Things that Annoy Me (and Why): Exhibit D

Entitlement drives me up the wall.

I can understand expecting certain things...life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness thrown in with decent shelter, potable drinking water, and healthy food. Education is something I with people felt more entitled to. What I'm finding, however, is that the weird things people think they "deserve" and "are owed" are ridiculous.

First thing, the right and complete ability to operate deadly machinery and technology without having to have any kind of training or monetary liability. Driving is the first thing in this category...no one has the "right" to drive. It is a privilege. If you can't follow the laws, then you have no business driving. It's the same with guns. If someone started randomly firing into crowds, they'd get arrested. Reckless driving falls into the same category. I'm far more worried about getting killed by an idiot in a car than I am about an idiot with a gun.

The next thing I don't get is this happy bubble that people live in that no matter where they expect to never be faced with a difficult situation, a loss, financial trouble, or anything else negative. Wake up...this is not nirvana. When you lose a job, someone dies, or something bad happens, it is acceptable to feel upset. It is not acceptable to act like the entire world is ending and you are never going to be happy again and acting like a "poor me" person for over a month. Get over yourself, move on, make a change. No one else is going to "make it better". Change your perspective, realize that bad things happen in life, and be more positive. I mean, I've seen people completely lose it over a pickle on a hamburger  That's insane.

Freedom of speech is an eeky version of this too. It's one thing to have an opinion, voice it using appropriate language in the appropriate context. It's another to be a slanderous, negative, asshole that insults everyone and tries to ruin live with words. People that think that anything they choose to say for whatever purpose they want as say it's their "right" to freedom of speech are just big-mouthed idiots that have no sense of propriety or understanding of what was intended in the Bill of Rights.

Credit falls into this category too. There is a widespread belief that because we live in America, any credit should be extended to any person so that they can buy whatever s/he desires. Newsflash: if you want the nice things, you have to work for it. Showing up for work everyday just like everyone else isn't going to get a promotion. Over-spending and having no sense of ownership is not going to build good credit. It will catch up with you and the magic "spending" lifestyle will end. Take one out of The Great Depression advice book: don't buy anything unless you have the money to do so. You don't have a right to a plasma television or a gaming system or a new espresso maker. Again, get over yourself.

Basically, I'm frustrated with the lack of responsibility. People buy houses they can't afford and blame the government. People get in accidents in cars without consideration of anything and do nothing but complain when the license is revoked. People lose jobs after barely doing any work and feel treated unfairly. What happened to good old responsibility and work ethic?