlightenment, with an emphasis on liberty, individualism, and limited government, as well as the Bill of Rights and Reconstruction Amendments. Under the First Amendment, the United States has the strongest protections of free speech of any country. American popular opinion is also the most supportive of free expression and the right to use the Internet. The large majority of the United States has a legal system that is based upon English common law. According to the Inglehart–Welzel cultural map, it leans greatly towards "self-expression values", while also uniquely blending aspects of "secular-rational" (with a strong emphasis on human rights, the individual, and anti-authoritarianism) and "traditional" (with high fertility rates, religiosity, and patriotism) values together. Its culture can vary by factors such as region, race and ethnicity, age, religion, socio-economic status, or population density, among others. Different aspects of American culture can be thought of as low culture or high culture, or belonging to any of a variety of subcultures. The United States exerts major cultural influence on a global scale and is considered a cultural superpower.

Web Search Results

• The Entitlement Culture - MoldMaking Technology

  The culture of entitlement is a “you owe me” attitude, one where people believe that society, a company, or government owes them something and they do not have to earn or deliver value for what they receive. These people believe they are owed something because of who they are or what social group or union they belong to—not because of what they earn. [...] People who feel entitled take for granted what they have and keep asking for more, and the more they get the more they expect. They focus more on what they are owed than what they contribute. In a culture of entitlement, peer pressure to perform is replaced by peer pressure to conform to the lowest common denominator; looking good is more important than doing the right thing. [...] We would all be better off as business owners and members of society if we foster a culture of merit as opposed to entitlement. Transitioning from a culture of entitlement to one of merit is not easy—it takes tough decisions, tough conversations, and it takes consistency. People who feel entitled hate being held accountable.

• The Delusion of Meritocracy and the Culture of Entitlement

  Entitlement is at its core a toxic characteristic. It is the assumption that a person deserves special treatment, is exempt from the rules, and should not be held to the same standards (behavioral or otherwise) as others. Entitlement is generally synonymous with wealth and power and proliferates amongst those at the top of the hierarchy. The rich indeed are different from you and me, and the parents at the core of this scandal really do believe their children are more valuable than my children [...] The normalization of narcissism and its more repugnant top notes such as entitlement have set a tone for our culture. This scandal, though it names only 50 defendants, is a trope for what our world has become – education as a brand, and success at any cost. However, there is one top note of optimism. Just as entitlement can be transmitted intergenerationally, so too can integrity. We as parents can and must model honesty, integrity, and empathy. We need to let our children and students succeed [...] The real losers in all of this are the entitled parents’ children. Entitlement is an inter-generational game – it gets passed down from one generation to the next like a pocket watch. Their children will be sorting through the psychological wreckage for a long time. They will have to unlearn their parents’ message. Some may unlearn it. Many will just blame the world for their misfortunes and pass the legacy of entitlement forward to the next. Narcissistic and entitled parents are a gift that

• The Entitled Generation: How Societal Shifts Have Changed ...

  In recent years, older generations have leveled criticism at Millennials and Generation Z for having an undeserved sense of entitlement and poor work ethic. While participation trophies may play a role, the problem stems from several broader societal shifts. These changes have engendered unrealistic expectations that now hinder workplace culture. Key Factors That Cultivated Entitlement [...] This ingrained sense of entitlement is now exerting heavy costs in the workplace, including: Left unchecked, these issues create significant friction between younger and older worker generations. They also jeopardize service quality, output, and long-term growth. Solutions for Restoring Strong Work Ethics While the risks are real, there are solutions organizations and individuals can employ to address entitlement attitudes: [...] Participation trophies are one factor that may have contributed to entitlement attitudes. However, many other changes have also had an impact: While these shifts aim to protect self-esteem, they result in unrealistic expectations around effort and struggle required to succeed. Younger workers grew up receiving praise, high grades, fame, and consumer goods without having to work for them — breeding entitlement. The Risks of Entitlement in the Workforce

• A Sense of Entitlement: From Childhood to the Workplace

  And this is problematic, because entitlement is characterized by a lack of altruism or team spirit. Entitled people tend to be far more self-serving in their actions and decisions than others. They have less interest in the common good. [...] “We’re seeing a strong argument in favor of getting exposure to different social classes, different cultures and different value systems as means of attenuating or unlearning entitlement,” says Martin. “So interacting with diverse groups, or anything that helps people become more multicultural and more adept at breaking out of their own social or class position can help them become less self-oriented in their decision-making and behavior. And that’s encouraging news for executives looking to [...] “Entitlement is a key component of narcissism,” says Martin. “It’s basically the belief that you deserve more — more resources, more consideration, more privileges and rewards — than other people. Narcissists and entitled individuals can make good first impressions. They are confident in their abilities and skills, which means that they tend to emerge into leadership roles. The problem is that they are also selfish; they make subpar team players and collaborators because their behaviors and

• Millennials And Entitlement In The Workplace: The Good, The Bad ...

  Believe it or not, there are actually some benefits to feeling entitled. Entitled people feel a stronger drive for achievement; after all, if you feel like you deserve to be the top salesperson in your organization, you’re going to work harder to make that title a reality. You might also hold out for a job that better suits your talents and expertise, rather than taking one with responsibilities that are beneath you, and you’ll work harder and more productively as a result. [...] Of all the prevailing stereotypes about millennials, one of the biggest and most cited is their generation’s sense of entitlement. Though different groups likely have different definitions, entitlement (or an entitlement complex) basically means you believe you’re owed something intrinsically. In millennials’ case, some people from older generations believe millennials typically ask for a salary far higher than what they’re worth, or expect a job immediately after graduating from college, just [...] There’s also evidence to show that entitled people may actually be more creative. The idea is that entitled people believe themselves to be special, and value independence. Accordingly, they’re more willing to part with conventions, and can propose more interesting ideas. The Bad There are some obvious negative consequences to more entitled people entering the workforce. Entitled people are more likely to: