Chapter 3
一、问答
1. What does “entitlement” mean? Can you give an example to explain it?
Entitlement means the right to have something or do something. For example, someone is unemployed, so everyday he goes to the relevant department to ask the relief fund.
2. What’s the point of telling Jimmy’s story?
Jimmy hides from his problems by making up imagined successes. If we can’t see our problems, we will never be actually successful.
3. Do you think you are special? What’s wrong with feeling you are special?
I am not special. If you feel you are special, then you won’t make an effort and self-improvement.
4. If you are not special, how can we achieve greatness?
Because I am not special, I meet many problems in my life, the failures and setbacks, so I have to make efforts to solve these problems, then I will become better and better, and achieve greatness.
二、感想
It turns out that adversity and failure are actually useful and even necessary for developing strong-minded and successful adults.
本章You’re not special 告诉我们，你不是什么特殊人物，或生下来就拥有特殊的才能。每个人都只有经历不断地挫折和失败，才会有可能成为一个意志坚强的成功人士。
A person like Jimmy hides from his problems by making up imagined successes for himself at every turn. And because he can’t face his problems, no matter how good he feels about himself, he is weak.
一个人需要对自己有信心，但不能盲目自信；要正确地评价自己，不能过高地估计自己的能力。本章主人公Jimmy，认为自己不用付出任何努力，就可以赚很多钱，赢得尊重，并享有令人羡慕的生活。他只看到自己的优点，没有看到缺点；只看到事情好的一面，没有看到其中潜在的问题。他始终不能坦诚地面对自身缺点和潜在的问题，总有一天，他所谓成功的幻想会被无情的现实击穿。
The deeper the pain, the more helpless we feel against our problems, and the more entitlement we adopt to compensate for those problems.
本章第二个主人公Mark，十三岁时因被发现在书包中藏匿毒品，而勒令退学，隔离在家，随后父母离异。经历这些创伤后的Mark，变得更加软弱，他开始不断追逐女性，以求安慰，他开始放纵自己，以致失去工作，靠亲戚朋友救济度日。他觉得自己是最不幸的，有权要求别人对他补偿。
This entitlement plays out in one of two ways: 1. I’m awesome and the rest of you all suck, so I deserve special treatment. 2. I suck and the rest of you are all awesome, so I deserve special treatment.
这两种人都把自己当成特殊人物。Jimmy是第一种，自以为很了不起，别人都不如自己，所以理应享受特殊待遇；Mark是第二种，觉得自己的经历糟透了，别人都比自己强，所以理应享受特殊关照。
Most of us are pretty average at most things we do. Even if you’re exceptional at one thing, chances are you’re average or below average at most other things. That’s just the nature of life. To become truly great at something, you have to dedicate shit-tons of time and energy to it.
作者再次强调，我们大多数人都是普通人，有可能在某一领域超过其他人，因为我们付出了大量的时间和经历，但是要想在很多领域出类拔萃，则很难，因为我们每个人的时间和精力都是有限的，只能集中我们专注的领域。现今，网络时代，各种信息铺天盖地而来，这个行业翘楚，那个业内精英，让我们羡慕的同时，又自叹不如，甚至怀疑自己的能力。互联网在改变我们生活的同时，也给我们带来了不安、焦虑、自卑等心理问题。
You will have a growing appreciation for life’s basic experiences: the pleasures of simple friendship, creating something, helping a person in need, reading a good book, laughing with someone you care about.
有些演讲不断给我们灌输这样的观念，每个人生下来都是与众不同的，具有某种特殊才能，将来一定能创造一番伟业。实际上，真正成功的那些人往往不是这样想的。恰恰相反，他们觉得自己没什么了不起，没有什么特殊之处，他们要做的只不过是不断地自我完善。
读到这里，想起某位学友提到，作者在本书中倡导佛家的思想，这部分就很像佛学中常讲的中庸之道。生活的真谛就在于：保持简单淳朴的友情，创作一些东西，帮助一个需要帮助的人，读一本好书，和关心的人在一起欢笑。
三、字词
1. If you asked him what he was doing, he’d rattle off the name of some firm he was consulting with
这句话说如果你问Jimmy正忙什么，他会快速讲出一连串公司名称，好像他和这些公司都很熟似的。
rattle off 迅速地讲话(或背诵)
2. Sure, sometimes he’d put in some token effort, or pick up the phone and cold-call some bigwig and namedrop until he ran out of names
这句话说Jimmy 有时也会象征性的做点什么，如拿起电话打给那些他口中经常提到，而实际上并不认识的名流权贵。
cold call 是指联系完全陌生的人 Bigwig 是指要人，权贵之人 name-drop 借名流权贵抬高身价
3. None of these “ventures” ever blossomed into anything.
这句话说Jimmy所有这些创业想法都没有变成现实。
blossom into发展成；长成；(眼看着)变成
如：She blossomed into a beautiful girl. 她长成了一个美丽的姑娘。
4. And the most screwed-up part was that Jimmy felt good about it.
这句话是说，Jimmy总是自我感觉良好，这一点是最让人犯愁的。
screwed up 心烦意乱的
如：He was really screwed up with his emotional problems. 他真的被感情问题弄得心烦意乱。
5. Jimmy, the type of guy who yelled at his business partner for being “immature,” and then maxed out the company credit card
max out: If you max out something such as money or credit, you use it all up. (钱)花光; (信用卡)刷爆
6. Entitled people exude a delusional degree of self-confidence. This confidence can be alluring to others,
exude 散发；流出
如：She exudes self-confidence. 她显得信心十足。 He exuded an air of wealth and power. 他显露出一副有钱有势的派头。
delusional 妄想的
如：He is a delusional man divorced from reality. 他是一个脱离实际只会妄想的男子汉
alluring 迷人的，吸引人的，诱惑的
如：Shanghai is the most alluring city in Asia.
7. More students than ever are exhibiting severe signs of emotional distress over what are otherwise run-of-the-mill daily college experiences,
run-of-the-mill 普通的，一般的，不突出的
如: a run-of-the-mill performance 平淡无奇的表现
