The Entitlement Epidemic

– By Jules Symmonds, Managing Consultant

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Lately, like many of us, I’ve been reflecting on the culture we’re living in – the divisiveness, the constant media overload, the way every conversation feels louder than the last. And nearly everything seems to circle around one question – How can I make this about me?

It shows up everywhere. In casual conversation, online debates, even in the most harmless places. I recently watched someone post a recipe for a white bean soup on social media, only to be met with the comment: “Well, what about people who are intolerant to beans? This is a bad recipe. How are we supposed to make this?” 

Somewhere along the way, we stopped appreciating something for what it is and started insisting it bend to our own circumstances. What we’re left with is a culture that too often trades curiosity for criticism, and reflection for reaction — a kind of entitlement epidemic.

The result? A culture where differing opinions are no longer springboards for growth but triggers for defensiveness.

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The Vanishing Art of Perspective

Opinions, by definition, are not facts. They’re views shaped by experience, not absolute truths. And yet, we’ve fallen into the trap of treating someone else’s perspective as inherently threatening if it doesn’t align with our own. Instead of pausing to ask, “What might I learn from this?” or “How might this expand my own view?”, we default to dismissal.

We’ve made loudness a virtue. Independence, leadership, and “calling out the hard stuff” are often celebrated as if volume alone signals courage. But when every conversation becomes an argument to be won, there’s little room left for humility, for listening, or for growth.

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The Role of Empathy

Empathy doesn’t require agreement. It doesn’t even require full understanding. It asks us to acknowledge another perspective and sit with it long enough to see the human being behind it. It’s about resisting the urge to label, to dismiss, or to shame.

If we approach opinions, especially the ones we disagree with, as opportunities to reflect rather than threats to resist, we might find ourselves not only less divided, but more grounded.

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Where We Go From Here

We don’t have to silence our own voices to make space for others. But we do have to be intentional about how we engage with perspectives different from our own. A little less entitlement, a little more empathy — that may be the shift our culture needs most right now.