https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 03 May 2026 20:47:30 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-578232 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:49:50 +0000 mrbee 578232@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@KissMeCait: I agree with you too.</p> <p>It's all supply and demand. If you go to college, you may find yourself in a profession with a lower supply (or higher demand)... or you may not. Plenty of people pay a lot for school, and end up in a profession with a huge supply of people and/or no demand for services.</p> <p>One big exception though is entrepreneurship... if you create your own job (rather than applying for one), then that's a game changer, I believe. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-578204 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:38:03 +0000 HLK208 578204@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@KissMeCait: I agree with everything you said. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-578187 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:26:03 +0000 KissMeCait 578187@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I believe that everyone should be accountable for themselves, to an extent, but sometimes shit happens and people need a little pick-me-up. Government assistance is a beautiful thing for those who need it but it does bother me when it's abused (we all know someone who knows someone who's done something shady). I'm thankful in that myself and my family has never needed to ask for help but it's nice to know that the option is there for those who genuinely do need it. </p> <p>As for the higher education comments made by some posters, I think you're way off base. My husband doesn't have a college degree but he makes more money than most of the people that we know. He's lucky in that he's very good at what he does and he works in a field where his skills are needed. To say that he doesn't deserve his income because he didn't sit in a classroom for four years is ridiculous. I can't tell you how many people I know who slept their way through college or chose a total crap major and are now working dead end jobs. By your logic, they somehow deserve the higher paying jobs just because they elected to go to school, regardless of how well they excelled. Makes perfect sense. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-578151 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:10:45 +0000 luckypenny 578151@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This thread makes me sad....and angry lol so Ill just leave it at that </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-578136 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:04:10 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 578136@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@andrea86: I'd like to see your citations for the current system being very wasteful. It might help us have a more productive conversation, because the data I read does not support the notion that it is creating more dependency or allowing people to live off the system more easily. In fact, the welfare reform of the 1990's has really made the system less accessible and provides more training and "hands up" rather than hand outs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-578118 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:55:17 +0000 andrea86 578118@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just wanted to clarify that NEVER did I mean to say that I don't believe people should receive help. I am very compassionate about helping those less fortunate than me, but I don't believe that the system we have now is actually helping. Its like the old adage *give a man a fish he'll eat for a day, teach him to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime*. We are handing out fish left and right and many people ARE exploiting the system and will continue to do so. If the government is giving people a very comfortable lifestyle with out requiring anything then what motivation is there to work hard to earn a living for oneself? </p> <p>One big concern that I have with raising the minimum wage is the ability for small business owners to be able to afford help. </p> <p>I'm also not sure how you would ever determine what an appropriate amount of money is to "support a family". Enough for a family of 4 or 12? I agree that everyone has a right to have children if they want them, however they also have a responsibility to those children. If they can't fulfill this responsibility maybe they should wait until they can. I understand that that sometimes people fall into bad circumstances and I agree help should be given, but there has to be a limit. Not a lifetime of free money, with little effort put forth and at someone else's expense. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-576012 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:48:13 +0000 hilsy85 576012@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: totally agree! </p> <p>not to mention, a lot of what h as been mentioned on here ("I know someone who pulled himself up by his bootstraps" "I know someone who went from a min wage job to president of the company...")--those are great stories but anecdotal evidence is just that--anecdotal. It's not representative of what the experience is like for the majority of people struggling to make ends meet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-575590 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:18:39 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 575590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@zippylef: Anytime ;) I figure if we're going to have a discussion, it might as well be fact based (and then you can discuss how the data were collected etc.) but just saying "I feel" makes it hard to have a rational discussion. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-575152 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:59:49 +0000 loveisstrange 575152@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: I have nothing to add to the discussion, I just wanted to say thanks for the links. Very informative. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-575009 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:39:38 +0000 MrsSCB 575009@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs D: I understand that, you make a good point, but I don't really see how charities would be less vulnerable to abuse than governmental systems. In fact, I think it would be pretty easy to fool a charity into thinking you need help. I also think if we didn't have a public assistance program charities would be overwhelmed almost immediately. There is just no way people would donate out of the goodness of their hearts enough to truly make a difference without public assistance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-574698 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:28:46 +0000 Mrs D 574698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSCB: I think a lot of the opinions we individually develop on this subject are a product of our exposure. For example, I have seen many abuses of the systems and therefore it has tainted my impression of them. However, as I stated in my post, I would be the first one willing to help out a family or person who was trying to do the right thing. I just happen to have more of a cynical viewpoint because of what I have seen in my life. I just dont want there to be confusion that maybe because I am more cynical and have less faith in the systems because of the abusers I have seen does not in anyways affect the desire in me to help out those that are trying - it just means I would prefer to do so in other forms (through Charity, community programs, etc) as opposed to government programs which I personally dont think work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-574669 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:21:03 +0000 MrsSCB 574669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: the funny thing is, there are actually arguments made by economists against the minimum wage that I think are legitimate, even if I don't agree, but I haven't seen any here. Instead it's all about how people don't "deserve" certain things or they should have just gone to college since its so easy, or they should just suck it up and never have families, etc. It's a little disheartening. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-574639 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:16:06 +0000 yoursilverlining 574639@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@septemberlove: “And to the idea that people "deserve" a living wage that they can raise a family on... Why did they have a family before they were able to support a family? “</p> <p>Because people do this. People have always had children they can’t financially support (especially when options for low cost / no cost contraceptives are restricted), and they always will. This isn't a valid or logical argument. In an ideal world, only those people who could financially, emotionally and educationally support children would have them. Also, dessert would have no calories and we could all wish our troubles away. So, since you can’t dictate who can and can’t have children (unless you want government to step in in that way) why not focus on helping people to earn a living where they can support the children they do have without public assistance? If you can’t make much more busting your ass for 40 hours a week than you make collecting assistance; where’s the initiative to work and better yourself? If you can’t afford daycare and there is no state daycare-subsidizing program; how are you supposed to work? </p> <p>I don’t think anyone is saying everyone should make “a lot” of money; but $7.25 an hour isn’t a livable wage. This is a pretty good visual: <a href="http://www.upworthy.com/how-many-minimum-wage-work-hours-does-it-take-to-afford-a-2-bdrm-apartment-in-yo" rel="nofollow">http://www.upworthy.com/how-many-minimum-wage-work-hours-does-it-take-to-afford-a-2-bdrm-apartment-in-yo</a></p> <p>In NO state is someone on minimum wage able to afford a 2 bedroom apartment on 40 hours a week or less. How is that a system that works?</p> <p>“For people who intentionally bring children into this world they can't take care of, I have zero empathy (for the kids though, that's a completely different story and the reason why my charitable contributions go to programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters).”</p> <p>I have zero empathy too, frankly. BUT, the children are already here and as great as BBBS is (and it is!), kids and parents and assistance go hand in hand and you can’t separate them into blameless and the blamed. Food stamps feed children. Section 8 housing vouchers put a roof over children’s heads. Head start, daycare grants all make it possible for poor mothers to get out and work. Programs like ASPIRE and others aimed at college grants for low-income parents make it possible for those parents to go to college or trade school and provide better lives for their children. Cash assistance makes it possible to buy clothing, books and necessities for kids. You can't give those items directly and only to children because well, they are children. You can’t parcel out what’s for the “innocent” and what's for the “guilty”; unless we go back to a system of taking children from poor families and housing them in state run orphanages. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-574518 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 08:39:04 +0000 Arden 574518@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSCB: "Also, if someone is working hard at a job, why should they be paid so little that they are unable to have a family? Is that like some kind of low income sterilization program? People don't just give out jobs that aren't useful in at least some way, so I don't see why there should be any jobs paid less than a living wage."</p> <p>THIS! </p> <p>I am troubled and a little sickened by the attitude that those who work menial jobs (that require huge amounts of effort and physical labor) don't deserve to make enough to support a family.