Their sense of entitlement…

I hear a lot about how young people, usually those of us, who are grouped into the Millennial generation (usually those born between 1990’s and 2000’s although most stats go to 80’s as well), have a sense of entitlement, how we’re lazy as hell and how we “just don’t want to become adults.”

While it’s true, that some do feel the sense of entitlement, at least till they get their first job, whatever kind of a job it is, I argue, that a lot of us aren’t as selfish lazy rats, as some think of us, and I would even argue, that a lot of young people, who at least try to think for themselves (having no TV helps), are not as “entitled” as you would think.

Before I continue any longer, I must admit, that the context around which I am writing is limited to those americans, I know and what they tell me, as well as stats I read online, and of course my own, albeit Slovenian, context here, which is somewhat different from that of the US. Still, I argue, that on general the things I will write about shouldn’t be too much different in both contexts.

So, what’s up with Millennials really? Are we what the media portrays us to be? Are we selfish, entitled, megalomanial, lazy, unknowladgable, afraid to commit, etc.?

I don’t think the generalization if fair, nor true, though you could find such examples. Actually, I know only one person who might be somewhat fit for that description, although he does have a job (albeit not a decent one), no debt, and a low “footprint”. So even he isn’t as lazy as the proverbial Millenial. Now when I think about it, I could say, that I know of no such person as they normally describe, when generalizing about Millennials.

Who are the rest of our bunch then? At least here in Slovenia, those born before 1990 (I was born just a few months before Slovenia was born, in 1991) have had it much easier and are more stable, at least financially, than those of us, born after 1990. Most of those “ancient millennials” that I know, although not all, have at least a low-paying job or they are self-employed. Those might actually feel a tad more entitled then those of us after them, but let’s not jump into any conclusions just yet. The rest of us mostly came into the “real” workforce either two years ago or haven’t even entered it just yet because of studying and acquiring a diploma that we’re told will be of much use to us.

Rubbish, I say, although I am officially still somewhat of a student. I am one of those great many of us millennials, who went to school so that I could work. I know that you guys in the States don’t have this, but here the State funds education and then regulates heavily how students can work whilst in school. Since it mostly runs both, by pure reason, we don’t have any real incentive not to go to school, because it’s supposedly much easier to get a job as a student than in any other way. Truthfully, and students don’t realise nor know that, the reason companies hired students before someone else here, was because of government subsidies for work and because the workers were cheap. Cheap labour which actually for hypothetical equal with a regular worker, as far as wage, got more out of it than the regular worker did. Besides, since student work is essentially freelancing without contracts, they were easy to hire and fire. Although the legislation is now horrendously more difficult and regulated than it was when I started working as a student, it was still not as easy to get a job back then or especially now, even as a student, as it was just a couple of years earlier, not to say a decade or two. The times are just different I guess.

Bud do we feel a sense of entitlement, you ask? Sure, after graduation, especially if one was supported by their parents till that day, one is very entitled. School does that. We got everything we wanted however we wanted it. Want a good grade? Sure, just memorise the data you will never need, as long as you pass the test, and then I’m entitled to the grade, right? Everyone wins, right? And you, yes, I’m looking at you, Generation X and Baby-boomer, you taught me, that if I do well at school, I’ll get a good job, to buy a house and a car, then I’ll have that job for some 40 years, then I’ll retire and then the State will pay for my old age, from what you said, they will for my own good make me give to them for safe-keeping until then. And I, … we, millennials,… believed you. Sure one feels the sense of entitlement after 20+ years of this kind of indoctrination. The reality, though, finally kicks in. If you’re lucky you find a good girlfriend at college, and by mistake impregnate her, which hopefully (no pun intended!) means, that these two get married and start a family, which means they have to get an income and possibly even quit school to do so. I say lucky with a slight irony, because those actually are by their circumstances somewhat forced to start living in the system and the shock of the change means that they possibly never internalise the truth of their situation and some thus might actually feel as though they are entitled to a job, free healthcare, state funded whatever. That’s a problem though. They become a part of the problematic system and don’t seem to be able to figure out anymore how it works and how to really exit it.

