15+ Stories of People Who Truly Believe the World Revolves Around Them

We’ve all encountered people who genuinely believe the world revolves around them. These individuals often display a surprising level of entitlement and are perplexed when others don’t appreciate their behavior. You might run into them anywhere, from public transportation to your own home. However, it can be especially frustrating when those close to you act this way.

Take, for instance, a situation with my mother-in-law. My husband and I recently bought a two-bedroom apartment. Since I work remotely, I use the smaller room as my office. During a recent visit, my mother-in-law was being shown around by my husband while I was in the kitchen making tea. Moments later, she entered the kitchen holding my laptop and said, “There’s someone’s computer in my room. Let’s not put anything there without consulting me first.” I was shocked—she had already decided that the room belonged to her for whenever she wanted to stay with us. When I told my husband, he couldn’t believe she’d said that.

In another instance, our family went on vacation and booked an apartment with a kitchen. While relaxing in the living room, we suddenly heard someone entering the kitchen. When we investigated, we found a man there. He casually explained, “There’s no kitchen in my room, so I’ll cook here.” We were dumbfounded by his audacity.

People can also be incredibly inconsiderate about personal sensitivities. I’m hypersensitive to perfume, which gives me terrible headaches. Despite knowing this, my mother-in-law consistently wears strong perfume whenever we meet, even after I’ve reminded her repeatedly about my allergy. Each time, she offers a sweet smile and a half-hearted apology, claiming she’ll remember next time. This has been going on for ten years, and my husband still believes his mother is completely innocent and unintentional.

Entitlement isn’t confined to family members. I once witnessed a woman in a Safeway store demand another cashier be brought in to speed up the line. When a new register opened, she tried to jump ahead of everyone else, claiming she deserved to be first. Her arrogance was astounding.

Even pregnancy doesn’t shield you from such behavior. When I was 28 weeks pregnant, my husband and I planned a seaside getaway for some quality time before the baby arrived. My mother-in-law immediately invited herself along, insisting, “You’ll need me to babysit soon, so I should rest now.” When we subtly hinted that we didn’t plan to ask for her help with babysitting for a couple of years, she got offended.

Entitled people don’t just make demands—they often disregard others’ boundaries and responsibilities. A friend borrowed a small amount of money from me years ago and then disappeared without repaying it. When we ran into each other later, he suggested we reconnect and exchange phone numbers. When I mentioned the debt, he casually dismissed it, saying, “The past is the past.” I decided to cut ties for good.

In another instance, my sister and her family moved in with us when they couldn’t pay rent. Her husband had been out of work for six months, and she was pregnant. One day, she asked me to look after their child so she could return to work. I refused, pointing out that her husband, who was free all day, could take care of the baby. She called me shameless for not understanding “real life” since I don’t have children.

A friend who was pregnant received significant help from me, including accompanying her to the hospital during labor. Yet, she later told me I wasn’t “good enough” to be her child’s godmother.

Entitled behavior extends beyond family and friends. I once had a friend who didn’t invite me to his wedding, yet eagerly asked when I planned to get married so he could attend my wedding. This went on for years until I finally found the right response. I told him, “Don’t worry, you invited me to your wedding, so I will invite you.”

Even neighbors can be frustratingly entitled. I live in the countryside and have six children, including four adopted ones. Recently, families with many children were offered 3D TVs. We declined the offer, as we didn’t need one. A neighbor, who has one child, was outraged that I didn’t take the TV to give it to her daughter, claiming I was selfish.

I’ve also experienced this type of behavior in my professional life. I used to do wedding photography and videography. A guy I knew asked me to shoot his wedding at a 50% discount but didn’t even plan to provide me with a meal. When I asked about food, they handed me a pathetic plate of leftovers. After that, I left the event early.

Even my own brother displayed entitled behavior. He had been complaining for years about not being able to find a woman. When he finally did meet someone, he dumped her after two months because she asked him to call her a taxi home. He indignantly declared, “I’m not a doormat!”

Sometimes, entitlement can manifest in the most absurd situations. I once received a call asking me to move my car, which was parked in a public space. When I arrived, the person claimed it was “his spot” because he always parked there, even though I’d been living in the building for over 30 years.

Entitlement even showed up in gift-giving. I gave my wife a nice, expensive gift, and also got my mother-in-law a beautiful, though less expensive, wool scarf. She was visibly displeased, clearly expecting something more extravagant.

In another incident, my husband and I were on a bus with only two empty seats—one at the front and one at the back. I sat at the front, while he sat at the back. When I realized the bus ride was taking longer than expected, I called my husband, only to find out he had already gone to the movies without me.

And then there are the friends who expect the world from you but offer little in return. I did a friend’s wedding makeup for free and gave her money as a wedding gift, only to find out I wasn’t invited to the wedding because it was “family only.” Yet, I knew she had invited coworkers and other friends.

Entitlement isn’t just frustrating; it’s exhausting. I once stood in line at a pizza place with my girlfriend, only to watch a guy in front of us order the last two slices of pizza right after overhearing us say that’s what we wanted. The smug satisfaction on his face was infuriating, though the manager did give us some free slices until a new pizza came out.

These stories are just a glimpse into the world of entitlement, where some people believe they’re the center of the universe and expect everyone else to cater to their whims.