I doubt there is anyone who can make an intelligent argument against the fact that we have become the society with the biggest sense of entitlement in the history of our world. I have written much about the problems of entitlement in each of my bestselling books and have talked about it for years in blogs and social media and on various television shows. We are the entitlement generation. In fact, the bulk of all government spending is for a series of programs called Entitlement Programs.
People actually believe they are owed a living while doing nothing on their own to make sure they are employed or have any savings or that their bills are paid. That’s why we have 5th generation welfare recipients. Folks believe they are owed retirement income, even though they spent every dime they had their entire working lives with little or no thought about what would happen when they were finally put out to pasture or if their company went out of business. People think they are owed unending unemployment benefits, when they did nothing to put away any money for a rainy day, or do any planning, or even make much of an effort to become re-employed. And the evidence shows that many didn’t even put out the work they were being paid to do to stay employed in the first place. Most of the 99 Weekers never bother to even look for a job until the last few weeks before their unemployment runs out. Many believe they are owed complete healthcare regardless of the fact that they destroyed their own health by smoking or overeating, usually both. You fall in a fountain because you weren’t paying attention and that’s a perfect reason to sue the mall where the fountain sits. Or spill coffee in your lap in the car and it’s the restaurants fault, not your own clumsy fault. Or have a facebook relationship and when one breaks it off, sue them for a broken heart. Or sue the bartender because you drank too much and had a car accident. Some folks wear the latest fashions and have big screen televisions, drive a new car and eat every meal at a restaurant and yet have never bothered to save a dime and then blame others that they are broke. Bottom line: People believe they are entitled to compensation for consequences they brought on themselves due to their irresponsible lifestyle and stupid choices.
How did this happen? How did we reach this point? My parent’s generation didn’t think this way. Yet they raised the baby boomers, who created this mess. And now the baby boomers have raised a generation with an even bigger sense of entitlement. I just finished reading the New York Times Bestseller “World War Z” by Max Brooks. I ran across this great line: “You can blame the politicians, the businessmen, the generals, the “machine,” but really, if you’re looking to blame someone, blame me. I’m the American system, I’m the machine. That’s the price of living in a democracy; we all gotta take the rap. Nice to be able to say, “Hey, don’t look at me, it’s not my fault.” Well, it is. It is my fault, and the fault of everyone of my generation.”
I couldn’t agree more. It’s everyone’s own fault. I could sum up all that I teach, speak and write about in one sentence: Life is your own damn fault.
But again the question is: What happened to the baby boomers to move them from being self-sufficient like their parents to becoming so self-indulgent? Answer: The self-help movement. Before the baby boomers, there wasn’t a self-help movement, there was only the “help yourself” movement. It was the baby boomers that created and went like lemmings into the ocean to the Positive Thinking rallies. We created bestsellers of Norman Vincent Peale’s books, “If You Can Think It, You Can Do It” and “The Power Of Positive Thinking. and Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich.” And we took a pots and pans salesman named Zig Ziglar and turned him into the king of motivational speakers. Then we created an entire industry of “motivational speakers” like Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn, Earl Nightingale and yes, even ME! Some added a religious element and we ended up with Robert Schuller and now, Joel Osteen. Then we pushed the whole concept even further and ended up with stupid books like The Secret and The Law of Attraction and folks started following abominations with a messiah-complex like James Ray. (Say what you like about what I do for a living, but no one ever died as a result of attending one of my seminars. And I won’t make you walk on fire or sit in a sweat lodge. I’ll just ask you to look in an imaginary mirror and take responsibility for the life you have created. If you die from doing that, your reflection must be pretty bad!)
So is the self-help industry a bad thing? And what about Zig and Tony and Norman Vincent Peale and Earl Nightingale and the thousands of other motivational speakers yelling positive platitudes from stages all over the world – are they bad? No. I like much of what the motivational guys do. Not all of it for sure, but much of it. So let’s make it clear, I am NOT blaming the messenger. And I am not blaming the message. The message itself isn’t bad at all, but we have bastardized the message and ended up producing the exact opposite result of the original intent. The original intent was to get people to realize that they had the power, all within themselves, to change their results. It was meant to give them the confidence to go out and work and use their talents to create success, happiness and prosperity. It was a message meant to empower people to becoming all that they had the potential of becoming. That message of empowerment is important and necessary and powerful. However, that message has sadly, been twisted and corrupted and in many cases, lost. We turned empowerment into entitlement.