Then there’s the other bunch, like myself, who actually did work as students and even tried regular work while either single or not-committed yet. Actually, the first (and last) “real” job I had was because I was going to get married (we split before that happened, it’s a long story, although with a sense of entitlement from the other side) and that supposedly means one has to get a more secure job because ladies love security, right ladies? Then the shock happened. Lies. All lies. When I saw the bill and when I saw every penny (or cent here in Europe) that the State stole without my permission to do so, I could not continue this anymore. The State stole almost 70% of what I made! You Americans can be lucky you get mostly taxed up to perhaps around 43% (that’s around what the taxes are on student work here now, as opposed to 25-ish% back then-only that we didn’t know it). Some of us were actually taught to be responsible with the cash we earned, that we thought was 100% ours (nobody ever told us about the tax that the company has to pay on our behalf to the State). Entitled? No! Never! Nothing is free, and what I get should by all right belong to me. I know not everyone is so “extreme” regarding what belongs to whom, but everyone I know says, that if all they had to pay was perhaps 10-25% altogether in taxes, that wouldn’t be too much of a problem. The young who know a sliver of the truth say that. The older ones with “real jobs” don’t, though, because they never really check how much they’re really being screwed over (by the State in taxes and regulations). It’s rather easy to have a job. You don’t have to do and know much, except be obedient to whatever the boss and the State says.

Who’s entitled then? He, who demands pension because he believes in lies. He who demands free healthcare, because he lives a lie. He is the hypocrite. He who has the real job and a big debt. He says he has a right to feel and be entitled to “stuff” because he “paid” for it. In taxes. Rubbish. The State stole. Thief never feels obligated to give back, except under pretence to bribe you a tad so that you can give him even more. The State is that thief.

What should the rest of us do then? Should we really play your wicked game? Should we really opt-in to your wicked system of democratic socialism (social democracy is also a wickedly untrue debunkable term, but I’ll do that some other time)? No, we’re not lazy. We’re just not willing to play your game. We’re not willing to be screwed over. Let me demonstrate.

Have you ever heard of Tiny houses? They’re spurring up all over the US, and elsewhere as well. It’s not that we, especially millennials, don’t want to have a house, it’s just that we probably will never be able to afford it, much less the land. In order to have both, you have to have a mortgage and to have that you need a regular well paying job. I don’t want either of those, although the latter would probably be fine for perhaps half of millennials, perhaps even more. I don’t know. I don’t feel like finding stats right now, but I did see them once. Some of us actually want to be sustainable in design and otherwise. Tiny house is more than enough for that. And if we can find someone who’s willing to let us on their land, we’re willing to help on their property. Especially if that means no rent (and thus no taxes on either one of us). Furthermore those of us, who want to be mobile can actually be mobile in real sense, because if you build in 6m x 2,5m x 3-4m (LxWxH) constraints on a trailer, you can actually haul that tiny house anywhere on the mainland, perhaps the world. If I might add, since some of us still live at our parents, we’re used to not having as much space – our room and perhaps a part of the floor – is good enough for us and going to a tiny house is actually upscaling, not downsizing.

Have you ever heard of freelancing? Yap, some of us are freelancers. Except you gen-x-ers and boomers are trying to screw us up again and here in Slovenia one can only do that as a Student, or if he cheats and “hires” illegally a student to use his student status to continue working as a freelancer. Since we know how to find information, we are fast, at least some of us, to find loopholes to continue doing what we do without paying much taxes. It helps if you actually never really see that money. So those who have the power and have the jobs, that is X-ers and Boomers, regulate the Economy even more so that we can’t live responsibly and take care of ourselves. Some of us don’t want to have real jobs. Some of us like to work on projects and then pay as we go. Inspite of what you might think, being a freelancer is much more difficult than just a real job and requires more discipline, and responsibility. One has to actually BE responsible with their money and not recklessly spend it into oblivion. That oblivion mostly being  debt and taxes of course. So don’t talk to us (not all at least) that we’re not responsible. Maybe, just maybe we’re even more responsible than you ever could be (granted, some aren’t).

Not everybody wants a job. There I said it. Some of us don’t want it. And here I’m not once again talking about freelancing. Some of us want to be entrepreneurs. Yes, some of us want to actually be doing something that isn’t just Me-Focused. In this culture of iPads, and iPods, of I-centeredness, some of us actually want to be able to provide for ourselves with other people whom the opportunities might be temporary or permanent, but by employing them cooperating with them we’re actually trying to be a self-less difference that can actually change things and do good. And even if it fails, we all got to learn something in the process. But lately it’s getting more and more difficult to be an entrepreneur. And I hear that’s true elsewhere in the world, not just here in Slovenia. Everyone must obey thousands and thousands of pages of laws, and if one wants to sell to other countries, they have to know about foreign legislation as well… That’s unbearable. And I ask you again. Who wrote that legislation? Who voted for it? I didn’t. We millennials probably never really had a chance to do anything about it. You did, yes, I’m looking at you, X-ers and boomers. You did this. You caused the current situation, not us. And if you at least asked us nicely to help, we probably would. But no. You feel entitled to your secure jobs and your secure firms, that can exist probably only because the State steals from everyone else to give the money to you and because of lobbies that lobbied for legislation that we have. It wasn’t millennials. We’re not the sick megalomaniacs here, nor are we the entitled ones.

