Enraged, Rattled, and Wronged

Psychological entitlement, or a sense that some individuals or groups are inherently worthier of certain privileges, is an overlooked but essential feature of the persistent inequality that resists social progress and oppresses those in the margins. In the political climate that gave rise to and resulted in Donald Trump's presidency, confusion, rage, and feelings of victimization linger among those who felt empowered by the validation felt with him intooffice—feelings that existed and will continue to exist independently of the former president himself. Enraged, Rattled, and Wronged confronts psychological entitlement in its many forms or related attributes, such as narcissism, to expose the ugly truths at the heart of this phenomenon. In exploring how members of advantaged groups come to understand their belief in their own worthiness relative to those in disadvantaged groups, expert psychologist Kristin J. Anderson channels her research and expertise in prejudice and discrimination to ask critical questions of the current politicaland social climate. What happens to entitled people when they feel pushed aside? How does their inflated sense of deservingness make them vulnerable to manipulation by the demagogues who use them, blinding them to the negative outcomes that are often paradoxical? What are they willing to tear down as theyscramble to keep their grip on the status and power they believe are rightfully theirs? How has entitled rage played out historically, and how do these events lend themselves to both the predictable and unpredictable manifestations of power grabs that we see now? Drawing from a wealth of timely examples and empirical literature, Anderson situates this anger as backlash against the social progress that empowers marginalized groups, even at the expense of the dominant group, if necessary. Citing historical moments such as the rage of whites directed at newly freed African Americans in the South during Reconstruction and the anger of the entitled when women have attempted to control their reproduction, Anderson traces this phenomenon over time anddelineates the link between individual-level processing of psychological deservingness and macro-level problems that impede equality, concluding with a call for action for to dominant group members to join the vibrant movements for social progress that have emerged in recent years.

Entitlement's Response to Social Progress is a timely and unmissable read. Committed to giving context to Trump's political ascendency, the book focuses on the overlooked and elusive ways in which entitlement - defined as "the inflated sense of deservingness one has as a result of power and the benefits of privilege"- operates at different intersecting nodes in perpetuating inequality. With each page, Anderson artfully exposes how entitlement silently sustains many gender, sexual, racial, and class oppressions which are detrimental to humanity, democracy, and the planet., Real, raw, relatable, and relevant. These are four words that best describe Anderson's approach to psychological entitlement and how it reinforces inequality in her book Enraged, Rattled, and Wronged. Her thorough investigation from a social psychological research perspective of "how we got here" (i.e., a Trump presidency) is eye-opening and informative. Her writing style allows readers to understand how social forces have shaped not just this election, but previous elections and, most likely, future elections ... I highly recommend this book for those looking to learn, to grow, and to feel a sense of understanding (even if still enraged) of "how we got here.", Donald Trump may soon be history. But the mental legacy his presidency leaves behind will be with us for a long time. More than any president before, he stimulated that affect so central to contemporary social struggles: entitlement. Enraged, Rattled, and Wronged brilliantly and exceedingly illuminates for us how members of previously privileged communities transform their feelings of loss, deprivation, and disadvantage into resentment and resistance to social progress. A study at the cutting edge of a pressing question of our times., Kristin Anderson's Enraged, Rattled, and Wronged could not be timelier and more needed. As our society moves toward greater inclusivity and social justice, authoritarian and hate movements have become more emboldened. In her outstanding book, Anderson explains the psychology of privilege and entitlement based on being white, male, heterosexual, and wealthy. Her book is accessible for general audiences and well suited for use in classrooms., What a timely and important book. This well-researched and deep analysis of entitlement as a major psychological concept to understand persistent and sometimes violent social inequities in the US and globally is much needed. Anderson draws on decades of social science research to show how parents, teachers, peers, and media socialize specific groups to feel a strong sense of entitlement, with consequences that harm not only those around them but themselves. Enraged, Rattled, and Wronged argues convincingly that big issues such as climate change denial and challenges to democracy can be more clearly understood through the lens of entitlement. This is a very thoughtful and thought-provoking book.

Kristin J. Anderson is the author of the books Modern Misogyny: Anti-Feminism in a Post-Feminist Era and Benign Bigotry: The Psychology of Subtle Prejudice. She is Professor of Psychology at the Center for Critical Race Studies at the University of Houston-Downtown. She earned a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Anderson's research explores "benign" bigotry—subtle forms of prejudice and discrimination includingimplicit bias and microaggressions. Her teaching areas include psychology and the law, psychology of prejudice, psychology of women, and social psychology. Anderson's scholarship has appeared in journals such as Sex Roles, Psychology of Women Quarterly, Journal of Language and Social Psychology, and Journal of Latinos andEducation. She blogs for Psychology Today.