The American Plague of the 21st Century

There is a plague spreading across our country.

It's not ebola, or measles. It can be cured, though the recovery time is long and hard. Parents are passing it to their children. There is an inoculation for it, though many parents don't understand it, and aren't willing to do it.

It's name is entitlement and it is changing the very fabric of our nation.

en·ti·tle·ment noun The belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.

“If this country is ever demoralized, it will come from trying to live without work.”― Abraham Lincoln

Entitlement Rots Your Brainentitlement

This disease, for the most part, has permeated our culture in just one or two generations. It is eating away at the foundations of this country like a cancer. What has brought such a mind rotting condition about?

Is it the divorce rate? Maybe we as parents, out of a place of guilt, give our children more than they need to make up for splitting up, and the pain they experience?

Maybe it's because we grew up with such strict parenting , that we feel we could do it so much better by punishing less and giving more? The truth is, that while we were punished instead of disciplined more than naught, has discipline been thrown out like the baby with the bathwater? There is a big difference between discipline and punishment!

Can we blame technology? I don't think so. Like money, guns and anything else, technology is neutral. It's how we use it. Are we letting our kids spend too much time on it? Do we blame television and programming?

“Instead of communicating "I love you, so let me make life easy for you," I decided that my message needed to be something more along these lines: "I love you. I believe in you. I know what you're capable of. So I'm going to make you work."― Kay Wills Wyma, Cleaning House: A Mom's Twelve-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement

Do we not know how to communicate love while at the same time saying, "no"? When did the word "no" become a bad word? Are we as adult parents so insecure and codependent that we simply can't adequately and appropriately parent our children? We aren't supposed to be their best friends! That can come later, when they are adults.

Perhaps if we hadn't taken God out of the schools, and our country, would that make a difference? By changing the mindset from loving and serving God, have we caused our children to turn inward instead of outward, becoming so self absorbed and needy? Since they don't count on God to protect them and provide for them, do they turn to the state?

Are our universities, as they teach of the world, indoctrinating our children in socialism? Are the principles this country was built on being subtly undermined in the education system? I mention this understanding full well the risk of sounding like a crazy conspiracy theorist.

“When we replace a sense of service and gratitude with a sense of entitlement and expectation, we quickly see the demise of our relationships, society, and economy.”
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

entitlementAre We Talking About A New Breed or Type of Zombie? Think About it!

So, maybe it's because we have taken away our children's independence? They can't go outside and play any longer because we live in fear of everything. Have our neighborhoods really changed all that much since we were kids? I don't know. There were still predators lurking around. What is so different? How can we break this cycle of fear, and foster self reliance and independence?

Can we put all the blame on the economy, and the need for both parents to work? I am not peddling guilt or shame. I myself was a working mom, but if we go there, we have to admit that we are addicted to living beyond our means. And, even if a parent could stay home, would they? Do we value parenting the way we used to? Is there a key to this disease here somewhere?

I know! I bet it's because we have moved away from the apprenticeship era, where youth were expected to work and learn a trade. There are no mentors except our teachers who are underpaid, under appreciated and overwhelmed. Our children now idolize and idealize people in sports , movies and music who are mostly fake and extremely self absorbed.

“A sense of entitlement is a cancerous thought process that is void of gratitude and can be deadly to our relationships.”― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
As you can see, I don't have any answers, just a lot of questions, but we have to start somewhere. We have to THINK. Something has to change. Our children are our future. Instead of living in denial with our heads in the sand, let's at least have the conversations. As parents and grandparents, let's become inoculated with the truth!

One way I know of to combat the entitlement mindset is through entrepreneurship. It is about hard work, and that "can do" spirit. Entrepreneurship is about finding a need a solving it. It's about giving to the community and helping. For true entrepreneurs , money is only a partner, or a tool for providing something worthwhile, building something. If you think you are entrepreneurial and do not have an entitlement mentality you should check out the link below. You will learn about an entrepreneurial academy for online business building. We will send you a mini online entrepreneurship training video series by email.

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