Comments on: Entitlement or Honesty?

By: 생활지혜

생활지혜 — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:26:57 +0000

딸국질은 횡경막의 경련에 의해서 일어 나는 것으로 쇼크를

준다거나 잠시 호흡을 멈추면 낫는다.

하지만 경우에 따라정신적 부담감으로 빨리 멎지 않을 때가 있다.

멈추게 하는제일 좋은 방법은 심호흡을 한 뒤 견딜 수 있는데까지

숨을 쉬지 않는 것이다.

또는 숨을 멈춘채 찬물을 조금씩 마셔도효과가 있다.

그래도 가라 앉지 않으면 조용히 숨을 내쉬면

서 아랫배를 들이밀거나 때때로 배에 힘을 가득 준 뒤 호흡

을 멈추는 복식호흡도 좋다.

출처:http://cafe.daum.net/lifebean

By: A.J. Sutter

A.J. Sutter — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:43:28 +0000

I can’t testify as to whether things have changed in the past two years or so, but arrogance in junior associates seems to be a recurrent problem, at least in upper-tier firms. It may also depend on what areas of practice are in vogue at the time. In 1988 I was working at a second-tier full-service L.A. firm with an entertainment practice, and had to deal with 1st-years in the corporate dept. whose lofty aspirations were to transfer into the movie/TV dept. as a stepping-stone to becoming an agent (admittedly, their attitude was a perfect fit with their career goal). In 1998 I was at the Silicon Valley office of one of the biggest Big Law firms, where every junior lawyer and summer associate assumed he or she would jump into venture capital or investment banking (or else become GC of a soon-to-be IPO’d company) within a year or two. More than once was I told by such folks that the client for whom they were being asked to do an assignment was a “crap company” (or words to that effect) because of its stock price performance, for example. Naturally, all had gone straight from undergrad to law school to law firm without being slowed down by anything so vulgar as actual business experience. Plus ça change etc., I expect.

By: A.J. Sutter

A.J. Sutter — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:41:18 +0000

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:52:38 +0000

“42 percent – disproportionately male – said they would probably or definitely ride their law degree into a run for political office. Public service? Righting wrongs? Intellectual challenge? Sorry: Those didn’t make the cut.”

Since when is a run for office incompatible with a desire to do public service and right wrongs? The narrow definitions of “public service” and “public interest”, usually made by liberals who feel the need to point out how special they are for being martyrs for the cause, do no one any good.

(Kahlenberg, as Maryland points out above, is precisely this type of person. And I say that as someone whose politics are more or less in line with his. (To the extent that they’re “less in line”, it’s because I’m further to the left.))

By: John C

John C — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:27:06 +0000

As to why they insist on being listened to (i.e., not learning at the bended knee), it seems a natural outgrowth of the achievement culture. They feel that they must demonstrably prove their worth (it has always been that way for them). Likewise, their supervisor must also prove their worth to the Millennial. And why not?

Let’s not set up straw men. This isn’t about “learning on bended knee” – it is about learning, period. It also isn’t about “demonstrably proving their worth,” when, as new associates, they don’t have much worth other than what they can learn from others. It’s not about a “culture of achievement” – it’s about an increasing number of folks who don’t know how to behave in a respectful manner in the workplace.

By: Brian Holland

Brian Holland — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:19:11 +0000

I imagine that “culture of candor” is more on the mark. Although I won’t claim this as a fully formed thought, I find it rather ironic that the many of those decrying the perceived “sense of entitlement” (pointing to no one here, but referencing more generally my anechdotal experiences) grew up in a culture of what might be called artificial worth, where race, gender and wealth often served as substitutes for actual achievement. Today, we assign numerical and other values to every aspect of a person’s life, from intelligence to credit score to number of friends — an experience all the more accute among younger members of society. The idea of entitlement flows naturally from this exercise in categorization. For example, if you do well enough (numerically) at a good enough school (numerically), you have “earned” your right to be at a big (numerically) firm. I find it most amazing that so many folks marvel at this. You are “entitled” in the sense that we have told you precisely what it takes (numerically) to get the job, or at least a category of job, and you achieved that result. Why would you suddenly prostrate yourself to the person who gave you the job you “earned”? As to why they insist on being listened to (i.e., not learning at the bended knee), it seems a natural outgrowth of the achievement culture. They feel that they must demonstrably prove their worth (it has always been that way for them). Likewise, their supervisor must also prove their worth to the Millennial. And why not? I think we should be happy that with this culture of achievement, expectation and perhaps entitlement, the data clearly shows that Millennials are committed to public engagement. That may benefit us all in the long run.

By: Brian Holland

Brian Holland — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:19:00 +0000

By: Brian Holland

Brian Holland — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:18:19 +0000

By: Maryland Conservatarian

Maryland Conservatarian — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:28:44 +0000

“As Kahlenberg notes, less than 10% of his class at Harvard actually went on to go into public service work.”

I remember Kahlenberg’s book – it came out right before I startd law school and I dutifully read it. As I recall, his immediate contribution toward the public interest after HLS was a job with Senator Robb’s office…which I guess qualifies because the Senator was a Democrat (however Doug Wilder may have disagreed). I wonder if a classmate had taken a similar position with Newt Gingrich, would Mr. Kahlenberg had counted that person in that less-than-10% good guy category?

By: was there

was there — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:28:01 +0000

The rule of thumb at my firm is that for each summer associate dinged for low quality work, three summer associates are dinged for attitude — principally, for a sense of entitlement. So if that’s really your disposition, some “covering” is in order.

By: John C

John C — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:05:37 +0000

I think a “culture of candor” is a good way to put it, although a “culture of rudeness to your supervisor” is perhaps another. I have had more than a few run-ins with first year associates and summer associates who seem not only to think that they know everything about what they are doing (which they do not), but that they have no problem telling their supervisors so and acting offended if challenged. My sister, who has done human resources at a large investment bank for some time now, has told me on more than one occasion that there is a marked difference in attitude by kids who started within the last two years versus anyone older. For the worse, I might add. Anecdotes all, but when you keep hearing anecdotes, you start believing in a trend . . .

Maybe a “culture of candor” is the right terminology, maybe it isn’t, but it is a problem no matter what you call it. A basic level of manners and respect to one’s superiors (even just to their faces) is not too much to ask. And, not to put too fine a point on it, it is a problem one does not encounter as often from millenials reared in other nations or who are first-generation Americans. Snobby millenials would do well to keep this in mind when competing at the workplace with these folks.