Entitled people are generally a nuisance, but for the most part we can just ignore them and move on. But sometimes the entitled brat happens to be a family member, for example, a sibling, so you can’t just get rid of them so easily.
A man shared his brilliant bit of malicious compliance when his entitled brother would not stop demanding that he give him a ride. So the man decided to do exactly as he asked, while taking numerous stops along the way. We also got in touch with the man who shared the story and he was kind enough to answer some of our questions.
Some siblings are just annoying and are constantly demanding things
Image credits: JÉSHOOTS (not the actual photo)
So one brother decided to do exactly as his younger sibling asked and gave him a ride
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Image source: Exotic_Chemist_7624
Entitled family members are a pain to deal with
Bored Panda got in touch with the netizen who was behind the wheel and he was kind enough to provide some more details. “the story took place a few years ago (four at the least), say there’s been a few updates. I am frankly surprised at the reaction to my story of malicious compliance,” he shared. We were also curious to hear his thoughts on some of the comments people had on the story.
“The comments that pointed out the bus as an option for my brother were the most amusing. Because I had failed to clarify that the bus system in our town was useless. In particular, for getting him anywhere near home.” We did also ask if, after four years, the brother had seen the error of his ways, to which we got a simple and short answer: “No.”
It’s not hard to see why the person who shared this story had little good to say about his brother. As he details and elaborates on in the comments, the brother doesn’t do anything, refuses to improve his situation and seems generally unpleasant to be around. Unfortunately, since there is no one else to help him, he has to constantly badger his relatives into helping him.
After all, the man could refuse, but it’s still probably better for the family as a whole that he has employment instead of just sitting at home all day. It does seem like complaining and cajoling is such a normal part of his strategy, that the brother didn’t even try to talk him out of it. This would just lead him to call the parents and he would end up having to go pick him up anyway.
In general, entitled people act the way they do because they legitimately believe that they are right, or, at the very least, this sort of behavior is the best way to get results. Psychological entitlement, which might apply to this young man, is often found in narcissists who constantly make demands of people and are too stubborn to back down. This last part is key, as folks like this end up creating all sorts of conflicts and drama.
Sometimes people like this are full-blown narcissists
This does not mean that this teen is a full-blown narcissist, there are other, less damning possibilities. People with borderline personality disorders often also display behavior that could be described as deeply entitled. Indeed, researchers have found that both folks with BPD and diagnosed narcissism both display equal amounts of entitlement. Regardless, they are generally a pain to deal with for everyone else.
However, it’s also just possible that he is spoiled and a bit selfish. Unfortunately, this could just be a learned behavior. The person does mention that he already knows his parents will give in to constant pressure, so it would appear that they never really set up proper boundaries with this young man. In other cases, a lack of pushback just reinforced an entitled person’s delusions, which at some point have to crash against the wall of reality.
As a result, he has learned that he can simply annoy his siblings and other relatives until they just give in. The silver lining is that if a behavior can be learned, it can just as well be unlearned, through examples like this. The fact that this teen feels entitled to make demands and be rude actually goes hand in hand with entitlement.
The fact that they so reliant on others is a feature, not a bug
Some research suggests that entitlement often comes with a strong lack of autonomy. After all, if this man could drive himself, he simply would have. Instead, he looks at the things he can’t do and has decided that others must do it for him. Classic narcissists tend to see others as below them and will at times take steps to avoid being around other people.
Conversely, entitlement is all about being tied to someone else. So, for example, an entitled family member believes deep down that their relatives exist to meet their needs. They see no reason to help themselves as they think others have to go out of their way to do whatever they feel is necessary.
This is perhaps why these sorts of “malicious compliance” stories gain so much popularity online. Many of us have had at least a few run-ins with entitled people. This can range from some annoying demands and arguments to outright conflict. So seeing a person like this “learn their lesson” and not get away with terrible behavior is just comforting.
Readers thought the story was hilarious and chatted with the man in the comments