<br /> If someone is willing to work 40+ hours a week at a difficult and exhausting job, they should be compensated for that work with enough to support their family. This idea that those who work lower-level jobs don't deserve to have families is quite disturbing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-574499 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 08:30:33 +0000 MrsSCB 574499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@septemberlove: People always seem to have this impression that most people on minimum wage or other forms of public assistance are taking advantage and that's simply not true. Just because you may know some people who take advantage, as you refer to in your first post, doesn't mean the majority do. This is why I think it's important to have empathy for low income people rather than be all suspicious that they're not "contributing members of society" or judging them for not going to college or vocational school. It's not always easy and it's made a million times harder if you have kids. If those kids were conceived by accident, that is unfortunate but I don't think it means the parents don't deserve any sympathy. People makes mistakes, they shouldn't be punished for life because of them. Also, if someone is working hard at a job, why should they be paid so little that they are unable to have a family? Is that like some kind of low income sterilization program? People don't just give out jobs that aren't useful in at least some way, so I don't see why there should be any jobs paid less than a living wage. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/3#post-574351 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 03:20:21 +0000 lomom 574351@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSCB: and for those who are trying, I will gladly help. For those who just think the government should hand them the means to live a decent life... I have zero empathy. For people who intentionally bring children into this world they can't take care of, I have zero empathy (for the kids though, that's a completely different story and the reason why my charitable contributions go to programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters). But no, I will never have empathy for someone who chooses not to be a contributing member of society. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-574331 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:20:16 +0000 plantains 574331@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSCB: exactly, the lack of compassion for fellow humans is staggering. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-573753 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:58:35 +0000 andrea86 573753@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Septemberlove: My thoughts exactly!! :)</p> <p>It seems like everyone is picking out parts of my posts to scrutinize with out reading them entirely. I have expressed several times that hard work and work experience can be used as a "substitute" (for lack of a better word) of a higher education. However, people with no training and no higher education can not expect to make a lot of money. There are opportunities for EVERYONE if they are willing to make the sacrifices required. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-573728 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:54:27 +0000 MrsSCB 573728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The biggest thing I've learned from this thread is a little bit of empathy could go a long way in this country. Just because you know someone who was able to pull his or herself out of a bad childhood/economic situation doesn't mean everyone can without help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-573717 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:52:32 +0000 Mrs D 573717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@septemberlove: agreed 100% on everything you said. I work for a fortune 100 company and our current CEO is a lifer who grew up in a bad part of town, worked his butt off to get scholarships for school and ultimately grad school and has earned his way to the top of the corporate ladder through hard work and drive. Like you I feel for those who really want and try to better themselves, I would feel a million times better about my tax dollars going to those individuals as opposed to the individuals who give government assistance programs a bad name, </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-573684 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:46:36 +0000 lomom 573684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What determines the amount of money you make? For me, it's supply and demand. My skill set is in high demand and there's a low supply. The government doesn't dictate what my employer pays me, why should the government get involved and dictate what any company pays any of their employees? Why not allow market forces to determine wages? </p> <p>In response to the idea that not everyone can go to college... This is very true, but there are many highly respectable careers that demand high salaries, plumbers come to mind, as well as mechanics. What barriers exist to learning a trade like that? In my area, there are vocational schools that you can attend in lieu of your junior and senior year of high school to prepare for a career as a plumber, mechanic, nursing assistant, etc., all professions that pay well above minimum wage starting out. It doesn't cost a thing. Even if your parents and home life were severely dysfunctional, at some point, you have to pull yourself up out of that environment and pursue any and all opportunities available, or accept that you will continue the cycle.</p> <p>Both of my parents grew up in abusive and low income families where education was not valued (and was discouraged, both of my parents were told they should drop out of high school and get jobs) but they both hold Masters' degrees and have been very successful. Both earned their degrees while serving in the military. That is NOT an easy life, but it is an opportunity available to nearly everyone. Given these two as examples growing up, I really struggle with the idea of handouts and the idea that people are helpless and unable to change their situations. I would never say that everyone has the same opportunities, but there are opportunities to lead a successful life. So I have quite a difficult time feeling any sympathy toward people who do not make any effort to better themselves. I do, however, have a huge amount of respect for people who do try to better themselves and their lives. I really believe that hard work begets success. Even if you begin at McDonald's making minimum wage, if you work hard, do you really think you'll continue to just make minimum wage forever? Heck no, companies like McDonald's snatch up dedicated employees and train them to be store managers (which actually can pay pretty well). </p> <p>And to the idea that people "deserve" a living wage that they can raise a family on... Why did they have a family before they were able to support a family? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-573676 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:44:51 +0000 Mrs D 573676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think the sense of entitlement goes hand in hand with the mentality of keeping up with the Jones's. I agree that political affiliation is a non issue because there are abusers on both sides of the political spectrum.</p> <p>I get beyond frustrated with some of the things I see on FB. I grew up in a working class town and many of my HS classmates did not attend college or get associates degrees instead opting for minimum wage jobs. Which is fine, and I personally think if that is the path you have chosen or are on (for one reason or another) you should live accordingly. Just because you want the new iPhone doesn't mean you should go get it. As a recent example, a girl I went to HS with recently was complaining on FB about her inability to get her children a game console for Christmas that they had been asking for for months, she posted this from her iPhone 5. Seriously....live within your means people.</p> <p>Sorry...probably a bit off topic...but yes the "entitlement" coupled with the need to live outside ones means really stresses me out these days. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-573611 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:31:19 +0000 lawbee11 573611@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: I completely agree with your previous post and this one. I have my BA and JD and I actually feel bad some days that I sit behind a desk all day and make so much more than someone that does manual labor all day. Sure, I worked hard, but so do they. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-573592 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:28:42 +0000 Ree723 573592@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jedeve: Exactly. Some people are not book learners but are incredibly talented in other areas, or even more important than that, have a good work ethic and put their all into their job, even if it doesn't require years of education in order to do that job. Why should those people be paid a pittance compared to someone who has letters after their name? Hard work is hard work and it should be compensated as such, whether it's filing someone's taxes, removing children from an unsafe home, or shoveling gravel in the hot sun.</p> <p>I will be honest, it kind of disheartens me to see some of the elitism on this thread. Thinking that those who have higher degrees are better than those who do not just makes me sad....and this is coming from someone who highly values education and has multiple degrees to show for it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-573121 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:45:57 +0000 jedeve 573121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>But what if you just aren't smart enough for college? Shouldn't you still be able to earn a living wage? Shouldn't their kids be able to afford necessities? Why should kids be punished because society assumes the parents are lazy? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-572870 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:49:49 +0000 MrsH 572870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd just like to clarify that regardless of wealth, status, political leanings, education, etc. (I'm lumping in everyone here because entitlement knows no bounds) I dislike entitled people who feel they are owed. ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-572849 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:41:45 +0000 sunny 572849@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Arden: I was with you until here: "Obviously those who spent years in college should be compensated for their time and effort with higher wages". </p> <p>People ought to be compensated based on how much their skills are valued by society and the supply and demand for those skills. I don't think education or hard work automatically mean that you should make a high wage. </p> <p>Case in point: my mom used to be one of the last in her field who was trained in a particular skill: mainframe programming. When the Y2K frenzy hit, she was a hot commodity and could command a ton of money since companies were launching competing offers for her. In the decade+ since Y2K, the market for her skill slowed down and she hasn't worked much since. It's all supply and demand. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-572702 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:49:27 +0000 MsLipGloss 572702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ModernDaisy: I, too, would like a *receipt* to show where my tax dollars are going! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-572699 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:49:01 +0000 MrsSCB 572699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: "Everything in life is a roll of the dice" -- AMEN to that! :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-hate-the-the-world-owes-me-something-mentality/page/2#post-572687 Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:45:09 +0000 MsLipGloss 572687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea86: What I am about to say should be taken with a grain of salt, but nonetheless . . . </p> <p>You seem to be operating under the guise that the world is a fair place. It is not. Everything in life is a roll of the dice . . . Most people do what they can to slant the odds in their favor (, i.e., whether it be obtaining a post-HS education or trying to get the best paying job possible for their skill set, etc.), but nothing is guaranteed. You are not guaranteed to make *a lot of money* (which again, is based on your definition of *a lot*) simply because you are educated, work hard, etc. At best, all you can do is increase your access to/opportunities for better paying, more stable jobs and increase the likelihood that you will, in fact, be successful and able to be financially stable. </p>