What about marriages? Do all millennials don’t want to commit? And if they don’t, why is that? Sure, some are having fun till their 30’s but not all. I would say, and if I recall some studies suggest the same, roughly one third or even less are not willing to commit and have marriages, but they would want that in the future (If I find the stats, I’ll post them as an update later on). The rest probably then do want to have some kind of future. But considering the above cases, if one wants to be responsible, inspite all the incentive not to be responsible (taxes, regulation, unequal playing-field, etc.), one is really in a bad luck, because it seems, one is not allowed to be responsible, and furthermore, the X-ers and boomers (although not completely their fault) generations helped bringing this all about. Let me explain. For one, if somebody wants to start a family, one needs to have someone to start that with, and then freedom to set his path in such direction, so that family will be able to sustain its self. That does mean income (although I don’t think for a second that it needs to be high, nor regular) and it does mean commitment.  It means having to man up for guys and be responsible, to be that man, who stands up for what is right and protects and defends his own. But can he? First of all, by disarming us – (by the way, I don’t like guns, but I will defend the right to carry it) and making any sort of “tools” that can (but it’s possible that won’t be in some cases) be used for defence of oneself and someone else, especially our kin – the State de facto and de jure made us unable to do the basic primal duty to defend oneself and our kin at least.

Then came feminism. Feminism abhorrently caused the State to expand into every fabric of our lives, with female becoming the evil that men don’t want to defend anymore. Don’t take me wrong, I think it’s right that in regards to discrimination and rights, as long as the rights themselves are legitimate, or in other words that all humans have them and are inalienable, it is fair that men and women are as far as humanity recognised as equals. But this? Today we aren’t equals anymore. Women claim to have the right to any number of State funded services, that go out of tax money of every citizen, including men, thereby making women thieves of money, that predominately (although not all) came from men. So women became agents of the State, indirectly of course, by being employed in schools, which used to be at home (governesses used to school kids or they were homeschooled, etc. irrespective of course of abhorrently statist education started in 17th century, that continues to this day and is way out-dated for this day-and age), and social institutions, which rose from the consequences of the very same education (indoctrination) model where women mostly work at. I could go on and on, and all the time, this mostly unproductive work is paid for by productive creators, which still are mostly men. That is not to say, that all women did that kind of work. Not at all. A great many of them had and still have jobs that are productive and are part of some creative process. Unfortunately most of them, at least here in Slovenia, do work or want to work in public sector, which is mostly on State and Municipal level, Education, Social Workers, etc. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same would be true for other countries. But let’s say this is irrelevant (although for libertarian or conservative minded individuals like myself, the political orientation and hence actions of the possible spouse or girlfriend is important).

Feminism also, by their emancipation destroyed many layers of what it means to be a woman. It usually goes to one of two extremes. First extreme is that they feel so entitled to a job, because historically women didn’t have much jobs outside of household, that they still repeat the old mantra of feminists and say that they need (!) a good education (usually social sciences though, or other lib. arts degrees – which are mostly worthless) and a good job, thus completely undoing their femininity and even forgetting about it until they’re 30-ish or even older, when their biological clock is nearing its end. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. The other extreme, which I find to be true especially for daughters of irresponsible permissive and possibly wealthy parents, is that they go live their youth partying, and by saying this I mean partying hard, possibly in the process choosing things and lifestyles (yes, more of them) they never would, had they been sober. I must say, that this is partly due to education, pardon, indoctrination system, that wrecks everyone up, and they want a pause from it. Thus alcohol and drugs. Destroying them in the process, so that their femininity is gone in the sense that they did things that can never be undone, possibly even committing murder by abortion in the process. Not all are that “bad” though. Hopefully church going girls, who have come to Christ, can be different. Some still are entitled and some still idealise, partly due to too “restrictive” theology of their (sometimes american) pastors (who sometimes want to see only guys man up, but say nothing to the girls and have for this day and age impossible standards – that is a real job, a car, a house or apartment etc.). While I see the point, responsibility is not only in those “ideals” that have actually “worked”, historically speaking, for only two generations (Boomers, especially in the US and X-ers).

