Age of the Perpetually Entitled
By
Lee Zimmerman
Recent posts on EliteFTS and events at the workplace have prompted me to
write this article.
I have been an EliteFTS reader and customer from day one. When I first
started reading Dave’s Q&A, I was laboring in a steel factory. When the factory
closed, I landed a job at a local community center in Philadelphia. It was the
worst job I’ve ever had. Having no college education, I would have been stuck
there if I hadn’t asked for the advice of several family members, friends, and
Dave Tate.
I started my degree at 31-years-old without any prior college experience.
After suffering through three years of working full-time and going to school
full-time, I finally earned my undergraduate degree. For my degree program, I
was required to have an internship in the field. I was accepted into a program
at a local hospital, and when I completed it, I was fortunate enough to be
hired. To pay the bills, I worked nights and split shifts for two years as well
as another job before I attained my full-time position. I have since earned my
master’s degree and am responsible for teaching student interns as part of my
job. This brings me to the point of this article.
Our interns come from several different colleges and universities, and there
are very telling characteristics among the students. Some chose this field
because they’re passionate about helping athletes and patients improve their
performance or everyday living. The “passionates,” as I call them, show up on
time every day, try to learn as much as possible, and almost always exceed their
responsibilities. The “entitled,” as I will refer to them, show up when they can
get there, don’t want to be bothered with learning assignments, and expect a job
offer with high pay and the best shift hours awaiting them when they graduate.
The “entitled” express indignation at a poor grade and expect it to be
changed after their protests because “they worked hard” on their assignments.
Often, these assignments appear as if my 4-year-old thought them out and Stevie
Wonder wrote it for them. The “passionates” are grateful for whatever hours are
offered to them. They continue to work hard, hoping for more hours, and continue
to pursue more information to better themselves and their clients. Their
assignments are well thought out, very well written, and neatly presented.
Unfortunately, we live in a “sickciety” that accepts bad behavior. To quote
Henry Rollins, “We eat poorly, we sleep poorly, and we behave badly.” I applaud
Dave, Jim, and the EliteFTS staff for rejecting such behavior toward their
business. The “entitled” not only want EliteFTS tailored to their viewing
pleasure, but they also expect freebies and free shipping extended to freight
items. They expect EliteFTS staff to drop whatever is currently being worked on
to serve them right this very second because the “entitled” are much more
important.
I once phoned Dave and asked if he’d be interested in donating a rack to our
hospital, which is a non-profit organization. We were beginning to do strength
research with our students and didn’t have any means to perform our testing. I
figured that the worst Dave could say was no, and I never expected him to say
yes. After Dave thought about it, he decided against it. I wasn’t angry and knew
that someone in more need than us would get it if they needed it. Subsequently,
we received our rack and weights from a local university that was downsizing
their weight room.
The thing that people need to learn is how to ask for something whether it be
training advice, employment, or free items. Even though I was turned down, I
remain a loyal customer because of how EliteFTS is run. Nobody owes you
anything. You must bring something to the table to be viewed as valuable. Our
project didn’t meet the mission of EliteFTS, but had I not asked, I wouldn’t
have known.
In closing, I can relate to posts regarding those who are always negative. We
rant to each other where I work and usually feel better afterward. We take turns
caring for the “entitled” because we are not in a position to turn them away,
though in a just society we’d be able to show them the door.
Rest easy. The “entitled” are going nowhere fast. If they even compete in
lifting, they’re not improving much. And you can be sure that they’ll never be
able or qualified to take your job or have intestinal fortitude to create a
business that will compete with yours.
Lee Zimmerman has been competing in powerlifting for sixteen years and
still competes to this day. He holds a master’s degree in exercise science and
is CSCS and PES certified. He trains many populations including athletes,
cardiac patients, and fitness enthusiasts and has been in the field for almost
twenty years. In other words, Lee has seen enough bad behavior to be qualified
to write this article. Thanks for reading it. If you like it or hate it, email
Lee at thgr8st1@aol.com.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength
training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products
and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the
industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit
us at www.EliteFTS.com.
