Birthdays can be great opportunities for self-reflection, spending time with the people you care about most in the world, and lots and lots of delicious cake! It’s a day when you get more than your usual share of love and attention, but also one where you take stock of your values, ambitions, and priorities in life. Unfortunately, far from everyone gets the memo.
While birthdays can bring out the very best in some, unfortunately, they also bring out the very worst in some people. Entitlement. Greed. Rudeness. These are just the tip of the frosted iceberg. Bored Panda has collected the very worst moments birthday boys and girls showed their true colors from all over the net, including from the mega-popular r/ChoosingBeggars subreddit.
Close your eyes, make a wish, and blow out the candles, Pandas. We hope you wished for a deep dive into the unsavory parts of humankind because that’s what you’re getting. Now, would you like another slice of cake while you’re scrolling?
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Can I Have A Birthday Discount?
Bored Panda wanted to learn more about the relationship between entitlement and birthdays, as well as what can be done to ensure kids don't focus just on the gifts and materialistic gain on their special day, so we reached out to Suzanne Degges-White, Ph.D.
"When someone's sense of entitlement begins to encroach on the rights or good nature of others, then it's become a problem that the overly entitled person will need to address if they want to continue to enjoy the company of others," the Licensed Counselor, Professor, and the Chair at the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University told us. "It's normal to want to feel 'special' on special days, but when friends begin to resent you for the level of 'special treatment' you feel you deserve, it's time to back down and remember that everyone deserves to be thought of as special and treated with equal respect."
Birthday Card For Choosing Beggars
Its My Birthday
Lmao this sounds like a ten year old that plays royale high or smh💀
Professor Degges-White also shared her thoughts with Bored Panda about the best way for parents to raise their kids to value their birthdays as something other than 'gift bonanzas.'
According to the professor, parents ought to establish more appropriate celebrations from early on. That way, kids develop habits that steer them away from entitlement and towards having more humility and appreciation for other people.
"By making small events the 'annual birthday traditions' and including suggestions for 'giving back' to others on a birthday as a way to celebrate another year of maturity, families can raise children who don't expect to be showered with 'things' on their birthdays," Degges-White said.
"Traditions can include 'birthday pancakes' or 'cupcakes for breakfast' or some other celebratory start to the day. A special meal at dinner, getting out of chores on their birthday, and choosing a toy/book/clothing item to donate to a shelter or charity on the birthday are also ways to cultivate generosity and charity in children," the professor gave Bored Panda some ideas for how parents can raise their kids right.
"We all learn what we live and when we live in a world where we're feted and made to feel 'uber special' just by nature of a particular day rolling around on the calendar, we come to expect similar treatment throughout our lives. Small changes early on can make big differences down the road."
"Pls I Have Birthday I Just Got Cancer Too"
Plan My Birthday For Me Or Our Friendship Is Over
Idk sounds like he/she is tired of throwing their own party and paying for it, and it’s a reasonable feeling
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As a mom of 4 I kind of understand the desire to have MY birthday feel special and not having to do anything on that very day.
Yeah, mother of twins and stepmother of one here. I've had to reschedule my birthday party the third time yesterday, and it's only to get at least three friends together. There's been stomach flu on our part, people having to work unexpectedly, half of the invitees getting the flu on that weekend... It's been over a month now, and I still haven't celebrated. I still haven't gotten used to being an extra in my own movie, so to say, since my twins were born: anything goes for them, but I haven't even had a nice dinner with my husband because nobody could find the time to babysit on that day.
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i dont like the way its written but for people who care about their bdays, i get it. sad iif i needed a post to ask and demand "friends" to help me feel special. i guess they just wanna be loved and celebrated that day
If they wanna be loved and celebrated they should not act like a jerk
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Sounds like someone trying too hard to be loved by organising exorbitant parties but never getting the appreciation they are looking for. How sad!
