What Is A Sense Of Entitlement And How To Stop Entitlement Mentality?

Last Update on August 25, 2023 : Published on August 25, 2023
What Is A Sense Of Entitlement

Of course, we are the main leads of our lives but that does not mean we start believing that the world owes us so much even without giving anything in return. A sense of entitlement is not a negative trait to have, with the right approach, we can really work on overcoming the entitlement mentality. Are you someone who is struggling with a sense of entitlement or entitlement mentality, Worry not, we have got your back, Let’s learn how to stop entitlement mentality in this blog. So, let’s get started!

What is Sense of Entitlement?

A sense of entitlement or entitled mentality is a belief that the world owes you something without giving anything to the world or without doing anything to achieve something. Some of us have a habit of doing so regularly. For example, we expect kids to be nicer to us without being kind or nice to them.

A person with an entitled mentality often expects the world to treat them better than others even when they don’t treat others with kindness. Such people believe that they were born to be served by others. Well, it’s normal to expect something or ask for help when you can’t do it yourself, but it’s not normal to not put in the hard work or not appreciate others when they do something for you. This habit indeed makes someone self-entitled. Be it any situation or place, we must feel safe, loved, and reciprocated and when we unintentionally become self-entitled, we somehow also become abusers. We must realize that we must be willing to share and give.

Mental Health Impacts of Sense of Entitlement

A person with an entitled mentality is likely to feel isolated at work and home because their constant arguing and demanding normally end up in isolation. It might sound harsh but people with a sense of entitlement struggle with the sense of dissatisfaction chronically, their unmet expectations and needs often leave them depressed, unfair, or angry. This can also result in chronic stress. Research shows that entitled people often struggle with feelings of unhappiness.

Signs of Sense of Entitlement

An individual with an entitled personality exhibits various traits, such as:

1.Entitled mentality often believes that rules are not made for them.

They often believe that they are more important which makes them disregard rules. You can often see them disobeying rules at the workplace which causes inconvenience to others.

2.Entitled mentality believes that they deserve the best without having achieved it.

A person with a sense of entitlement does not believe in hard work, they think that they deserve the best even without putting in the hard work. For example, you will always find a workplace that claims to be the best even without doing anything.

3.Entitled personalities don’t like to hear “No.”

Entitled people are great at throwing tantrums especially when they hear a “No” from someone. Consequently, you will find them threatening, bullying, or abusing others. Manipulation techniques really work for them.

4.Entitled personality only cares about their needs.

An entitled personality only cares about their needs and wants above everything else because they believe that they deserve the best.

5.Entitled mentality people constantly seek validation or attention.

Due to needs, wants, and expectations, an entitled personality believes in maintaining their self-worth above everything owing to which you will often see them seeking constant validation and attention from others.

6.An entitled personality loves pitying people.

Yes, it’s true that entitled people are great at letting others down, they can literally spend hours venting about one person who couldn’t match their expectations.

7.Entitled personality loves belittling others when someone gets in their way.

Ever heard of verbal abuse, well, entitled people can literally tear us down and will make us feel guilty about not fulfilling their wishes.

8.Entitled mentality people engage in self-sabotaging behavior.

Entitled people are definitely not happy with other’s success, you can see them dwelling on self-sabotaging behavior when they believe that someone was unfair to them and deserved the best.

9.Entitled personalities believe that they deserve special treatment.

Entitled people see everyone beneath them, this makes them feel that they deserve special treatment from everyone including the higher authorities at the workplace.

10.Entitled personality believes that the world owes them so much.

People with a sense of entitlement believe that they are special and they automatically deserve special favors from the world. Their viewpoint is never less than “the world owes me.”

11.Entitled mentality does not believe in gratitude.

Entitled people are really not great at appreciation or gratefulness, you will always find them disobeying people who did something good for them.

12.Entitled personality is more focused on possessions, friends, and money.

You may call it harsh, but people with a sense of entitlement are greedy and they often take people for granted and always keep their focus intact on possessions, money, or friends who can benefit them.

13.Entitled personalities are great at blaming others.

Entitled people are really great at playing the victim and in return, they can effortlessly blame others for whatever happens.

14.An entitled mentality is a born narcissist.

