Part 1 Q&A 

1. What does “entitlement” mean? Can you give an example to explain it?

I think entitlement means feeling special instead of being special. And entitlement makes people have to convince themselves they are when actually they're not exceptional.

2. What’s the point of telling Jimmy’s story?

Jimmy is like someone in our real life. He is an example that makes us easy to understand what type of person someone is or us could be. Telling his story illustrates that entitlement is a wrong way to make us be delusional about ourselves.  

3. Do you think you are special? What’s wrong with feeling you are sepcial?

I thought I was special but after reading this chapter I think I have to have the good reasons that make me feel that I'm special rather than just feel good about myself.

Feeling you are special may lead to denying to face our shortcomings. If we don't realize we're not perfect, we won't think deep or work hard to push ourselves to make up what we lack.

4. If you are not special, how can we achieve greatness?

First we have to accept we are not special. Believe that we can be better than yesterday and we work hard to make improvement step by step, day after day.

Part2 Expressions

pulverize v.

1. make into a powder by breaking up or cause to become dust

2. destroy completely

Pulverize the enemies before they could revive.

all talk and no walk

The catch was that Jimmy was also a total deadbeat---all talk and no walk.

I remember in the movie "The Shining", the character kept typing "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

talk up

If someone talks up a particular thing, they make it sound more interesting, valuable, or likely than it originally seemed.

Jimmy, who smoked pot every day and had no real marketable skills other than talking himself up and believing it.

Talk your girlfriend up in front of your parents.

Part3 My ideas

By telling Stories of Jimmy's, the writer makes us realize we were most taught that everyone is meant to be exceptional. On the contrary, we are actually not special when we merely feel we are.  Truly exceptional people become amazing because they're obsessed with improvement. We have to learn from them. Nobody's exceptional until having devoted a lot of time and work focusing to be a better oneself.