Sounds like she just need to accept some of these people are not her good friends. She needs to invite the ones who did contribute last year
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Look, I understand being upset if you put a lot of effort into something and you're feeling under appreciated, but here's the thing. No one owes you anything. It is your choice to have birthday extravaganzas every year, and invite your friends. If you find that having these elaborate parties is exhausting, don't keep having them every year and then ultimately end up low key resenting your friends for your choice. If you overextended and ran yourself ragged the first time, then have a small, intimate party next year. Do people not talk to their friends? Like "Hey friend, last year's birthday was great, but stressful on my time & finances. If you guys want to throw me a birthday bash, awesome, but if not, I'm not going to do anything big this year." That's it. That's all you have to do to save yourself the headache and not p**s off your friends with a demanding social media tirade.
Yea agreed. I get where OP is coming from, but it's her responsibility not to overextend herself. Sounds like she needs help in setting boundaries—as many of us do, we're not taught this very well, if at all—so that she can express her needs and not end up resenting her friends because she didn't take care of herself.
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When you think about it, what are you actually celebrating? Wow, the Earth went around the Sun one whole lap while you've been alive. Big deal. It was doing that long before you were here. It's not special. I get it for children; but once you're an adult, grow up.
I love celebrating other people's birthdays, because I'm glad they're still here. It means you're still alive. For some of us that's an achievement.
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I've seen worse. There was one where a woman expected to be taken out to lunch and dinner and be given gifts every day of the entire month of her birthday... She said she was celebrating her birthday all month long and she expected to be treated by her friends every single day. Can't tell me that's not lunacy.
Sounds like her set of friends have to celebrate a birthday every day. Bizarre
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Wow he over confident about his own birthday party. Almost sounds like a wedding. Damn he is marrying himself lol
She said these people who are being jerks to her on her birthday are people who are asking HER for assistance all the time, calling and texting day and night. Then when she makes arrangements for everyone to get together and coordinates when its convenient for everyone, they show up and stick her with the bill for their meals. This woman is just sick of her kindness not being reciprocated and sick of being taken advantage of. I feel for her. She's hoping these crappy friends will prove to be good to her, but even putting her foot down like this, she's going to find they're only interested in what they can get from her. I hope she finds better friends and can separate from the jerks that hurt her and used her.
This one seems kind of sad- basically people who she thinks are friends are not. All she needs to do is plan something & invite the people who actually helped pay last year. Or plan something where everyone pays for themselves like dinner where you pay ahead or that does separate bill or bowling where you rent you own shoes & lane. I am sure the friends who contributed last time would share he costs
I don't totally disagree. I go out of my way for everyone and then I get forgotten.
Tbh in the past I was always the one who had to make plans if I wanted to celebrate my birthday in any way. None of my friends ever cared at all. And it's exhausting and sad to have to make plans alone for your own birthday (which is why eventually I gave up celebrating it until I met my husband). I could see this being kind of tongue in cheek to express exasperation as the person expending energy to celebrate others but haven't ng nobody celebrate yours.
Wow. Nobody asked you to exhaust and overextend yourself to make a big deal out of your own birthday. Nobody owes you anything for that, it was your choice. I'm guessing this idiot is heading for their worst birthday ever, as they so richly deserve.
The gall! The arrogance. Unbelievable. This person would be a former friend.
Reading, "Start Now!!" would have been immediately followed by me blocking this person.
Bahaha, I wouldn't do anything for this narcissistic person! They deserve a total ignore.
I don't need 6 weeks to figure out how much I care about this person. Because I already know I don't care in the slightest, minute, tiny, miniscule bit about this person.
Might as well ask everyone to send a check- so you can celebrate your birthday in style, and alone
Can you IMAGINE what kind of f***ed up birthday party you could plan for this Karen? The possibilities are endless! Extreme musical chairs with tacks and pinatas filled with pickled herring and spoiled milk just for starters!
It’s My Birthday! Give Me Money!
