Ok, before I actually get back to work, I did think of an example I wanted to cite. I guess this is about “entitlement.”
I live in the UK but I suspect things are similar these days in America, etc. It seems to me that these “celebrity” shows, X-Factor, etc etc etc make people think that they are entitled to fame, fortune, adoration etc without actually being talented, let alone being good people, sometimes even let alone being good-looking! Ok, thinking you’re entitled to everything just for being good-looking is just as bad or worse, but judging from the level of talent at the auditions for these shows there are enormous numbers of people who think “I’m not smart, I’m not talented, but hey, I deserve to be rich and famous too!”
I’m not sure this is “selfishness” per se, I would call it narcissism or a distorted sense of entitlement. The people who become “celebrities” simply because they behave badly in public, get their boobs increased ten sizes, are married to/related to someone else famous, etc seem to think they are entitled to do whatever after that. And the response of society only encourages them. I work in publishing and there are so many celebs who are like “hm…I think I’ll write a children’s book now. It’s easy, and I want to, and I can, because I can do anything.” Of course, the children’s book (or their concept, if they don’t write it themselves) is probably total crap, but some publishing house will snap it up anyway because it will sell.
I think this may be slightly off topic with what I originally posted, but also slightly on topic…It’s a general societal outlook which I’m not sure existed to such a degree in the past.