--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our theory is simply this: a person…" description: "\"“Our theory is simply this: a person counts as an asshole when, and only when, he systematically allows himself to enjoy special advantages in interper..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/aaron-james-28681_sense-of-entitlement_our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-count_2221096.jpg" --- # Our theory is simply this: a person counts as an asshole… ![“Our theory is simply this: a person counts as an asshole when, and only when, he systematically allows himself to enjoy special advantages in interpersonal relations out of an entrenched sense of entitlement that immunizes him against the complaints of other people. (Because assholes are by and…” quote by Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/aaron-james-28681_sense-of-entitlement_our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-count_2221096.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/aaron-james-28681_sense-of-entitlement_our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-count_2221096.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/aaron-james-28681_sense-of-entitlement_our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-count_2221096.jpg) > ““Our theory is simply this: a person counts as an asshole when, and only when, he systematically allows himself to enjoy special advantages in interpersonal relations out of an entrenched sense of entitlement that immunizes him against the complaints of other people. (Because assholes are by and large men, we use the masculine pronoun “he” advisedly. We will suggest that women can be assholes as well. For the time being, think of Ann Coulter.”” [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An asshole is someone who feels entitled to special treatment and ignores others' grievances, protecting himself with that entitlement. **In simple terms:** Entitlement leads to abusive behavior. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge entitlement. Themes entitlement behavior social dynamics Mood critical analytical Type philosophical social commentary When to use this quote - workplace - family gatherings - online forums - political discourse Key Concepts psychology power dynamics masculinity Questions to Reflect On - How does entitlement manifest in your life? - What can you do when you see it? A Different Perspective Entitlement may be rationalized by cultural norms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Sense of entitlement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-entitlement/) ## Related quotes > [“from the poem Holographic Personality Disgrace : Some people are such assholes that saying, "Look, again, I'm sorry I cut off my thumb and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-pink/from-the-poem-holographic-personality-disgrace-some-people-are-such/) [Sam Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-pink/) > [Most people are assholes you just have to find the right asshole who will be nice to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/most-people-are-assholes-you-just-have-to-find-the-right-asshole-who/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [The world is divided by two different tribes. The people who are assholes and the people who are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/the-world-is-divided-by-two-different-tribes-the-people-who-are/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I have no problem today letting people know I'm part of what they live. That's why I know about the things that make people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dice-clay/i-have-no-problem-today-letting-people-know-i-m-part-of-what-they/) [Andrew Dice Clay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dice-clay/) > [Few people become assholes reluctantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-nunberg/few-people-become-assholes-reluctantly/) [Geoffrey Nunberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-nunberg/) > [People are such assholes these days it makes my jaw drop -.-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/people-are-such-assholes-these-days-it-makes-my-jaw-drop/) Patience > [I don't need art to tell me people are assholes. I can just go into the streets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/i-don-t-need-art-to-tell-me-people-are-assholes-i-can-just-go-into/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [“Domingo didn’t want to say that everyone was an asshole, but many people are assholes when you’re living in the streets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvia-moreno-garcia/domingo-didn-t-want-to-say-that-everyone-was-an-asshole-but-many/) [Silvia Moreno-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silvia-moreno-garcia/) > [You know who wears sunglasses inside? Blind people and assholes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-david/you-know-who-wears-sunglasses-inside-blind-people-and-assholes/) [Larry David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-david/) > [“The fight can become extraordinarily frustrating because the asshole usually wins: his sense of entitlement is entrenched, so there is usually no getting through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/the-fight-can-become-extraordinarily-frustrating-because-the-asshole/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“My mistake was assuming that when I got to college, people would not be such assholes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/my-mistake-was-assuming-that-when-i-got-to-college-people-would-not/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“I let them do some simple arithmetic. In a group of one hundred people, how many assholes are there? How many fathers who humiliate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/i-let-them-do-some-simple-arithmetic-in-a-group-of-one-hundred-people/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“Listen," said the Master, coughing. "Don't search the ends of the Earth looking for your happiness. