120. Entitlement Is Ruining Everything (and What to Do About It): Dr. Brian Russell

America has become a nation with far too many narcissistic, self-entitled, excuse-making moaners who simply refuse to own their problems and the subsequent solutions.

You may have heard people make excuses for themselves, or maybe you’ve even said some of these things yourself. Many of these have been served up on silver platters by psychologists and lawyers:

“I haven’t succeeded because I’ve been oppressed by [a demographic group, corporate America, the rich].”

“I’ve abused [my spouse, my kids, both] because I had a bad ”

“I’m [obese, failing school, addicted] because I have a ”

“I was prevented from knowing right from wrong by [a mental illness, violent video games, too many Twinkies].”

But it wasn’t always this way. Here to talk w us about this massive phenomenon that has infected America is Dr. Brian Russell. Brian is a psychologist, attorney, and author of the book Stop Moaning, Start Owning: How Entitlement is Ruining America and How Personal Responsibility Can Fix It.

IN THIS EPISODE:

4:40  Personal responsibility has drifted with increasing inertia to an age of entitlement with divorce, remarriage, parental abandonment, consumer debt/national debt, etc.

7:30  Dr. Russell and Suzanne discuss no-fault divorce laws

9:40  With private school, you have commonality among parents about education

11:20  You can send your kids to Catholic schools for a very reasonable price

12:00  Parents today are not around, or they are very self absorbed

14:00  Technology has taken over for kids, and parents have let it happen

16:00  Yours kids do not care if you’re “happy” or not

18:15  When you walk down the aisle, your mission should be to help that other person

20:00  People who chase happiness as a feeling are doomed to never catch it in a sustained way

24:40  Emotions, even negative ones, have purpose

28:00  Feminism and hurt both men and women; we are snuffing out nature in each sex

29:55  The difference between making “value judgements” vs. “being judgmental”

31:10  When you take away social consequences,  it's dangerous

33:45  It is a parent’s job to set boundaries and say “no”

38:50  The world does not “owe” you and you are not “entitled” to much

40:10  Dr. Russell talks about the “deadly vows” series he was involved in

43:00  Infidelity, financial problems and blending families are typically the root causes of spousal murder

45:40  The cure