If you leave a person in a bubble of constant privilege for too long, the normal boundaries the rest of us live by start to disappear, and entitlement can quickly take their place.
There is always that one customer who demands royal treatment, a neighbor who ignores rules or even some family members who act like everyone else exists to serve their needs.
And we are all familiar with stories of certain celebrities going above and beyond, showing that entitlement can reach truly ridiculous levels.
While karma does catch up with a few of them, most people go through life completely scot-free, floating along in their own little bubble.
When the Reddit community was asked, “What’s the worst level of entitlement you’ve ever seen?”, it unmasked some people at their most narcissistic and oblivious.
#1
All the men who are choosing fascism over equality because they feel entitled to women’s bodies and their reproductive, domestic, and care labour.
Report
96points
#2
Parents traveling with young kids often assume other passengers should move so they can sit together. I’m not handing over the premium seat I paid for to sit in a cramped economy spot instead.
Report
78points
#3
Buying a cup of tea at the library a few years for 90p (those were the days), the girl serving took my £1 coin, shut the till and said my tea would be ready shortly.
When I asked for my change, she moodily opened the till again to get it, and as she handed it over said "Oh yes, 10p?"
Obvs it's about the principle not the amount, although I was unemployed and pretty broke at the time. No way I was letting her decide to just keep my money like that.
When I asked for my change, she moodily opened the till again to get it, and as she handed it over said "Oh yes, 10p?"
Obvs it's about the principle not the amount, although I was unemployed and pretty broke at the time. No way I was letting her decide to just keep my money like that.
Report
56points
While consumerism and capitalism play a major role in how we see ourselves, entitlement is also shaped by social media, mainstream cultural messages, and technology. All of this makes it easier than ever to assume the world will bend to our desires and needs.
Studies in psychology note that these trends are shifting our priorities: people are more focused on their own rights and comfort than on responsibility towards others.
“If people feel they are entitled to consume, they see consuming as an expected reward for behaving in a certain way,” writes Sue LT McGregor of Canada’s Mount Saint Vincent University in her 2022 study.
#4
I was placing asphalt at this medical school and I see this petty young lady is wearing these fancy flip-flops, "Excuse me miss you don't want to walk on that asphalt its 325 degrees." And with utter contempt she said "Excuse you, Im going to ba a DOCTOR!" She charges past me, almost get run over by the roller, realizes it ITS HOT owowowowow and then walked right on to the fresh tack (gooey sticky tar that binds the layers together) looses a flip flop, trips and glares at me with scapels for eyes. I had to walk away cause it was too funny.
Apparently she complained cause some big wig came down an hour later, superintendent told him off, we are not responsible for idiots who ignore warnings not to be stupid.
Apparently she complained cause some big wig came down an hour later, superintendent told him off, we are not responsible for idiots who ignore warnings not to be stupid.
Report
53points
#5
A coworker of mine threw a fit because I won a large glass jar of gummy candies and she demanded to our director that it needed to either be in the break room for communal snacking or given to her because "I don't have a family and don't understand what struggling was".
This was over gummy candies.
This was over gummy candies.
Report
53points
#6
Bluetooth speaker or cell phone conversations on public transit. Especially if it's the first train in the morning.
Report
50points
#7
My dad got a new coworker who was also new in town, so my parents invited him and his wife over for dinner one night. Dinner included fresh vegetables from my mom's vegetable garden. My mom also gave them some extra tomatoes and zucchini to take home.
A few days later, my mom was washing dishes and looked out the window to see the wife crouching in her vegetable garden, stealing as many veggies as she could fit into her bags, including things my mom had plans for and was not planning to give away. She had scaled the fence to get inside.
A few days later, my mom was washing dishes and looked out the window to see the wife crouching in her vegetable garden, stealing as many veggies as she could fit into her bags, including things my mom had plans for and was not planning to give away. She had scaled the fence to get inside.
Report
47points
Entitlement shows up in a lot of places — in viral videos of shoppers yelling at retail workers, travelers demanding airline perks they haven’t paid for, like a window seat, or people cutting lines just because they feel they can.
Scholars agree that entitlement is traditionally a “maladaptive trait” that leads to narcissism, conflicts with others, and affects overall mental health.
This can happen because entitled people might tend to lash out or get frustrated when things do not go their way. It can ultimately put a strain on relationships and their overall environment.