You just expect people to send money over as your birthday gift? Hell Nah, I will pass.
Most parents probably expect their kids to grow up to be productive, humble members of society. However, above everything else, they want them to be good people. It can be painful to see someone you love and care about exhibit signs of greed and lash out at others over small details.
Entitlement is usually not something that pops out of the woodwork over the course of a single day. It’s often years in the making. Helping someone (re)learn how to stay humble can be a huge challenge.
Living life with confidence, knowing your worth, wanting to get a fair share of doubloons for your efforts—that’s all perfectly fine and even healthy. Finding that balance between timidity and arrogance, however, can be far harder in practice.
Facebook Friend On What/What Not To Buy Her For Birthday
I Made A Post Awhile Back About My Cb Exfriend Who Got Mad Because I Gave Him Less Money For His Birthday Compared To Last Year, And After The Post And The Comments I Decided To Message Him About It And This Is What He Said
Damn... that man needs to grow a pair of priorities (this is a joke and not meant to be weird cause if I think too much it seems creepy)
Using Gofundme For A Vacation
to be fair, go Fund Me IS for nonsense like this as well as covering medical costs etc.
Especially if you've never been called out for your behavior. You start believing that whatever you’re doing is fine. It’s the norm. Everyone does it. It can be a shock when someone finally snaps and tells you that, hey, you’re totally out of line here.
I Apparently Singlehandedly Ruined A 13 Year Olds Birthday Party
Entitled Rich Kid Asks For Birthday Money
Her Bday Isnt Even Until Next Week
Learning to control your greed can be quite difficult. As financial expert Sam Dogen, from the Financial Samurai blog, put it in a previous interview with Bored Panda, the vast majority of people put a lot of emphasis on money.
I’m Not A Fan Of Fondant, But This Guy Is A Jerk
"For My Mom's Birthday, I'm Taking Her To Meet My Favorite Singer."
Imagine Asking People In A Generous Group For $200 To Throw Your Dog A Birthday Party...people Go Out Of Their Way To Give You Money In A Pandemic And You Post This? She Tried Saying Later That Since She Said “I’m Super Grateful” That It Excused Her Being Super Ungrateful. I Can’t Even Lie I’m Mad
Begging for money to throw their dog a birthday party? And $55 is not enough?
“Everybody has either a money problem or a money desire,” he said.
For instance, if you happen to win the lottery, your relatives, friends, and acquaintances will probably expect to get a cut of your profits.
No Broke Boy Birthday Wishes
Happy Birthday Tho
Well... Guess She Is Having A Crap Birthday
There's a special place in Hell for people who try to leverage their children for profit.
“If the winner doesn’t magnanimously share their winnings with family members and friends, they will be seen as selfish and greedy,” the financial expert told us.
“I’m all about Stealth Wealth. If you win the lottery, do your best to keep it a secret. Furthermore, if you win the lottery at work or in your investments, never brag about how much you make either. Instead, try to blend in as much as possible. You can always then be more generous with your money if you wish, without expectations,” he advised keeping these things under wraps.
Choosing Beggar Invites Me To Their Birthday Party
Happy Birthday?
Happy Birthday!
Someone who is entitled feels like they deserve special treatment, recognition, and privileges. Most often, they have a false sense of self-importance and want things that they did not earn or do not deserve.
One way that people become entitled is when they get everything that they ask for, without having to earn it. Teaching kids the value of money, hard work, building relationships, can help offset this.
Was Looking At Some Reviews For Vegas Hotels. Can't Imagine What It Must Be Like Dealing With People Like This
Someone Offered To Make Her A Free Designer Cake For Her Birthday, She Was Not Satisfied
It’s My Birthday Can I Get It Cheaper?
Entitled folks think that they ought to be admired and respected, according to ‘Better Help.’ However, beneath the facade of over-inflated confidence can lie lots of insecurities. Meanwhile, attention-seekers with overbearing personalities can become more and more isolated from their friends.
