Ungrateful Children: Overcoming The Debt Your Parents Believe You Owe Them
Understanding and dealing with the false sense of duty
“Look how much I’ve done for you, and you can’t even [blank]!”
How often have you heard this critical accusation from your parents? The [blank] could be anything, from doing chores to being a straight-A student to holding a certain job to selecting a specific romantic partner. Your parents believe they have sacrificed so much for you, so now you have to dedicate yourself to giving back to them.
Growing up under this incessant pressure, you have internalized one thing: you are a burden. You’ve learned to comply with your parents’ demands, not because you genuinely want to be helpful, but out of a false sense of guilt and duty. As a result, you develop a toxic state of mental indebtedness that prevents you from following your inner desires and sets you up for living the life you never chose for yourself.
First, you must become a good and successful person, get a prestigious education and a respected job — because your parents didn’t raise and invest all of their resources for you to be a “loser.”
Then, you must start a family of your own and have kids — because your parents want grandchildren.
