“Dating is the discovery period of getting to know someone. It’s an opportunity for you to decide if you want to continue seeing this person or if not,” Elizabeth Overstreet, love strategist and relationship expert, told Bored Panda. 

She explained that if you discern that someone is entitled, you have options. “You can decide to proceed in this relationship or to move on. It’s better to know sooner rather than later and it will help you increase your self-awareness as you continue the dating process and figure out who is the right partner for you.”

When asked how to interact with people who think they inherently deserve more than anyone else, Overstreet mentioned that they might be feeling some inadequacy with themselves. “It’s important that you provide boundaries with them. Treat them the same as others. You may even feel some compassion for them too.”

“Often, people who are entitled are not the happiest and even at times are insecure. While you shouldn’t allow their entitlement to rub off on you, you can show them by setting boundaries with them and treating everyone equally,” the relationship expert said. This way, you can shine a light on “how their behavior is actually not the right way to do things” and show them healthier ways to treat others. “However, realize it’s not on you to fix or alter who they are as a person”, she added.

Whether or not you can see a future with an entitled person is ultimately your decision. Overstreet wants you to understand that “in a relationship, while a person may make some changes and be impacted by how you treat them and the behavior you model for them, they inherently have characteristics and behaviors that are their blueprint.” 

If that person would want to become mindful of others, they need to become more self-aware and have a desire to change who they are as a person. “Otherwise, the change is temporary.”

Elizabeth Overstreet asks you to remember that dating is a trial period to get to know someone. “You can learn a lot in the process of what you want, need and desire and what isn’t the right fit. That is what should make the process less stressful. Take your time, enjoy the ride, and allow things to build organically. The best relationships are built over time,” she explained.

Bored Panda also reached out to Emily Zitek, a professor at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, to learn more about why some people think they deserve more. “Entitled individuals view themselves as unique, and they believe that they should receive rewards and benefits, such as more money, better grades, or preferential treatment, regardless of their performance or effort in comparison with others,” she explained. 

According to her, a sense of entitlement could come from lots of different sources. Previous research has shown how messages in the media, an organization’s culture or reward system, or certain parenting practices may contribute to the development of a sense of entitlement.

“Furthermore, having a high status in society” and being told you “possessed a rare skill” could also lead to feeling more privileged. “Thus, it seems that one reason that people may become more entitled is that they have received a message … that there is something special, valuable, or worthy about them,” the professor said. 

While we might hear talks that entitlement in our society is getting more severe, Zitek mentioned that there is a debate about this among researchers: “Some people think the data indicates that entitlement is going up, and others think that entitlement is staying the same.”

Zitek found that entitled individuals “are more selfish, follow instructions less often, are more likely to think things that are unpleasant for them are unfair, get angry about bad luck, and are less likely to comply with the health guidelines of the pandemic. But on the flip side, people who feel entitled can also be more creative and better at getting what they want in negotiations.”

Needless to say, interacting with such people can be challenging. The professor mentioned that individuals who have to deal with entitled others report lower well-being and burnout. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, you “should remember that this person’s claims are not based on merit and that if [you] reject this person’s request, the person will likely get angry/upset.”

“However, in one of my papers, we argue that just giving in also isn’t a good solution because it could lead to more entitlement later,” she concluded.