The Entitlement of Poverty

We know there is an entitlement of wealth and affluence. We see it all the time. But is it possible to have a sense of entitlement from being in poverty, a state I distinguish from "not having much money."

I think so. It is the entitlement of dependency, the entitlement of others who are better off owe me.

Harsh? Again, you can have little money and not have a mindset of poverty. Much has been written on this. I went through a period where I could not find good employment and we had very little money, living on about $20,000 a year (in the early '90s). But we had everything we needed, did without luxuries, and drove old cars. Not fun, but we didn't think we were owed something.

Not that I set myself as an example. I resent those who flaunt their wealth and are clueless about needs around them, so maybe there's an entitlement of having lived through hard times.

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