Narcissism and entitlement go hand in hand, such people are really great at demanding attention and appreciation from others even without doing anything.

15.An entitled personality often struggles with insecurity or jealousy.

An entitled personality carries an arrogant yet confident type of personality. However, they are also really great at covering underlying jealousy, insecurity, or fear of not having enough appreciation, support, or admiration. This often results in self-isolation and depression.

How to Stop Entitlement Mentality?

It can be quite challenging to overcome or stop the sense of entitlement. In order to adopt healthy and positive behaviors, you might have to become consistent and goal-focused. Here are some effective tips to stop being entitled:

1.Recognize your insecurities, fears, or behaviors that drive your entitlement.

Don’t ignore your feelings and work on yourself by understanding your fears, insecurities, or behaviors that make you feel entitled. Write them all down on a piece of paper and understand what can make you a better person.

2.Understand the world does not owe you anything.

Unfortunately, it’s a truth that the world does not owe you anything and you deserve to be happy no matter what. Therefore, change your perspective, never complain, and always focus on the bright side.

3.Acknowledge that we must not keep higher expectations from people.

It’s normal to expect something in return when you have done a lot for people but it’s not okay when you keep higher expectations from people even without doing anything for them. If you want to be treated like other people, you might have to be more generous.

4.Learn the difference between your needs and wants.

In order to make healthy decisions, you really have to learn the difference between needs and wants so that you can become positive, loved, and healthier.

5.Focus on what’s controllable.

You can work on changing your perspective, behaviors, and personality, always focusing on what’s controllable rather than dwelling on the mistakes you might have made in the past. Let bygones be bygones and focus on making the present more mindful, pleasant, and positive.

6.Practice gratitude every time you feel happy.

When you start working on yourself, I bet you’re going to feel happy, loved, and supported from the inside, in such situations, practice gratitude, and be thankful for the people who always supported you in the tough times.

7.Think about the impacts of being an entitled personality.

A sense of entitlement or becoming an entitled personality is not going to benefit you at all, therefore, understand the impacts, and change your perspective to become a better and nicer person.

8.Be kind to yourself and practice self-compassion.

Some situations or circumstances can be really challenging, during those gloomy days, practice self-compassion and always be kind to yourself. Also, appreciate yourself for always deciding the best for you.

9.Treat everyone with kindness.

No matter what, always treat everyone with kindness, even if they say bad things about you or are toxic to you at some point. You don’t have to do anything, just self-forgive them and be kind.

10.Learn to say and hear “No.”

When you’ll put yourself on the journey of self-healing, there are going to be some rough times, when it will be hard to say or hear “No” from others. During those times, be resilient and make yourself strong enough to decide best for you.

11.Be consistent and focus on achieving small goals.

Consistency can be a major key to stopping being entitled. Be consistent and always enjoy your small victories so that you can appreciate what’s coming.

12.Set healthy boundaries for yourself.

During the process, set healthy boundaries for yourself so that no one can violate your energy and positivity. For setting healthy boundaries, refer to:

How to set healthy boundaries for yourself?

 Key Takeaway: How to Deal with Entitlement Personality at Work?

Here are some quick and effective tips to deal with an entitled personality at work:

  1. Believe in yourself and keep putting in the hard work.
  2. Ignore the people with a “double-standard” mentality and focus on your deeds.
  3. Do not try to manipulate or control them in return, just be kind to them.
  4. Take good care of your overall well-being and surround yourself with the people who support you.
  5. Leave the situation whenever it gets toxic for your mental wellbeing.
  6. Always indulge yourself in healthy competition, and never let your morals go down.
  7. Practice assertiveness and set boundaries with an entitled mentality.

I hope this blog helps you understand how to stop being entitled. Comment down and share your views on the same or you can also write us at calmsage.

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Thanks for reading!

Stay safe and positive 😊

About The Author

Aayushi Kapoor
Aayushi Kapoor

Aayushi is a Content Creator at Calm Sage. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology and a Master's Degree in Clinical Nutrition. Her constant interest in the improvement of mental health, nutrition, and overall wellness embarked upon her career as a “full-time educational writer.” She likes to make an asynchronous connection with her readers. Her mantra for living life is "What you seek is seeking you".

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