8 Questions to Discover How Entitled You Are
Non-member article, published Sept 4, 2025
Not all wealth is earned. Some comes from inheritance, partnerships, or resources you’ve had access to since childhood. That doesn’t make it wrong - but it does shape how you think about money, security, and self-worth.
This post isn’t about shaming. It’s about shining a light on your money patterns and behaviors. How you relate to money can tell you a lot about what’s going on inside - your values, beliefs, and identity - and it can reveal areas where you might be unconsciously setting yourself up for challenges later in life.
Whether wealth is fully your own or partially inherited, reflecting on your relationship with money is a powerful way to get to know yourself better.
Understanding Entitlement
The word “entitlement” often carries a negative weight in society. We hear it used to describe people who are spoiled, demanding, or who expect rewards without effort. Media and culture reinforce this stereotype, portraying entitlement as arrogance or selfishness, often paired with a lack of gratitude. When you witness it first hand, it is an ugly characteristic and inadvertently can harden you towards humanity.
But entitlement, at its core, is simply a belief that one deserves something - whether it’s respect, comfort, success, or resources. That belief isn’t inherently bad. It becomes problematic when it drives behavior that is disconnected from awareness, empathy, or personal responsibility.
Behaviors often associated with the “ugly” side of entitlement include:
Expecting others to meet your needs without reciprocity
Feeling frustrated or resentful when life doesn’t go as you plan
Using wealth, status, or privilege to gain validation or influence
Chasing constant “more” without reflection or gratitude
Believing rules or social norms don’t apply to you
These behaviors are what give entitlement its negative connotation - but they are avoidable. Awareness and intention are key. Exploring entitlement is important for health and well-being because unchecked entitlement can erode relationships, create chronic stress, and disconnect people from gratitude and community - while cultivating awareness around it supports emotional balance, empathy, and a grounded sense of self.
Avoiding the pitfalls of entitlement:
Pause and reflect: Before acting on your wants or expectations, ask, “Am I responding out of need, fear, or genuine desire?”, “What am I chasing? and why?”
Practice gratitude: Actively recognize and appreciate resources, opportunities, and relationships already present.
Align with values: Ensure that your choices - financial or otherwise - reflect who you truly want to be, not who you feel you should be, or the expectations that feel are upon you.
Foster empathy and perspective: Understand how privilege and resources impact your worldview, and how your actions affect others.
Check for identity entanglement: Notice if self-worth or validation is tied to money, status, or appearance - and explore healthier anchors. Self-worth is a big one for many people and it takes time and expertise to navigate through this and repair your worth.
Entitlement doesn’t need to be a moral failing. When recognized and consciously managed, it becomes a lens for self-awareness, guiding reflection on your relationship with money, ambition, and social expectation - without shame.
Quick Quiz: Find Out How Entitled You Are in 8 Questions…
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