#8
I once had a lady try to walk onto the main stage at Coachella 2019 during a set. I politely told her she was not allowed and she told me she was a VIP and that I didn't know who she was.
I told her only people with higher access were able to go on stage, and she asked, "oh yeah, like who?"
And I said, "like me.".
I told her only people with higher access were able to go on stage, and she asked, "oh yeah, like who?"
And I said, "like me.".
44points
#9
Worked with a woman who was flying with a bunch of our coworkers. She was worried that a connecting flight would get diverted due to weather. She, just her, decided to go to the desk and demand that they change her flight.
The original flight landed in time, everyone else boarded and she demanded to get her old seat back on the original flight. "It's only been 30 minutes, why can't I have it back"
She's retelling me this and acting like she's the victim. She just couldn't comprehend that the flight was full. Her seat was given away to someone on standby. And the flight she changed to would be there in 30 minutes.
The original flight landed in time, everyone else boarded and she demanded to get her old seat back on the original flight. "It's only been 30 minutes, why can't I have it back"
She's retelling me this and acting like she's the victim. She just couldn't comprehend that the flight was full. Her seat was given away to someone on standby. And the flight she changed to would be there in 30 minutes.
Report
40points
#10
I worked at a high end car dealership. A woman (50’s) purchased a car, then called 4-5 days later and said “the car just stopped” on the freeway. We sent a tow truck and discovered she’d run out of gas. She wanted the dealership to waive the tow bill because her salesman failed to tell her she’d have to put fuel in the car.
Report
40points
#11
I am a funeral director. We once had a family who wanted their service on a specific day. We already had one scheduled for that date and time. They asked “Can’t you just call and make them move it?”
Absolutely not.
Absolutely not.
Report
39points
Contrary to what the entitled might want to achieve, they are often far from the happiest.
Experts believe that life rarely hands out everything we feel we deserve, and those with a strong sense of entitlement can be left feeling disappointed.
“When people think that they should have everything they want — often for nothing — it comes at the cost of relationships with others and, ultimately, their own happiness,” Julie Exline, co-author of a study on entitlement, was quoted as saying in a press release.
#12
I used to work in credit card fraud and dispute call center. One day I received a call from obviously a wealthy woman as she bought USD 10k jewellery from new York. After returning to Toronto she realized that she doesn't like the design anymore. Sho she went back to NY to return it. The jeweller returned her money in full. Now she was asking for associated travel and hotel costs from bank. I couldn't believe my ears when she said that. Oh, how pissed she became when I flatly denied her demand.
37points
#13
The Edward Jones financial advisor that parked in handicapped parking every day for 3 years until she finally got a $500 ticket! She tried to force the property owners to pay for it since they knew she was using that space and never said anything to her about moving.
Report
36points
#14
When I was a kid, my parents were friends with another couple. They had met through church and eventually hired the husband (his company) to build our house. They were friends ever since.
Once the housing market wasn't doing too well, the husband ended up making a prayer request in church. Tearfully, he told everyone they were on the verge of losing their house because he couldn't find enough work to pay the bills. My parents ended up inviting them over for dinner and then afterwards, presented them with a check. I have no idea how much it was, but it was enough to save their house. I remember them both sobbing in our kitchen.
That was to be the end of it, but the next week we went to church, things took a turn. People were whispering and staring at us. Eventually, someone took my parents to the side and explained what was going on. This couple had been going up to our mutal friends, asking for their "advice".
They told everyone that my parents had given them money to save their home but upon reflection, realized that this amount of money could fund their dream vacation to Las Vegas. They were asking people if they should use the money as intended, or if they should go on their once-in-a-lifetime dream trip and gamble it, accepting, of course, that this would likely end the friendship.
I'm not sure if they thought people would be on their side or what, but everyone was pretty appalled. It ended the friendship instantly and they never spoke again. Even as a kid it was absurd to me that they would make the choices they did.
Once the housing market wasn't doing too well, the husband ended up making a prayer request in church. Tearfully, he told everyone they were on the verge of losing their house because he couldn't find enough work to pay the bills. My parents ended up inviting them over for dinner and then afterwards, presented them with a check. I have no idea how much it was, but it was enough to save their house. I remember them both sobbing in our kitchen.
That was to be the end of it, but the next week we went to church, things took a turn. People were whispering and staring at us. Eventually, someone took my parents to the side and explained what was going on. This couple had been going up to our mutal friends, asking for their "advice".
