EMILOKAN: A Menace To The Society
The recently coined vocabulary into the Yoruba Dictionary is not new to humanity. Popularly regarded as the entitlement mentality, is a deteriorating curse to the progress of any society. It's the perception and belief that people are owed something without any merit or qualifications.
This mindset can lead to individuals feeling that others should provide for them, must compensate them for service rendered and they deserve special perks and privileges. This mentality is detrimental to society as it creates an unsustainable societal norm of entitlement, and it detracts from the value of qualifications, personal growth, and societal approval.
The entitlement mentality creates an atmosphere where individuals believe they are owed things without earning them. This mentality leads to individuals neglecting ethical values and accountability, as they feel that handouts and unearned benefits are sufficient to sustain them high in society. This attitude does not enable self-reliance. Instead, it promotes a dependence on the generosity of others and robbery of their Free-will.
This mentality is not just harmful to the individual but spreads throughout the society. It leads to an erosion of the social fabric and norms that are needed for a successful and thriving society. This attitude encourages laziness, irresponsibility, and entitlement, leading to the erosion of values such as hard work, persistence, and self-reliance.
There is a need to balance compassion and empathy with accountability and self-reliance. It's vital to identify areas where the society could provide a helping hand, but at the same time, individuals must recognize their responsibility to work hard and gain merit, recognize that it is firstly their obligation to themselves to work and contribute to their well-being.
In conclusion, the entitlement mentality is a curse to society. It promotes a norm that ignores merit, accountability, and personal growth and places sole reliance on handouts and charity. Society must work to promote self-reliance, hard work, and accountability. In essence, society must develop policies that encourage and promote the virtues of self-reliance, personal responsibility, and hard work, and discourage entitlement and dependence on others for success.