Private Jet Trip For 30th Birthday
I’m Ashamed To Admit I’m Related To This 37yo Birthday Brat... Thankfully The Whole Family Is Ashamed Of Her Nonsense And Entitlement
Never give expecting to get anything in return. Give because you want to and can afford t
It's My Birthday Give Me Your Hard Earned Money
Which of these posts shocked you the most, dear Pandas? Have you ever been to a birthday party where the guest of honor demanded a specific amount of money or an expensive gift? How do you think entitlement ought to be 'cured?' Share your thoughts and insights in the comments.
Oh You Have Cancer...sorry, But My Birthday Is Coming Up Soon!!!
I don't think this is meant as "me me me". It's the equivalent of speaking before thinking. I do that all the time and it is so embarrassing! Anyone will notice events that happen on their birthday and more often than not people comment something like "oh, that's my birthday".
It's Their Birthday, So They Want It For A Discount/Free
"My Iou Birthday Present'
Note: this post originally had 83 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I had to stop after reading a few of them. It's truly disgusting how people can be nowadays.
Yep. This entire thread made me want to 🤮. What is with people these days?
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Too late already. But on the bright side, you are giving bored panda members 365 days advance notice to donate to your next birthday.
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Some people do get depressed or anxious on their birthdays. I have no idea why it happens to me. Something about pre-birthday hype and anxiety disorder.
For me it's about having been either genuinely forgotten or purposefully ignored as a kid, and as a result I'm always secretly, stupidly, quietly hoping somebody would CARE "this year" and simultaneously trying to forget a birthday is a thing people usually celebrate in the first place. Therefore I don't really know which is better, and both possibilities give me anxiety lol. The feeling only settles down a couple of days after.
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Me! I love my birthday! But I don't want gifts; I only want wishes.
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Where in the world are people coming from that they expect birthday money from their *friends*? Where I'm from, it's fairly standard to get it from your grandparents, and maybe aunts/uncles or godparents if you're lucky, but that's about it, and it tapers off once you're old enough to earn a paycheck.
Social media has created a mass of entitled, spoiled, ungrateful brats.
Some people need to realise that no-one apart from maybe your immediate family and partner/spouse actually care about your birthday. My birthday was yesterday and I didn't expect anything from anybody, but I was surprised with a book from a friend. Expecting people to shell out lots of money to celebrate your birthday is ridiculous. I also don't get this current trend of celebrating your birthday over the course of a whole week rather than just the day. It's called a birthDAY. X
My fantasy for these people is that next year they have to work on their birthday. No way out, just have to go clock in and be average for a couple hours like any normal day. Maybe everyone signs a card, but that's it.
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Ugh...these types of articles crush my faith in humanity. Imagine being so entitled that you believe that strangers owe you money on your birthday.
Jesus. The only thing I ask for on my birthday is for people to donate a charity I'm highlighting. I even tell them no gifts for me if they come to my party, please just send a donation. And no, the charity is not me. They are legit 501c3s.
I'd give anything for either of my parents to at least acknowledge my birthday. My dad never remembers despite being his first born and only daughter. My mom told me my birth was the biggest mistake of her life. We haven't spoken in over 10 years. Because of living with this my whole life, I refuse to celebrate my birthday. My husband honours my wishes and will get take out for us and our daughter but no presents, parties or cake is ever involved on that day. My daughter (now 8) made me a card this year. I wouldn't take it and went for a walk to calm down (not angry just upset). Does that make me just as selfish as these people because my kid wants to celebrate me and I won't let her?
Fellow Bored Pandas - if you disagree with someone, please tell them why. Don't downvote them! No one deserves to get banned for a post that you happen to disagree with. Save the downvotes for trolls, racists, SPAM, etc. @Maple Porky - you might consider that by rejecting your child's hand made card, you probably hurt her feelings as she doesn't understand why you don't like to celebrate your birthday. Maybe share your history so she doesn't learn to hate her own birthday? I'm very sorry you had such awful parents (especially your mom!) and no, I don't think you're entitled like the jerks in the article. I do think you have emotional wounds that will hopefully hurt less as years pass and you celebrate life with your loving husband and child. Oh, and take an upvote to cancel out the downvote.
