http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/62/something-for-nothing
Everyone knows at least one person in their life that always wants to get something for nothing. I've got a few options, but I'll tell you all about one of mine.
The weird part about people that want something for nothing, is that often, they don't start off that way, or they even hate other people that want something for nothing. It's one of the most odd things that I have ever seen where the person who wants something for nothing, is on WIC, and living in their parent's house on and off throughout the years, also hates the idea of any government hand outs and criticizes Obama for being a socialist.
This guy hates hand outs, he thinks that anyone who accepts hand outs are lazy, and is one of those people that support the idea of putting stronger limitations on medicare, medicaid, welfare, and is seemingly morally opposed to all things dealing withe the affordable healthcare act. At the same time of hating everything that is subsidized, free, or otherwise assisted, the kid (because even though he's my age, he still acts like he's a kid) is living his life, expecting everything for nothing.
There are people that talk about privileged people and having to check your privilege, and he is one of those that quickly come to mind. He has had things handed to him so much, with such a regular cycle that I seriously wonder if he ever exited the system that he has found himself in, how well he would be able to do on his own. Out of all of the time that he's been married, his family has been on WIC, he's lived in subsidized housing (university ran off campus housing that is significantly cheaper than other housing in the nearby area) or has lived at home rent free, has a part time job that pays just enough money to keep him from going bankrupt, and then has a serious amount of student loans (most of which are subsidized from the government). He is a student that is still working his way through his masters program, but then there comes the kicker to the entire thing, once he gets his masters in Shakespearean studies (seriously, the man has never studied or been interested in the theater at all, and was practically handed a position in that masters program so he took it because no one else in their right mind would specialize in Shakespeare) his plan is to teach theater at a high school.
This would seem like he's willing to work, but you have to understand the following - he has no qualifications to teach theater, he has no experience in a theater, has no experience acting, directing, or doing tech for a production, and is limited his search for a teaching position to one (yes only one) high school. He wants that something, and he's willing to put in just about no work for that position and expects that he'll have it.
It's frustrating talking to him, because even though he's in his late 20's, he's still clueless about simple things in life, like the actual cost of living. He's so used to getting something for nothing, and has never learned anything other than that, that his default thought process is that he's going to get someone else to help him out instead of doing it himself. The most frustrating part about this is his definition of disposable income. He has a wife and 1 1/2 kids (the second one is on the way) and because he's living out of his parents house (or at least is on rotation because he goes out and tries to live in the real world, but ultimately just goes running back home to live in the basement) his disposable income is stupid. You want to take a month long vacation to Russia? Sure! You want to buy a top notch TV with a Wii-U? Yup, all yours. The kid has less income than me by a long shot (his wife doesn't work and stays at home versus me with two jobs, and Alicia working her full time) but because he has so many sources of people paying for things he can get it.
The only thing that makes me feel happy when talking to him (and the other people in my life that want something for nothing) is that in the short term, they might be able to get what they want, they might be able to fake things in the short term, but in the long term when time finally sets in and they have to move on past where they're doing this holding pattern, they'll never be able to get out of it. As annoying as it is to watch him, and being frustrated by every single thing that he's doing, the thing that makes me smile is knowing that in a few years he'll still be trying to live in his parents basement, while I'm (hopefully) living in my own house.
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