Zig Ziglar said “You can be whatever you want to be, do whatever you want to do and have whatever you want to have as long as your believe in yourself.” That statement was meant to empower people to have confidence in themselves and to believe in their abilities to work and achieve their goals and aspirations. And we messed it up. It might have been our laziness that messed it up, or our ever-declining work ethic, or our sliding scale of morality, or the gray area of integrity that runs rampant among workers, corporations, Wall Street and government. Add to that our greed and unhealthy desire for more and more and MORE. Maybe it’s our demand for more sensationalism via our insatiable need to be entertained. Or our fascination with the shallow, inane and ridiculous. But whatever happened, it corrupted the entire self-help movement. Somehow the self-help movement shifted from SELF, which was Zig’s (and the others) original message, to HELP.
What’s the solution? Stop thinking about HELP and turn back to your SELF. Stop blaming others. Stop looking to others to save you. Don’t be a follower of the ideas of any sole individual, group, party or movement. Read, study, think and WORK. Rely on your brain and your brawn to create the life you want.
Again, one more time; my message: Life if your own damn fault. Your thoughts, your words and your actions created it. Your thoughts, your words and your actions can change it. Take responsibility for both the mess you have created and the success you have created. Don’t blame others. Don’t look to anyone else to come to the rescue. You do it. Not, you CAN do it. But just, YOU DO IT. Now. Today. Not Tomorrow.
(This post was originally published for my column at www.DebtKid.com)
THANK YOU LARRY!!!
I’ve felt this way for a long time, which is part of why I became a speaker. Our industry is plagued by too many idols and messiahs, and what I enjoy most about your material is the ‘real’ness of it all.
I’m going to keep going, staying true to the message. Thank you for your continued inspiration to keep it real.
Steve
P.S. I can also claim that my speeches and seminars have zero fatalities!
I agree with some of this. I think your ” everything was so much better pre-baby boomer generation” argument is a bit revisionist(i.e people were still idiots with their money, hence the Stock Market Crash). But I do agree that the self-help movement( while well intended) has been bastardized. Action is without question THE only cure for help.
Dan, I never said, “everything was so much better pre-baby boomer generation.” Those are your words, not mine.
Larry, You ROCK man! I am sorry to say I think your message is too late in my opinion. Just like the later stages of cancer, our country as a whole is too far gone to turn back. I think we are on the verge of falling on our faces, and you know what, I think I am glad. I think we need to get some egg on our faces and learn some humility. We need to learn we are entitled to nothing, and the law of the land is you earn everything you get, both the good and the bad.
I work in the self help department as well, but my clients (mostly fighters and athletes) come to me seeking knowledge on how to help themselves. I gave up trying to help the helpless as I do not have the energy any longer. Thanks for all you do!
Larry,
Thank you so much for this. All I could think while reading it was “Damn, I wish I’d written that!” You are so right about the corruption of the message. Too many people think all they have to do is think some nice thoughts, arrange some crystals round their beds and the ‘Universe’ will take care of the rest.
It’s not enough to realize you CAN do it – you have to recognize you MUST do it and then, guess what, you have to DO IT!!!
But then, why am I telling you this? You wrote the book on it, then another one, and another and another…
Thanks again and keep it coming.
Sadly our national and local politians and other decision makers have been enablers that has resulted in this sad state of affairs. We seemingly have a culture in this country of
“what’s in in for me entitlement” , with little regard for the
long term consequences of these decisions. Even at this hour
our own government can’t do the one thing that will ultimitely
get us on the road for a better future. That is to support the notion that you have to spend within your means and not spend more than you receive in revenue. Is it really that hard
of a concept to understand or implement ??
Hit the nail right on the head (as usual) Larry. I’ve read much of the material/authors you’ve mentioned and agree that their message has been twisted… much the same way people take philosophical and religious teachings and for that matter even scientific data and skew it to fit their own self-interested, egocentric views. I think Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” should be required reading prior to leaving High School. Rand was by no means perfect either, but her emphasis on the fact that it is a person’s own responsibility to look after themselves rings true to me.
Larry,
That was one of your best rant ever. I’m living in Canada and it’s all the same here for the entitlement. A majority of a generation is spoiled with it.
Amen Larry! You always deliver a needed message with such a straight-forward, no BS approach. I’m sharing this one! Rock on!
no doubt that the ‘self-help’ movement has created a belief that achieving things is ‘easy’. The Secret is the biggest culprit of late. The whole point of the Secret is to visualize what you want and you’ll get it. Not really.
