You’ve probably met someone who thinks the world revolves around them, and you also know how exhausted and frustrated you feel after every conversation with them.
Some people just have a rampant sense of entitlement, whether it’s to your time, energy, resources, money, etc. They think nothing of draining you dry, but you don’t have to put up with it. Learning to spot entitled behaviour early can save you loads of stress and help you protect your own peace of mind.
1. They expect special treatment everywhere they go.
These people genuinely believe rules don’t apply to them, and they deserve better service, faster queues, or exceptions that nobody else gets. You’ll see them cutting in line, demanding to speak to managers over minor issues, or getting genuinely angry when they’re treated like everyone else.
The key is recognising this isn’t about you or your service. Really, it’s about their inflated sense of importance. Don’t take their demands personally, and don’t feel obligated to bend over backwards to accommodate behaviour that’s fundamentally unreasonable.
2. They rarely take responsibility for their mistakes.
When things go wrong, entitled people always have someone else to blame, whether that’s their boss, their partner, bad luck, or even you. They’ll twist situations to make themselves the victim, even when they’re clearly at fault for what happened.
You can’t force someone to own their mistakes, but you can stop enabling this behaviour. Don’t rush to fix their problems or make excuses for them when other people are around.
3. They interrupt conversations and dominate discussions.
Every conversation somehow becomes about them, their experiences, or their opinions. They’ll cut you off mid-sentence to share their own story, or completely ignore what you’ve said to steer things back to their favourite topic: themselves.
Set gentle but firm boundaries by finishing your sentences, even if they try to interrupt. Say something like “I wasn’t finished” and continue with your point before engaging with whatever they’ve said.
4. They get angry when they don’t get their way.
Minor inconveniences or simple “no” responses trigger disproportionate reactions, such as sulking, shouting, or dramatic declarations about how unfairly they’re being treated. Their emotional responses are designed to manipulate you into giving them what they want.
Don’t reward tantrum behaviour by changing your decision or apologising for reasonable boundaries. Stay calm, acknowledge their disappointment, but stick to your original position without getting drawn into their drama.
5. They expect constant praise and validation.
Everything they do needs to be celebrated, appreciated, or acknowledged, even basic tasks that adults should handle without fanfare. They fish for compliments constantly and get genuinely upset when their efforts aren’t met with enthusiasm.
You don’t need to be someone’s personal cheerleading squad. Offer genuine appreciation when it’s warranted, but don’t feel pressured to inflate their ego over everyday responsibilities or mediocre efforts.
6. They make unreasonable demands on your time.
Your schedule apparently doesn’t matter. They’ll call during work hours expecting long chats, show up unannounced, or assume you’re always available to help with their problems. They genuinely don’t consider that you might have other priorities.
Protecting your time isn’t selfish, it’s necessary. Be clear about when you’re available and stick to those boundaries, even if they act hurt or confused by your limits.
7. They take credit for other people’s work or ideas.
Whether it’s in meetings, social situations, or group projects, they somehow manage to position themselves as the driving force behind successes they barely contributed to. They’ll conveniently forget who actually did the work when it’s time for recognition.
Document your contributions and speak up when credit isn’t given where it’s due. Don’t let them rewrite history just because it’s easier than confronting their behaviour.
8. They struggle with genuine empathy for anyone.
When you’re going through a tough time, they either make it about themselves or offer surface-level sympathy before quickly changing the subject. They can’t seem to understand (or care) why their actions might hurt people.
Don’t expect emotional support from someone who’s incapable of providing it. Build your support network with people who can actually be there for you when you need them most.
9. They believe their problems are always the biggest.
Your bad day at work pales in comparison to their minor inconvenience, and they’ll make sure you know it. They genuinely can’t grasp that other people’s struggles might be just as valid as their own.
You don’t need to minimise your own experiences to make space for their drama. Your feelings and problems matter just as much, regardless of what they think about the comparison.
10. They give backhanded compliments or subtle put-downs.
Their compliments always come with a sting: “You look great for your age” or “That’s surprisingly good work from you.” They’ve mastered the art of making you feel bad while technically saying something nice.
Trust your gut when something feels off about their words. Don’t overthink whether they meant it badly. If it made you feel rubbish, that’s information worth paying attention to.
11. They expect everyone else to clean up their messes.
Whether it’s literal messes, social drama they’ve created, or consequences of their poor decisions, they somehow always have someone else sorting things out. They’ve trained people around them to be their personal clean-up crew.
Stop being their safety net. Let them experience the natural consequences of their actions without rushing in to fix things they should handle themselves.
12. They dismiss your feelings or concerns as overreactions.
When you try to address their behaviour, they’ll tell you that you’re being too sensitive, dramatic, or taking things too seriously. They refuse to consider that their actions might genuinely affect people in negative ways.
Your feelings are valid regardless of their opinion. Don’t let them gaslight you into thinking you’re overreacting when you’re simply standing up for yourself or expressing legitimate concerns.
13. They keep score in relationships and friendships.
Every favour they’ve done gets remembered and mentioned repeatedly, but they conveniently forget the help they’ve received from other people. Relationships become transactional rather than genuinely caring, with them always positioning themselves as the generous one.
Healthy relationships aren’t about keeping tallies. If someone constantly reminds you what they’ve done for you, it might be time to question whether they’re doing these things out of genuine care.
14. They struggle to celebrate other people’s successes.
Good news about your promotion, relationship, or achievements gets met with lukewarm responses or immediate comparisons to their own experiences. They can’t genuinely be happy for other people without making it somehow about themselves.
Surround yourself with people who can celebrate your wins without turning it into a competition. Life’s too short to spend it with people who can’t share in your joy.
