Spare a thought for those unhappy, entitled S'poreans

We see inconsiderate behaviour all around us.

- Kang Wan Chern

Before passing judgment, let's look into the mirror and ask where this stems from.I often hear peers complain that their younger colleagues are entitled. Some familiar grouses: They are unwilling to hustle, expect to be spoon-fed, overly focused on work-life balance, quick to complain - or quit - after a scolding, and demand flexibility without corresponding effort or thought.

Some of these gripes are not entirely without basis. At 44, I belong to a generation that hustled to get ahead. Working until 3am or through the weekend to get a report out was routine. Meanwhile, being yelled at for a poorly executed job was unpleasant, but pushing back was rarely an option.

As a junior in an accounting firm, I once witnessed a manager lob a file at a colleague and snap: "How can you be so stupid and miss this?" She absorbed the humiliation in silence and never lodged a complaint with HR. In those days, such behaviour, however damaging, was often framed as showing us how to learn and earn our place.

But things have changed since we were young office staff. Today, workplaces have clearer safeguards against verbal abuse and mental distress, and such conduct is no longer condoned. Nor should it be.

I have also come to see things from the younger generation's point of view. Why go the extra mile when my efforts may not be recognised or rewarded? Why sacrifice personal time when promotions are uncertain and staff benefits and bonuses are dwindling?

But these tensions are not confined to age groups or the workplace.

ENTITLED BEHAVIOURS ARE EVERYWHERE

Entitlement - the expectation of comfort, priority or reward as a right and without equal regard for shared responsibility - shows up everywhere, and often in ways that we have come to accept as everyday irritations.