The Gratitude Elixir

I have noticed a growing and unsettling plague sweeping the globe. This ailment tends to afflict the young, impressionable humans of the developed world. Symptoms include but are not limited to: procrastination, pessimism, and externalization of perceived problems. What I'm talking about is "entitlement-itis".

This particular malady renders sufferers with a belief that something is owed to them by life, because of who they are or merely because they exist. Generally a modern disease, the effect is that legions of young people believe it is their right to be rich, famous, desired, and successful without sacrificing or doing any work. In addition, they generally have a poor attitude regarding life, and the acquisition of these desirable rewards.

The rise of this disease is compounded by the effects of modern society. Television, movies, and media in general create a larger-than-life reality designed to tap into the ego of each individual, convincing the person that he or she is destined to be a great actor, action hero, music superstar, or military general. Culturally we have shifted away from a process of survival-based activities and the focus is solely on "self-realization". It seems nowadays everyone must strive to realize themselves. Although good in theory, the problem is that the outcome overshadows the process; the concept gets corrupted. The process is really what matters.

Gimme.

In a sort of twisted feedback loop, as society stimulates the growth of the disease, so do the actions of individuals perpetuate this pathological social development. Infected humans, unwilling to do any ACTUAL work to achieve fortune and fame, resort to shortcutting their way in the most degrading ways. Reality Shows are a strange and fascinating anomaly related to this. People will do anything to get themselves on TV and then proceed to whore themselves out to the lowest common denominator in order to vaguely fulfil their needs for self-realization. Contrary to popular opinion, the means DO justify the end. However, with entitlement-itis, the value of the means atrophy to non-existence and the end is acquired no matter the cost.



The future

A closely related co-morbidity of this disease is depression, with depression usually resulting from chronic entitlement-itis. In this case, depression results from unfulfilled feelings of entitlement as the afflicted is subjected to the harsh realities of the world. No, it turns out you won't be an astronaut, a famous movie actor, or a rock-star. Those who do randomly achieve fortune or fame without hard work usually lose it quickly, and depression takes hold. Just look at lottery winners who lose their money within a year, pop-idol one hit wonders, and young successful entrepreneurs who blew it all away in a storm of drugs and prositutes.

So, what to do to help these poor souls escape the quagmire of existential perversion? It's simple. I call it, "The Gratitude Elixir". You take one spoonful every night and over time, your entitlement-itis disappears, your desires for superficial fame erode, and you free yourself.

To take this elixir, simply write down 3 things you are grateful for, such as:

I am grateful for my health
I am grateful for the company and warmth of my loved ones
I am grateful that I have the opportunity to go to school and learn

These can change daily, and should. You need to constantly mix the elixir up to confuse the disease. Over time, taking the elixir will become habit, and entitlement-itis vanishes.

And then you'll feel like this

Once the treatment is complete and the illness eradicated, regular doses of elixir will inoculate you from the disease and keep you from catching it again. After all, we live in a world infested with entitlement-itis, and it is always looking for a way in. However, with some mindful preventative measures, we can all be happy, productive, and free from the clutches of the greastest silent killer of our time; entitelement-itis.