Terms Of Entitlement

Some people are born to be a part of the world.
Some are born to observe it in fascination, or sadly despise it and seek an exit.
And some choose to live in a  world of 'us vs. them', of 'rich or poor' of 'deserving' and less so. 
The latter types are the untitled ones. You know them. Heck, you may BE one of them. Or let's face it - in one moment or another we may all feel more deserving for something.

The entitled ones walk through this world with an invisible crown, and expect others to bow at their glory. 
Sometimes it is a small seamless entitlement - that person in the restaurant that complains their food took a minute longer than the neighboring table, or the pregnant lady at the bus that simply expects (and maybe justly) that the teenage boy will clear his seat for her.

Other times, entitlement is more grotesque and will show up in the words 'Don't you know who I am!?' 
Or in rich parents breaking the law all for their children's acceptance into ivy league colleges.
Or it shows up in the face of the president of the United States (not for long, hallelujah!) exclaiming how he is the BEST at this and that and therefore - he's above the law. 

And sometimes entitlement appears more discreetly: A news reporter on TV describes a person being deserving of a gift after the troubles they've had this year. After all, it's 2020... Or the girlfriend proclaiming in support 'You deserve a good marriage after the last one!' Or the colleague gossiping  'He didn't deserve that promotion.'  These types of seemingly innocent words of entitlement may seem harmless, but they are the most common forms of entitlement and just as divisive in their nature.

We see entitlement in the way humans rule over animals and the environment. Such hubris.
We see entitlement in our primal tribal mentality - I mean, we still glorify patriotism and not make note of the flaw in placing one group of people over another.

We have a long way to go if we want to let go of our terms of entitlement and stop viewing the world as 'us vs. them.'
I suggest we try 'Us ARE them.'
​Who's with me??