Tag Archives: obligation

Labors of Love Define the Wholesome Character

Abuse, conscience, empathy, Entitlement, Integrity, Lying and Deception, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychopathy and Sociopathy, Relationships, Social Issues, Spirituality, , , , , , ,

Many folks enjoy a healthy and sometimes rewarding or even fulfilling relationship with work. But for disturbed characters work is more than literally a four-letter word, especially when it benefits someone or something else.

Gratitude and Thanksgiving Foster Character

conscience, Entitlement, Integrity, Narcissism, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychology, Relationships, Responsibility, Social Issues, Spirituality, , , , , , ,

Thanksgiving means more than a single holiday. Responsible people render it daily in their undertakings. But in this age of rampant narcissism and entitlement, cultivating gratitude is difficult. So, far too few give thanks with their actions. Rather, they take, use, exploit, and injure – all for their own gratification. And they do such things without compunction because they feel entitled.

I have much for which to be grateful. Your validation and promotion of my work has always inspired and sustained me. It’s impossible to say how much such support means to me. So, from the bottom of my heart, “Thank you!”

Our Culture of Entitlement Impedes Character Growth

Abuse, Entitlement, Mental Health, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychology, Relationships, Responsibility, Social Issues, , , ,

Researchers now know the reason disturbed characters have a hard time developing a healthy sense of obligation. When you feel entitled, you simply can’t feel obliged. You have to feel indebted before you can feel obliged. And you have to be deeply grateful before you can feel indebted.

The Grateful Heart is a Happy Heart

Entitlement, Mental Health, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychology, Relationships, Responsibility, Social Issues, , , , ,

Most people think you need to be happy with your life and the way things are going to be grateful. But years of experience and now mounds of empirical research tells us just the opposite: when we keep our awareness high of all the things we have to be grateful for, we’re much more likely to find happiness.

Gratitude, Happiness, and Character

Entitlement, Personality and Character, Personality and Character Disorders, Psychology, Relationships, Responsibility, , , ,

Being grateful is not about having your head in the sand about all the bad stuff that happens, it’s about finding a space in the heart for appreciating the things you do have, even the little things. And gratitude is not just a good thing to have; rather, it is a way of valuing what we do have. Gratitude is necessary for people to be genuinely healthy and whole. Gratitude begets a sense of indebtedness and obligation, a sense notably lacking in the disturbed character who takes, expects, exploits, and abuses without reservation or compunction. Learning to be more grateful is the antidote for this, and it takes a lot of practice.