Link to the article

The article starts out a bit slow, talking about participation awards and how bullshit they are (agreed), but there's a few lines farther down that show promise

Shielded from failure, insulated from criticism, covered in emotional bubble wrap, our kids are venturing out into the world with little discipline and even less humility. You can see this manifest in many arenas, but I think it's most pronounced in the way we approach relationships.

Definitely understand this feeling. I grew up in a well-to-do area surrounded by entitled children who still haven't grown up. Fortunately my father is quite old school about raising kids and "teaching the value of a dollar" to his sons.

Newsflash: It's not OK to be selfish, impatient, and out of control. These traits, while common, are UNacceptable. They should not be accepted, least of all by the people you claim to love. The onus is on YOU to change your behavior and your attitude, not on them to "handle it." Are you such a gem that they should thank God for the opportunity to be emotionally abused by you, if only it earns them a chance to bask in the glow of your superiority?

Perhaps that's how you see it, but I've never met anyone quite that charming.

I'd like to think I'm that charming, but I know I'm not. It's a fair point about taking responsibility for your own behaviour, which I think has thrown to the wayside in modern society.

No. Your worst is your worst. Fix it. Be better. Nobody should have to put up with it. Least of all the people you love.

This goes beyond just romantic relationships and into the rest of your life, and the call to action is great.

Forget what you learned in elementary school. The only "participation trophy" you're awarded from life is death. That's the one thing we all get just for showing up. In the meantime, if you want something better, you have to earn it.

That means if you want better relationships, you have to earn them, too.

And a decent close. Maybe someone should tell this guy about TRP?