I. Q&A

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

In this chapter, "entitlement" means someone who think they are special, so they believe that they deserve more attention and regard. Actually, just like Manson said, entitlement is just like narcissistic bubbles, which surrounds those entitled people and make them incapable of acknowledging their own problems. For instance,  we maybe come across some blind pride person, who called themselves "Mr./Miss. Perfect". They just belive they know everything, if other people shows a little doubtful, they will lose their temper. 

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

Jimmy is the typical entitled person. Because he feels as though he deserves good things without actually earning them. Manson use Jimmy's story to tell us many people so fixated on feeling good about themselves that they making self-deception.

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

When I was in primary school, I thought I was special sucks, because my Chinese teacher always said I was stupid and my writings were ugly. However, from high school, my life were totally changed. All my teachers praised me that I have a great talent in classical Chinese literature. They said that my poems and papers are brilliant and I am so special and suppossed to make a different. When I was in colledge, I almost believe what they told me. Am I the special person? Actually, NO. When I think I am special wonderful, I can quickly find out my shortcomings which make me doubt myself. Once a time, I lingered about self-doubt and self-affirmation. Finally, I found out that I am not speical, both good or bad aspect, I just a normal person. Whatever my teachers said, it just showed they like or dislike me.     

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

The point is if one day I achieve greatness, that is not because I am special. On the contrary, believing I am just common makes me feel more free and less pressure, which is the important way to achieve greatness.

II. Words and expression

1. He had a delusional level of self-confidence.

delusional   妄想的

delusion 迷惑、欺骗、错觉  （ a false belief about yourself or the situation you are in）

这个词的变形在这一章中多次出现，比如delusive，同义词：raud、befuddlement

2. “Sure,” I say, and slug myself downthe hall, baggy jeans and moppy hair and oversized Pantera T-shirt and all.

baggy jeans and moppy hair  baggy 和moppy在这里押尾韵，读起来十分有趣。

moppy 乱蓬蓬的

3. My sweat blossoms like a fungal growth. It spreads from my palms to my arms and now my neck.

这两句用来形容作者如坐针毡、汗流浃背的焦躁不安的状态，blossom用在这里十分形象。

第三章中这一节的心理描写非常精彩，仿佛是在读扣人心弦的小说，心绪随着作者的心理变化起伏不定。

4. After all, it takes a lot of energy and work to convince yourself that your shit doesn’t stink, especially when you’ve actually been living in a toilet.

这一句讽刺了entitled people的自我感觉良好， your shit doesn’t stink, especially when you’ve actually been living in a toilet 简直是十分不留情面、一针见血。

5. There’s no way we can process the tidal waves of information flowing past us constantly.

the tidal waves of information 和flowing past 搭配非常巧妙。

III. Thoughts

看到朋友圈有个姑娘写了一句话"每个人都是英雄，都走在自己的屠龙之路上"，于是心有感触，回来补写一点感想。

Manson告诉我们，“You are not special.” 要承认自己的平凡，显然需要勇气。因为我们的世界里充斥着各种名人新闻、各种偶像剧、各种drama，所有的这一切都在告诉我们别人有多么特别多么优秀。在这样的环境里，如果自认平凡，几乎是等于不思进取的。然而，给自己打上一个“特别”的标签，无疑是一重枷锁。因为觉得自己特别，所以希望别人给予特别的关注，于是就在自己盲目而虚无的世界中自我欺骗。结果，我们所认为的“特别” ，其实只是包裹着自负与自卑的的自我欺骗而已。所谓的"entitlement"，无疑就是这样的标签。

而我们并不需要这样的标签，我们不是特别的，但是，每个人都是一个独立的个体。我们不是工厂里批量生产的瓶子，整齐划一、千篇一律。从皮囊到内在，从思想到灵魂，我们都有不同的地方，每个人都是如此。所以说，我们无须标榜自己的“特别”，更无需因自己的特别去设定一些虚无缥缈的目标。每个人都有独特的灵魂，我们需要的是坦诚面对真实的自己。

就我自己的经历而言，可以说经过了从自卑到自负，到最终认清自己的过程。当小学老师说我是个智障的时候，我真的认为自己是特别差劲，简直无可救药。而后，自己的文学才能逐渐被肯定，一路上听着师长们的赞美走过了高中和大学。于是，我居然真的觉得自己是特别的，甚至年少轻狂地觉得，我应该做出一番与众不同的大事。直到有那么一天，我遇见了一个比我优秀千倍，更比我勤奋万倍的人，我的世界就像多米诺骨牌那样在他的面前坍塌了。并不是他的光芒让我睁不开眼，而是他对自己的认知与定位让我自惭形秽。他的出现击碎了我的自以为是，从那时起，我仔细的审视自己，原来我的自认为特别，不过是为了遮掩早年的自卑。我认为自己的“特别”，不过是那些喜欢我的人对我的赞美，并不见的就是我的真实能力。如果说我擅长文学研究，那么这也并不是因为天赋，而是因为喜欢，所以能够投入。的确，我从来都不特别，现在，我只是努力的做一个优秀的普通人罢了。

没有那么多龙需要屠，并非每个人都是英雄，但我们都有属于自己的生活，都有自己经营与维系的小世界。