My Floor 10/26
Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2023 1:35 pm
The assertive words:“You’re gonna let me over, right?” came through a slightly lowered window of a car looking to get over. I gestured to them to get over. No problem. And I smiled as I recognized ‘entitlement’ right away.
Now what about my driving behavior? Well, it still needs to be checked. I noticed entitlement when I’m using my phone to set up my preference to listen to what I want while I’m driving. I behave as if it is my right to have something to listen to. I can, in fact, wait for safer conditions before I find what I want to listen to, even if the audio is supposedly instructional.
I decided to poke the bear a bit and I put on this documentary about a southern African American family who owned beachfront land that White American developers were maneuvering to take, resulting in a few family members going to jail for failure to vacate the land.
What I noticed is whenever the story focused on the matriarch’s struggle, the music was more somber- almost manipulative. I didn’t finish the documentary - I might - but entitlement in this story I found to be a little more tricky.
Yes, the family had documentation, and had taken care of the land for many generations. But, from what I can tell, and please check me if I’m incorrect, the entitlement says that ‘of course things are supposed to be this way’.
Let me attempt to expound on what I mean. For example: I can build a stone house, sturdy and all, and an even stronger tornado can rampage through and tear it to the ground. Did I make an effort to create a suitable shelter? Yes, however, life brings whatever it brings, and I am not entitled to having life unfold within the parameters of my preparations, and certainly, not my preferences.
I’m really starting to see how sneakily entitlement can become arrogance. When I think I have something that shouldn’t be, that couldn’t be taken or lost, I am arrogant and entitled, it seems.
I feel the need to say that empathy is required when you have someone who has done a notable amount of work to earn something only to have the fruits of that labor stolen.
You’ve mentioned that you don’t always get what you’ve earned, either. I obviously haven’t (earned) experienced any of this so I think it needed to be said.
On another note, I had dinner with my neighbors yesterday, and it was more challenging to chew my food fully as I was a part of the overall conversation. No big deal, but certainly an adjustment. I knew how much food to put on my plate. And of course, I’m last at the table
One last thing. I know I have no right to ask you to bear with me in all of this, as you already have for 11 years or so. The thing is I am starting to see that there are probably so many habits I have that I never knew were coming from ‘It’s not fair.'
Alex Hormozi, in a video, was making a distinction between doing your best and doing what is required. Doing what is required is a real Adult. That must be the direction. So, I have an action for this evening. Instead of the hour I would spend watching tv, I’ll go to bed earlier or work on something important to me. This is required.
Now what about my driving behavior? Well, it still needs to be checked. I noticed entitlement when I’m using my phone to set up my preference to listen to what I want while I’m driving. I behave as if it is my right to have something to listen to. I can, in fact, wait for safer conditions before I find what I want to listen to, even if the audio is supposedly instructional.
I decided to poke the bear a bit and I put on this documentary about a southern African American family who owned beachfront land that White American developers were maneuvering to take, resulting in a few family members going to jail for failure to vacate the land.
What I noticed is whenever the story focused on the matriarch’s struggle, the music was more somber- almost manipulative. I didn’t finish the documentary - I might - but entitlement in this story I found to be a little more tricky.
Yes, the family had documentation, and had taken care of the land for many generations. But, from what I can tell, and please check me if I’m incorrect, the entitlement says that ‘of course things are supposed to be this way’.
Let me attempt to expound on what I mean. For example: I can build a stone house, sturdy and all, and an even stronger tornado can rampage through and tear it to the ground. Did I make an effort to create a suitable shelter? Yes, however, life brings whatever it brings, and I am not entitled to having life unfold within the parameters of my preparations, and certainly, not my preferences.
I’m really starting to see how sneakily entitlement can become arrogance. When I think I have something that shouldn’t be, that couldn’t be taken or lost, I am arrogant and entitled, it seems.
I feel the need to say that empathy is required when you have someone who has done a notable amount of work to earn something only to have the fruits of that labor stolen.
You’ve mentioned that you don’t always get what you’ve earned, either. I obviously haven’t (earned) experienced any of this so I think it needed to be said.
On another note, I had dinner with my neighbors yesterday, and it was more challenging to chew my food fully as I was a part of the overall conversation. No big deal, but certainly an adjustment. I knew how much food to put on my plate. And of course, I’m last at the table
One last thing. I know I have no right to ask you to bear with me in all of this, as you already have for 11 years or so. The thing is I am starting to see that there are probably so many habits I have that I never knew were coming from ‘It’s not fair.'
Alex Hormozi, in a video, was making a distinction between doing your best and doing what is required. Doing what is required is a real Adult. That must be the direction. So, I have an action for this evening. Instead of the hour I would spend watching tv, I’ll go to bed earlier or work on something important to me. This is required.