Visualization in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, but these ‘Secret’ guys created a very nice marketing video for their businesses, without creating much value for anyone. Not cool.
I work in the personal development industry, and I’ve found there to be a few great people working in it with me… but there’s a huge group of the biggest bunch of sharks you’ll ever meet as well.
This is precisely why you are one of the best guests I have ever had on my Unlock Your Wealth Radio program…because you say it like you see it. No blurred vision here.
I wonder why my persuasive writing teacher says I need to write more academic when I write just like you, with passion???
Keep the good words coming!
I believe Zig Ziglar said, “You can have whatever you want if you help enough people get what they want.” In that statement, he was saying you have to serve others to be successful. I don’t realize the quote you quoted. Perhaps I missed that one.
There was also a later change in some of the people who started these movements to say that you can’t have everything you want just because you believe it. You have to work at it, and then there is just the plain fact that some people do not have the same capacity to be, for example, a brain surgeon. Some people are born with problems caused by parents (crack head’s children, for example).
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy is an example. He talks a lot about how the little choices you make every day add up – down the road, and that you can’t just sit on your couch and think positive thoughts and expect great things to happen, you have to get out and work for them.
You have to take responsibility for the thoughts of others that you put in your head just like you have to take responsibility for the things that you do that aren’t good for you.
Eva, Zig did say that too. However, Zig also said the quote I put down. I know Zig and his material pretty well and when I give a direct quote, it’s a direct quote. I am not familiar with The Compound Effect or Darren Hardy but that sounds a lot like exactly the things I have said in each of my books.
None of that changes the fact that society has corrupted the original self-help message to fit their own laziness.
Your absolutely right. I see this everyday with the people I work with. All the motivational hoopla in the world won’t make a difference without actually doing the work required.
Very good thoughts. In my opinion, the worst aspect of this positive thinking movement is that it is a part of mainstream Christian churches. I have seen good people in churches absolutely devastated when they face some type of adversity and their church “friends” tell them that they brought it upon themselves because they did not think the right thoughts. Churches today are constantly telling people that they just need to think positive (as well as give away “seed” money) and they will automatically become wealthy. Well, wealth rarely comes to those who don’t bust their their ass to get it. However, because this philosophy is coming from the exalted pulpits it is more easily embraced.
Larry, I like your brain. Once again you have struck gold…or a nerve.
What folks need these days is a big dose of accountability and I’m sure you’re the guy to deliver it.
With the corruption of the self-help industry, ever more enticing titles, promises of easier ways to achieve your goals, and the promotion of the magical thinking of “The Secret”, where does the burden for corruption & the fostering of lazy thinking lie? The Marketers? Publishers? The industry itself? Without these forces would society be in the same place we are now?
For my money a few forces have combined to create the entitlement mess.
A) Everyone gets a trophy
B) A cultural obsession with Reality television
C) Marketing of “the good life” or “the easy life”
…the question for us switched-on, culturally aware, types (who aren’t Larry Winget!) is how to help others get switched on and get accountable too? Because let’s face it, if folks don’t know what they don’t know, can we expect that they’ll figure this out by themselves?
I would have to agree, “The Secret” is the epitome of the entitlement generation, and I have seen it influence some very bad behavior. My former sister in law turned into a real estate ‘guru’ shortly after reading The System, and bilked her family out of over $100K after her investment house in San Diego went belly up. She never took any blame, never apologized or even acknowledged what she did. Her family is bankrupted and has no college fund for the kids. they are hanging on by a thread. And she sure believed she was a real estate expert, she really believed in her heart that if we just gave her money, we would all get rich.
Books like The System play into every human crutch, greed, laziness, entitlement, narcism, etc. That is why so many people read it and bought the book. I am now skeptical of the entire industry, even ‘counseling’, ‘coaches’ and ‘therapists’ Psychiatry was essentially akin to plastic surgery at one time.
I have been a commission only sales person for over 40 years.