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Why is it everyone else's responsibility that these people's parents didn't use protection.
How do people live? By the time I was in my teens, all I wanted for my birthday was cake. As an adult in her mid-thirties, I want hubby to order in dinner and for everyone to forget the day!
I’ve been setting aside some money for my birthday this year so I can treat a few friends to some cocktails downtown and rent a place nearby for the night so nobody has to try to get home drunk. Guess I’m doing this all wrong! :p
For my 16th mom booked a venue and ordered a cake, and my BFF and I got special outfits. It had to happen a few days before my real birthday but that was OK by me. Then my dad's gf decided that it should be turned into her daughter's 21st instead because it fell on her real birthday. "It's more important." I told her no way, so she started telling everyone that the party was really for her daughter. On the day, everyone celebrated my birthday and the daughter was really upset with her mom because she didn't give her a 21st birthday celebration.
I wonder how old the oldest one of these whingers are. I bet they would demand date of conception gifts next.
My dog's birthday is next week. Can you help me buy a full size cupcake instead of a mini one? LOL
As long as they were alive would have been difficult after, LOL-my parents gave myself and my siblings a gift. Sometimes small, sometimes large, but always something they knew we would like. And as long as we lived at home, we got to pick a favorite restaraunt for a special birthday dinner. The best prize being the other siblings didn't get to go. Special because otherwise it was all the family, so alone was special. Sometimes a family friend would come. After grade school there were no parties because we didn't want one, but before then, there were none of these sill rules, we were happy with whatever we got. No one I knew would even think of c**p like this. But then, I'm really old.
Some birthdays I'll have a big gift idea (like a new laptop, Nook, etc.), but I'll tell my immediate family (who always give gifts no matter what) and say "hey, this year just send me a donation amount, I'm hoping to get this for myself." I don't require a certain amount; if I don't get the full amount, I pay whatever is left out of pocket which is totally fine. The people begging social media to just give them money for nothing is extremely nauseating.
I don't care about my own birthday. Why would I care about a strangers?
All I want for my birthday this year is to spend it with my gf, my daughter and her bf and my best friends. That’s it
I had to stop after reading a few of them. It's truly disgusting how people can be nowadays.
Yep. This entire thread made me want to 🤮. What is with people these days?
Load More Replies... Too late already. But on the bright side, you are giving bored panda members 365 days advance notice to donate to your next birthday.
Load More Replies... Some people do get depressed or anxious on their birthdays. I have no idea why it happens to me. Something about pre-birthday hype and anxiety disorder.
For me it's about having been either genuinely forgotten or purposefully ignored as a kid, and as a result I'm always secretly, stupidly, quietly hoping somebody would CARE "this year" and simultaneously trying to forget a birthday is a thing people usually celebrate in the first place. Therefore I don't really know which is better, and both possibilities give me anxiety lol. The feeling only settles down a couple of days after.
Load More Replies... Me! I love my birthday! But I don't want gifts; I only want wishes.
Load More Replies... Where in the world are people coming from that they expect birthday money from their *friends*? Where I'm from, it's fairly standard to get it from your grandparents, and maybe aunts/uncles or godparents if you're lucky, but that's about it, and it tapers off once you're old enough to earn a paycheck.
Social media has created a mass of entitled, spoiled, ungrateful brats.
Some people need to realise that no-one apart from maybe your immediate family and partner/spouse actually care about your birthday. My birthday was yesterday and I didn't expect anything from anybody, but I was surprised with a book from a friend. Expecting people to shell out lots of money to celebrate your birthday is ridiculous. I also don't get this current trend of celebrating your birthday over the course of a whole week rather than just the day. It's called a birthDAY. X
My fantasy for these people is that next year they have to work on their birthday. No way out, just have to go clock in and be average for a couple hours like any normal day. Maybe everyone signs a card, but that's it.
