Feeling Entitled Can Boost Your Creativity

Although commonly considered an undesirable quality, entitlement may have a positive twist.

Small, temporary feelings of entitlement can boost your creativity, according to psychological scientists Emily Zitek of Cornell University and Lynne C. Vincent of Vanderbilt University, who led experiments to test their theory.

In one experiment: 99 college students were divided into two groups and asked to complete one of two writing prompts.

  • The “entitlement” group, was prompted to write three reasons why they should demand the best, deserve more than others, and get their way in life. The other group was asked to write three reasons they don't deserve more than others.
  • The students then completed two tasks to measure creativity: 1) come up with as many uses for a paperclip as possible, and 2) draw an imaginary alien.
  • Students in the entitlement group scored significantly higher creativity scores than the other group. They listed more uses for a paperclip than the non-entitled group, and their ideas were regarded as more interesting. Similarly, the entitlement group's alien drawings were judged as more creative, showing more extraordinary abilities like breathing fire.
  • "Our results suggest that people who feel more entitled value being different from others, and the greater their need for uniqueness, the more they break convention, think divergently and give creative responses," write Zitek and Vincent in their report published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

“When you recognize your own worthiness, you create a sense of confidence and trust in your unique abilities and creativity,” says bestselling author Lisa Nichols, co-creator of the You Deserve It! Paraliminal.

You can increase your sense of worthiness, she says, by accepting and releasing toxic negative thoughts you have about past behaviors, decisions, and outcomes in your life.

Use this 4-step healing technique—the Process of Remembrance—to let go of the fears, anxieties, and self-doubts that may be holding you back from creating the life you truly desire.

  1. 1
    Remember yourself when you were between the ages of 1 and 4 years old or think of someone close to you now at that age. Imagine being just as fearless, expressive, emotionally flexible, and free. Feel these emotions and other characteristics typical of that age.
  2. 2
    Determine what caused you to crush these characteristics within yourself. Many people are subjected to messages that do not align with these characteristics, often from people they love. What negative messages did you hear?
  3. 3
    Identify the personality traits created because of the disconnect that occurred from your reactions and responses to these messages. For instance, some people might get angry and lash out when challenged, while others may recoil and shut down. It's important to own your reaction so you can transform it.
  4. 4
    Identify and reclaim your innate characteristics of being fearless, expressive, and emotionally flexible and free. Give yourself permission to be who you were created to be with all the accompanying emotions of joy, bliss, and abundance.

Stand in your greatness and take action, says Lisa. “Create an endless playground where there are no walls or limits on what you can conceive and achieve. Demonstrate your worthiness to the universe by actively participating in the life you choose to create.”

To help you experience the light of your own natural brilliance, listen to the You Deserve It! Paraliminal in the MINDTRX app.

Simply push play, close your eyes, relax, and listen. This closed-eye process activates your "whole mind" with a precise blend of music and words to help you get the most out of every minute.

Abundance & Money, Learning & Growth, Mental & Emotional Health, Productivity, Relationships

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