My first semester of college, I had a neighbor who had a nice stereo system. I don’t know anything about stereo systems to I have to take her word that it was nice, or at least expensive. My neighbor set up her CD player and speakers inside her closet, against the interior wall that separated her closet from my closet, and when she played music loudly, which she liked to do, especially at night, it thumped right into my room. Sometimes I asked her to turn it down, and at one point asked if just in general she could not turn the volume so high because it was just as loud in my room as it was in hers. Or even just keep it off at night. Her response was one of my first encounters with the feeling of entitlement that comes with having money: “What’s the point of having a nice stereo system if you can’t play it?”
Hi Antonia, thanks again for a well written and researched piece. Always learn something new, and for that I am grateful. How was the college (I majored in math as well!) conflict resolved? I’ve always been stuck when I am hiking and people walk by blasting music, the moments remind me of your story.
I tend to use the word "entitled" in a technical sense -- entitlement describes a right conferred by law. Because there are such things as legitimate entitlements (a word abused by Republicans, referring to legitimate entitlements such as benefits through the Social Security Administration, and so forth), I prefer to use the term "self-entitled" when referring to what may also be called felt entitlement, the notion in the minds of people who believe they deserve something by virtue of ownership or relationship.
Thank you, Antonia; more food for thought!
Hi Antonia, thanks again for a well written and researched piece. Always learn something new, and for that I am grateful. How was the college (I majored in math as well!) conflict resolved? I’ve always been stuck when I am hiking and people walk by blasting music, the moments remind me of your story.
I tend to use the word "entitled" in a technical sense -- entitlement describes a right conferred by law. Because there are such things as legitimate entitlements (a word abused by Republicans, referring to legitimate entitlements such as benefits through the Social Security Administration, and so forth), I prefer to use the term "self-entitled" when referring to what may also be called felt entitlement, the notion in the minds of people who believe they deserve something by virtue of ownership or relationship.
I miss that show.