Load More Replies... Ugh...these types of articles crush my faith in humanity. Imagine being so entitled that you believe that strangers owe you money on your birthday.
Jesus. The only thing I ask for on my birthday is for people to donate a charity I'm highlighting. I even tell them no gifts for me if they come to my party, please just send a donation. And no, the charity is not me. They are legit 501c3s.
I'd give anything for either of my parents to at least acknowledge my birthday. My dad never remembers despite being his first born and only daughter. My mom told me my birth was the biggest mistake of her life. We haven't spoken in over 10 years. Because of living with this my whole life, I refuse to celebrate my birthday. My husband honours my wishes and will get take out for us and our daughter but no presents, parties or cake is ever involved on that day. My daughter (now 8) made me a card this year. I wouldn't take it and went for a walk to calm down (not angry just upset). Does that make me just as selfish as these people because my kid wants to celebrate me and I won't let her?
Fellow Bored Pandas - if you disagree with someone, please tell them why. Don't downvote them! No one deserves to get banned for a post that you happen to disagree with. Save the downvotes for trolls, racists, SPAM, etc. @Maple Porky - you might consider that by rejecting your child's hand made card, you probably hurt her feelings as she doesn't understand why you don't like to celebrate your birthday. Maybe share your history so she doesn't learn to hate her own birthday? I'm very sorry you had such awful parents (especially your mom!) and no, I don't think you're entitled like the jerks in the article. I do think you have emotional wounds that will hopefully hurt less as years pass and you celebrate life with your loving husband and child. Oh, and take an upvote to cancel out the downvote.
Load More Replies... Why is it everyone else's responsibility that these people's parents didn't use protection.
How do people live? By the time I was in my teens, all I wanted for my birthday was cake. As an adult in her mid-thirties, I want hubby to order in dinner and for everyone to forget the day!
I’ve been setting aside some money for my birthday this year so I can treat a few friends to some cocktails downtown and rent a place nearby for the night so nobody has to try to get home drunk. Guess I’m doing this all wrong! :p
For my 16th mom booked a venue and ordered a cake, and my BFF and I got special outfits. It had to happen a few days before my real birthday but that was OK by me. Then my dad's gf decided that it should be turned into her daughter's 21st instead because it fell on her real birthday. "It's more important." I told her no way, so she started telling everyone that the party was really for her daughter. On the day, everyone celebrated my birthday and the daughter was really upset with her mom because she didn't give her a 21st birthday celebration.
I wonder how old the oldest one of these whingers are. I bet they would demand date of conception gifts next.
My dog's birthday is next week. Can you help me buy a full size cupcake instead of a mini one? LOL
As long as they were alive would have been difficult after, LOL-my parents gave myself and my siblings a gift. Sometimes small, sometimes large, but always something they knew we would like. And as long as we lived at home, we got to pick a favorite restaraunt for a special birthday dinner. The best prize being the other siblings didn't get to go. Special because otherwise it was all the family, so alone was special. Sometimes a family friend would come. After grade school there were no parties because we didn't want one, but before then, there were none of these sill rules, we were happy with whatever we got. No one I knew would even think of c**p like this. But then, I'm really old.
Some birthdays I'll have a big gift idea (like a new laptop, Nook, etc.), but I'll tell my immediate family (who always give gifts no matter what) and say "hey, this year just send me a donation amount, I'm hoping to get this for myself." I don't require a certain amount; if I don't get the full amount, I pay whatever is left out of pocket which is totally fine. The people begging social media to just give them money for nothing is extremely nauseating.
I don't care about my own birthday. Why would I care about a strangers?
All I want for my birthday this year is to spend it with my gf, my daughter and her bf and my best friends. That’s it