They told everyone that my parents had given them money to save their home but upon reflection, realized that this amount of money could fund their dream vacation to Las Vegas. They were asking people if they should use the money as intended, or if they should go on their once-in-a-lifetime dream trip and gamble it, accepting, of course, that this would likely end the friendship.
I'm not sure if they thought people would be on their side or what, but everyone was pretty appalled. It ended the friendship instantly and they never spoke again. Even as a kid it was absurd to me that they would make the choices they did.
36points
#15
This is from a group of people rather than a person: in my area there is a fox hunt, it is people riding on the back of horses chasing a fox. They ride through farm land if they have permission to do so. My cousin was involved (she is a horse girl and was never bright) but the land owner wants to build something on the land, a new house and needs permission from the local planning authority. The hunt group hears about it and are upset as the building would disrupt an area where they able to get a good gallop with their horses while hunting on his land, he had always given permission.
The group gets organised via an email thread and lodge a planning objection to the project. The project gets rejected and land owner finds out the hunt lodged the objection and he is pissed. Do not if the project would have gone through without the objection. The hunt are delighted with themselves, they start making a thing to lodge objections for anything that will affect them.
When the time for the hunt comes round the hunt group ask for permission to use his land and he is in surprisingly says no. The lady in charge of the hunt is shocked by it and is wondering why he is saying no. He bans them from ever using his land again.
This happened over 20 years ago and there is still drama around it. The hunt groups lodging objections got them in trouble with more farmers and they finally stopped.
I dislike the hunt group even though I know people in it, my brother has never given permission for them to use his land since my father died.
The group gets organised via an email thread and lodge a planning objection to the project. The project gets rejected and land owner finds out the hunt lodged the objection and he is pissed. Do not if the project would have gone through without the objection. The hunt are delighted with themselves, they start making a thing to lodge objections for anything that will affect them.
When the time for the hunt comes round the hunt group ask for permission to use his land and he is in surprisingly says no. The lady in charge of the hunt is shocked by it and is wondering why he is saying no. He bans them from ever using his land again.
This happened over 20 years ago and there is still drama around it. The hunt groups lodging objections got them in trouble with more farmers and they finally stopped.
I dislike the hunt group even though I know people in it, my brother has never given permission for them to use his land since my father died.
Report
32points
Entitlement is not always personal; it can also be socially reinforced.
Studies show that wealth and privilege lead to higher feelings of entitlement and even narcissism. This may be because their position makes special treatment seem normal or even expected.
It is no wonder we see so many stories of celebrities acting like they own the world — from James Corden being banned from a New York restaurant for yelling at the staff over an omelet, to Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber being accused of illegally using disabled parking spaces.
Because when privilege goes unchecked, it is easy to see how entitlement can reach absurd levels.
#16
In my personal life, my ex mother in law raging that her ex husband (divorced for over 20 years) didn’t take her on vacation with him and his current fiance because “they were married once so she deserves to go just as much as her”.
Report
32points
#17
My ex best friend asked her dad to sell HIS home and move into a condo (which he does not want to do) so that SHE could take the money and buy her first home.
She has multiple times inherited money from family passing away and mismanaged that so she asked her retired dad to fund her home. He say hell to the no and still has his house.
She has multiple times inherited money from family passing away and mismanaged that so she asked her retired dad to fund her home. He say hell to the no and still has his house.
31points
#18
I was a chauffeur and I was driving the nanny and three children to a destination where the parents will end up. They all had iPads with AirPods. While loading, one of children got upset and tossed his iPad on the ground. The nanny didn’t say anything just picked up the broken iPad and went inside. She came out with a brand new one and handed it to the child. Nothing was said.
Report
29points
#19
I was on the bus. A guy sneaks in the back door of the bus and the drivers sees him. He starts yelling at the guy to pay the fare or get off the bus. The guy is yelling back at the driver, “You will talk to me with respect! Don’t you try to disrespect me!” This thief that got caught trying to steal a bus ride actually thought he deserved respect for stealing and delaying all the fare paying passengers. Apparently, he never learned that respect is earned. I wish I could say I was surprised.
Report
29points
#20
Kevin Spacey, refusing to put a cigarette out in a non-smoking restaurant. Resulting in the server getting fired.
Report
28points