So here I stand, trying,… no, not trying; but being responsible with my money, as little as I have, wanting to do what is right. Not only right per se, but morally right. We guys want to, even millennials, provide for ourselves and the potential wife. We, not all, but at some point most, want to commit. But why? There is absolutely no guarantee anymore, not even at churches, that we’d be able to find someone to spend the rest of our lives with. Granted, you, the chruch, want us to be responsible and provide. Others, that are not christian, don’t have the chruch, but have a similar problem. Why go on dates, which we all hate (except perhaps self-righteous narcissists), because there’s so very few genuine people there, that is seems pointless. And on youthgroups, everyone keeps telling that the two need to be on a date, that is not just one-on-one. Group is mandatory in some ways, they say. Supposedly for accountability, but hey, don’t you trust me? And now, after so many years, when there’s no more group there, they don’t know how to be one-on-one at all.

And if I go back a step, to the two extremes, of feminism, I must say, that either in church or outside of it, where the mess is even bigger, it’s difficult to find someone, who hasn’t fallen through the cracks of nihilism, possibly in high school. And when a guy gets out of school, let’s say at around 25-27ish, who’s he going to look for? Probably a younger gal. But there’s little sensible choice. Also, mind that he’s probably looking for work and has little cash to spare but wants to start a life with someone, because it’s always easier when two work, than just one. Money and taxes and everything. So what kind of choices does he have in girls? Not much. They’re either drunk and irresponsible or they’re studying to get a job. He’s not going to look for, sometimes desperate, girl in her 30’s, although from being on the “firm ground” she could be his only real choice. It’s only that she’s to used to being single. Probably. Let’s stipulate for a moment, that a guy doesn’t want to study that much and would rather do something productive. So he gets a job in construction, car-repair shop or something where results of his work are real and tangible. I won’t even start on the fact that his money is being stolen by State for funding of schools he will never use or want. Let’s say that by the age of 25-27-ish, he has enough money to move out of his parents and live on his own (although still highly unlikely, but more so than the first fellow). You think he even knows where the girls hide? Probably no. If he’s a part of a healthy church, he has some chances, but if not, it’s tricky. Again, the good guys work their asses of trying to demonstrate that they can do it. Where they’re at, there’s little chance of them finding anyone remotely possible. As said, if they do exist they’re at college either drinking heavily or studying and working theirs asses of heavily. Healthy girl who would want to get married and doesn’t want to spend ages in school wasting other people’s money doesn’t seem to exist anymore. Who’s fault is that? Who devised the proverbial “System”? Here more than X-ers and Boomers are at fault, but may I suggest that you are partly responsible. You had the chance to abolish States after those abhorrent wars and try liberty. Instead you chose democratic socialism and superimposed it on us.

Let me suggest that those who imposed burdens should carry them themselves. So you X-ers and Boomers, please don’t bug us. Don’t steal from us. Don’t belittle us. Please stop this madness, because you have (partly, but still mostly) caused it. Don’t blame it on us. Don’t blame our tax-evasiveness and regulation dodging-ness on us. Sure, we do it. But you have caused it. You have created crimes that never in history existed and now you suggest us millennials carry all the burdens. No way. Some of us are actually so radical, that we would rather be more responsible and not play your game even if that means, that our own future is going to be very very tough. And you never even asked, not even nicely. Because if you knew us, you would know, that a great many of us would gladly help you out with your retirement, if you stopped the system, that keeps it running. We would gladly help to chip in. That should be the duty of kin and churches and any voluntary non-coercive society of genuine humans. I pray and hope, that you have not wrecked us all up that much, that we wouldn’t be willing. But you did, that was your doing. We’re just somewhat rational individuals trying to figure it out. Please give us back the freedom that you and others before you have stolen from us. Give us back the liberty tht belongs to each and every one of us. We’re all human and we should not be coerced into being slaves to one another. Today we are and that’s killing us. It’s going to kill you too. Literally.

Please, dear Boomers, and X-ers. Stop being so selfish and egoistic. Let us live as well. I do think that there is way more Millennials who share my sentiment “to live and let live” than there is amongst you, but I pray that you do exist. Please stop being so lazy in your early retirement and do real creative work, don’t just watch TV all day long. Please stop being so entitled and selfish, that you’re stealing your son’s, and grandsons salary to stay alive. He does not deserve it. Become a human and ask him for help if you need it. He should help you, but he doesn’t, just ask yourself: “Is there something I am doing wrong?”