I get up every morning and have to create an idea to sell to create income and pay my bills. I worked hard bought my home raised 2 kids put them through college married 30 years have helped our community in many ways using my time and monies and always felt that i was a good citizen of this country, but I am so fed up with paying for everyone elses bills and entitlements with my taxes I just want to scream. If an Immigrant comes to this country over 65 of age they can get more than a woman on social security that has been working from 1944- 2004.She will receive a check for $791.00 a month after 40 years of supporting her country and working everday, but a single refugee can come here and get monthly check for $1890.00 and can apply for social assistance for another $580.00 a month for a total $2470.00 a month. No one ever handed that out to our family in good times or bad times. So you work for 40, 50 years as a citizen and you max out at $1012.00 for your efforts from our government. I was forced to pay up to 15% of my earnings into programs that our ENTITLEMENT programs now give away to anyone that ask’s for it. Are you kidding me! How about an illegal that comes here and has 5-8 children as anchors children and they receive $1500.00 per child per month. We met a 26 year old women with 8 kids, new car new purse new cell phone mortgage paid, living better then me after working 40 years why are we allowing our politicians to create these programs. and we wonder why this country is broke??? The word CHANGE makes me sick to my stomach, the only change i see is the loose change in my pocket at the end of the week. Larry keep raising hell please, you seem to be the only sanity in in insane country. When did everyone decide to stick there hand out? and why did the voters allow it? Its time to educate people of what happens when they vote for these people. I want change . I want to change every political office we have and take away all the gimme me programs. Just give me my 15% you took from me in a lump sum I don:t even want interest just one check and I promise i will take care of myself!!
Great rant, Larry. I’m not so sure the self-helpies have so much of an “entitlement” mindset, though. I think of it as more of a “confused” mindset. I’ve talked to a lot of self-helpies on forums over the years, and it’s not that they seem entitled to things, they just have unrealistic expectations. Like, some just don’t understand basic principles, or they ignore them.
They’ll affirm and visualize 20-minutes a day of what they would look like if they lost 30 pounds. But ask them if they exercised — nope. Ask them what they ate — cookies and hamburgers, like usual! Then months later they wonder “why isn’t the ‘Law of Attraction’ working for me???”
Personally, I see three problems in the self-help industry: 1) crap like The Secret, oh God. Let me just sit here and visualize checks in the mail. 2) Overly-priced seminars and 3) the same material churned out again and again in “new” books every year.
I like your stuff Larry because you’re trying to keep it real.
LARRY, YOU ARE AWESOME!!! YOU NEVER EVER DISAPPOINT ME WITH YOUR ARTICLES!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
LYNN POWERS
Larry! Larry! Larry! Still read your stuff to my kids. The twins are 18 now. The others 15, 13 and 11. Believe me….they know the only thing they are entitled to is the opportunity available to them in this great country!
Gulp … you’re right. My parents never had credit cards, yet I had school clothes, toys, bikes, and even braces! They worked hard and enjoyed their lives. Lay away was the answer sometimes. You didn’t get it until you paid for it. I’m still learning and unlearning my entitlement. Thanks, Larry. I’m trying to remember how my parents did it. I think going backwards to find the answer is better than moving forward as an idiot!
It called the me society
You are so right on. And I see myself in there. I know what I need to do and I haven’t done it. I must, and am now moving forward to do what I have to do. Thanks for the message and the passion that you have in delivering it. I have often thought about the legitimacy of trying to solve my situation while listening to those messages like the Secret and Law of Attraction. Like Nike I just have to do it!
Thanks again! Keep the blog writing coming!
Larry,
You’re always “On the rag!” And thank Heaven! I’ve read your books and have one of your audio sets! Outstanding! What I’ve learned from you has really helped to transform my life and our business in many ways! I must admit, I love self help books and the LOA! But none of it works without “action!” As I always say, “it’s not the thought that counts, it’s the action!”
Stay healthy! And keep ranting!!
I am all for people being retrained to do the work that they are able to do.I am for healthcare being free at the point of need. I the UK we pay National insurance for healthcare and jobseeker allowance. There are people that are unemployable would you employ them?They should contribute to society. If someone is injured because of someone else’s fault the culprit should pay. It’s called being part of a fair society.
Larry —
I could not agree with you more. As a disabled person, it’s very difficult not to blame my disability for what’s wrong with my life. Every time I blame my disability, I feel that I lose control. But every time I ask, “Okay, how can I make my life better?” I feel empowered. Over the years I have learned one thing–my situation is not my fault, but it is my responsibility. By the way, I will be at NSA this weekend and can’t wait to see you.
