May 10th, 2020
“Success is not an entitlement. It has to be earned.” -Howard Schultz
There are many different aspects that can impact our work life and our career trajectory. These things can vary from small matters to much larger ones. These areas may be outside of one’s control, such as what openings are available in the job field, and how much money they are paying at the current time that one is searching for a job. The areas may also be directly in one’s control, such as the way one feels or thinks.
The emotions and feelings one possesses and expresses towards themselves and their potential career can influence a number of things related to progressing in a career. Similarly, the cognitions one has about themselves and their potential career can also impact their ability to perform their job and their career path.
The focus of this post will be on how thoughts and feelings of self-entitlement can impact one’s life and, more specifically, one’s career. We will uncover how self-entitlement can damage one’s career and the potential to advance and progress in this area over the course of one’s life. By the end of this blog post, you will have a good understanding of what self-entitlement is and how it can impact one’s life – specifically in regard to one’s career.
Before discussing how self-entitlement can impact one’s life and career, it is most appropriate to define what self-entitlement is. This phenomenon occurs when an individual believes they are deserving of something. This deserving and entitled feeling comes sometimes as a result of realistic expectations and sometimes as a result of unrealistic expectations.
For example, if someone works extremely hard at their job, they may feel they are entitled to a raise. On the other hand, some individuals may feel they are deserving of a raise regardless of what they do and their work ethic and level of production. Either way, this feeling of entitlement can be problematic, although the latter scenario is often much more damaging than the former.
Self-entitlement can be potentially dangerous and damaging to one’s life and one’s career. If an individual goes through life feeling that things are owed to them, they may not work hard for things. These self-entitled people may feel like things should be given to them or done for them, even without just cause. This type of attitude can be extremely damaging to one’s life and career, and in this particular article, the damage towards one’s career will be highlighted and examined.
Acting as though things should be done for you and given to you is a problematic outlook to have in life. To begin, people will probably not want to be around you for very long or at all. This can be tough in the workplace as it often is beneficial to be able to make friends with co-workers. If unable to make friendships, life at a job can be very lonely and demanding. While it is not always crucial to make friendships at work, it is most likely crucial to at least have colleagues and bosses respect you. If someone has a self-entitled attitude, there is a significant likelihood that they will not be respected and liked by other individuals.
Another drawback of being self-entitled is that it can make an individual lazy. This laziness can make people less productive at work and make it hard (if not impossible) to get promoted or get an advance in salary. Employers are not going to want to hire and keep employees who believe that everything should be done for them without working hard for it themselves. Employers will not appreciate employees who expect certain things without earning them.
After all, businesses are not charities. Many businesses are in the domain of making a profit and improving. If an individual does not pull their weight by doing their share of work, eventually they will probably be terminated from their job. Self-entitlement, therefore, can lead to not being hired for a job or it can prevent one from being promoted and advancing in one’s career. Furthermore, being self-entitled can lead to isolation and loneliness in the workplace and make it difficult to collaborate with colleagues when necessary.
Altogether, having self-entitlement can be extremely damaging to one’s career and one's life in general. Having a self-entitled attitude may lead one to expect things to be done for them and give the impression they deserve things without any just cause.
A self-entitled person may come across as rude, demanding, selfish, and self-centered. This may lead to people not wanting to be around that person and could make it difficult to form friendships with others. This isolation at the workplace is often debilitating and has many drawbacks. Furthermore, those who have such a self-entitled attitude may find it hard to get hired in the first place, and once hired, may find it hard to advance in their career.
Instead of being self-entitled, it is best to work hard and do things because you want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of expecting other people to do your work for you. Thinking about others and what is right for not just yourself, but the people around you and the world as a whole can go a long way in combating a self-entitled attitude.
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/personality-disorders/the-psychology-behind-sense-of-entitlement/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-couch/201310/what-makes-some-people-feel-entitled-special-treatment https://ideapod.com/15-clear-signs-youre-suffering-from-self-entitlement/
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