Larry;
Bravo!!! I picked up Shut Up Stop Whining and Get A Life back in about 2006 because of seeing you on the cover. I said: I have got to read this book. And I have about 6 times and now my 11 year old is in the middle of it and loves it. It gave me the kick in the butt I needed in life and it is giving one to him before he gets into the messes I did. I work in legal services and I love my job. Really, I do. I have turned my life around and am on such a great path, it is amazing. However, your rant really made me shake my head. As I said, I love my job. But you are absolutely right. People think they are ENTITLED to have a “free lunch” every day for the rest of their lives. I see and have to deal with it every day. The call goes something like this: “My unemployment runs out in two weeks. What am I supposed to do?”Oh, I don’t know. Get a job sounds like a great idea. Larry, as lousy as our economy is, I cannot tell you how many help wanted signs I see on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I cannot tell these folks what I really think. I feel like sending them a copy of the help wanted section of the paper or a list of all the places in the area that are hiring.
Here’s an idea which is soft, but may work. “Okay Joe. You’re on unemployment and it pays you $700.00/week. You have been placed in a job starting on Monday that pays $400.00/week. Unemployment will pick up the remaining amount for a certain period of time and that’s it. Of course, if you don’t show up for work on Monday or quit or get fired for doing something stupid, all bets are off and you are out of luck. PERIOD! As Don Henley said in his song “Get Over It”, the big bad world doesn’t owe you a thing.
Thanks again Larry.
I believe that the only true “self-help” is in following natural laws/principles, such as Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits:
Be Proactive
Begin with the End in Mind
Put first Things First
Think Win/Win
First Seek to Understand, then to be Understood
Synergize
Sharpen the Saw
or Don Miguel Ruiz’s 4 Agreements:
Be Impeccable with your Word
Don’t Take Anything Personally
Don’t Make Assumptions
Always do your Best
I have tried to live by a set of personal values based around these 11 principles, and I have been making steady and consistent gains in all areas of my life. I believe that the key is in taking direct action to expand on our natural endowments of Self-Awareness, Conscience, Independent Will, and Creative Imagination. It also requires constant focus and improvement of our needs and capacities in the areas of the Physical, Mental, Social/Emotional, and Spiritual (meaning and purpose).
I think people have confused “feeling good” with “peace and contentment.” Feeling good follows the easy road, but peace and contentment are a result of staying in line with the natural laws/principles of life. Nothing worthwhile comes easy.
Ever thought about adding an RSS feed? Or is it there and did I miss it?
Thanks.
Amen!
Thanks for giving back to NSA. You were “refreshing” at this year’s conference. Powerful. Thanks for taking authenticity to a whole new level.
I appreciate the fact that “you called” the speaker in Europe who imitated my “fall” on stage back in 2002. You probably don’t remember, I’ll never forget. Not for me, as much as integrity itself.
Stage time,
Darren LaCroix
Coming to this site only a few days after a close relative was suddenly diagnosed with cancer and quickly operated on and now faces huge bills, and a minimum of six months of being unable to work, and has no health insurance because he never could afford it, I find myself thinking, as usual, that your rants are good tonics, but life is not that simple.
My relative, at 60 years old, having struggled for 40 years to make a living and never making enough to support himself comfortably, faces an iffy financial future even if the cancer does turn out to be completely gone after months of debilitating treatment.
I have been surprised by my relative’s expressed feeling during this crisis that the government DOES owe him a living, that some entity SHOULD step in and help him, not merely until he is back on his feet, but from now on. He’s ill; he’s tired. Maybe he needs slapping around, but cancer has already done that, and the cruelty of some medical providers’ billing departments has added to the miserable experience. He has yet to experience the delights of being threatened by bill collectors, but that will come soon. As will the pain of chemo.
How long must he struggle against the odds? The baby boom generation is enormous. We have faced intense competition for jobs all our lives, and now we are subjected to age discrimination in hiring. And some of us no longer are in good health. At what point is my relative’s sense of entitlement kidding himself, rather than a fair assessment of his right to a payback for all the years he has been a hardworking taxpayer in a low-paying field? Every cent of his tiny little IRA must go to pay medical bills, and he’s years too young for Social Security. If some government entity gives him temporary cash assistance and food stamps and medical coverage, he might be able to stay in his home and get back on his feet and go to work again, or at least hold on till he can draw Social Security. If not, the government might have to support him anyway if he becomes destitute and homeless.
Here’s the kicker: You could make a case that my relative has been an idiot all his life, made mistake after mistake, and deserves to be in hot water now. But if various government agencies won’t help him, guess who has to? Me, the person who did diligently save all these years, who didn’t live on credit cards or spend like a drunken sailor whenever the whim struck. Me, who finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel leading to a financially peaceful old age. Personally, I would prefer that the risk involved in helping people such as my relative be spread to include the local tax base, rather than fall entirely on me. I would not mind paying more in taxes so a big government agency uses its muscle to pay only a fraction of the outrageously overcharged hospital bill, for instance, and tells the hospital to back off about trying to collect anything more. That would be a very efficient use of my tax dollars.
In sum, Larry, you are a bracing breath of fresh air but sometimes people really are sick and ineffectual. I think they need help, not our scorn.
I personally got involved with a Ponzi pitcher, who apparently manifested so much success, he flat out said, “Watch what I do, nevermind what I say” and posted checks he made on Ponzi schemes and other “passive income” opportunities (don’t say “investing” because that would mean it likely would get regulated).
As my “Spidey Sense” detected things were very wrong (like, “No, you can’t see the financials or business plan of the organization”), out came, “Watch the Secret”. And blammo, here I am being fed THAT nonsense, which takes some truths and enshrines it as all you need.
End result of the Ponzi pitcher, and pusher of “The Secret”? I ended up bankrupt and still have yet to recover. I do press on though, and would be up for signing up for a boot camp of sorts that could help out.
Larry,
Where have you been all my life? I kept shaking my head yes and saying “he’s right” and “damn straight” with every word I read! In my former job, several single young girls would get pregnant, say “The government will pay for everything, so I don’t need to marry the dad, because it will mess up my benefits,”complain about how hard life was, and then get pregnant again.
I would be so infuriated, because I worked harder, had a larger family to provide for, paid for their(the girls) bad choices, and I didn’t complain. The entitlement society is rampant, and I fear the next generation will be worse because they will have such poor examples to learn from.
My husband and I work hard for what we have, our teenagers have to work for what they want, and and our younger ones will be expected to do the same. You now have 5 new fans and I will be reading your books on my work/vacation next week.
Larry,
I just finished reading your book, “People are Idiots…”. I loved it. I learned a lot, came up with lists to change things in my life, found the strength to say “I can do this!” and I feel inspired. This being said, I was in a major rut when I decided to read your book. It made me laugh, it made me think, it made me test myself and it made me begin making changes right away with a completely different attitude. A positive, “I can do this” attitude. I think you are terrific. I love the way you just put it out there. I didn’t think you were rude, or harsh. I thought you were blunt and to the point and that was refreshing. I keep your book on my bedroom dresser, so every morning when I wake up; I can remember what I read and how I’m going to change my life today. Thank you! Keep speaking your mind and I’ll keep listening!
Liz
Liz, what a great post. Thank you so much and congrats on your new commitment to a better life!
Larry, Great topic. I just discovered you and your style is amazing.
You mentioned in an interview with Bob Burg that one should not take on another’s style, etc. I understand that; however, is it OK to forward and/or copy your written blogs. quotes, messages etc and forward them to others with you of course being the author. I just want to make sure this is OK with you?
Lily B, this might sound heartless, but I wanted to mention the choice you have. You don’t *have* to help your relative. It is unreasonable for someone who hasn’t taken care of themselves to demand that you take care of them when they get in hot water. It is very generous for you to do so, but you don’t have to. Just a thought. Good luck in your situation!
I couldn’t agree more with everything you have said.
Especially the part about everything being your won fault. I personally believe in reincarnation, and that any bad ills in this life that seem undeserved were the result of bad actions (or at least lack of good action) in the past. Sadly, Christians stopped believing in reincarnation in 500 A.D. when the Romans took over.
Larry, this is so true, I am so glad you have made the statement, and noticed what I see everyday.
I work with a community of very ‘passionate’ people, who have attempted to make their ‘passion’ their profession. I sell them supplies for their passion. I have come to find that these incredibly passionate people can at the drop of a hat, become extremely entitled, to the point of violence. These are very smart, educated people. They work extremely hard, can be very self reliant. But the entitlement is like a drug, like jealousy or envy, whatever it is, its scary.
Its as if this intense passion, when misappropriated, can lead to very bad things, that it can lead to very ugly behavior. Its ‘hyper-entitlement,’ its The Secret on steroids. Its scary, and makes me what to distance myself from this group.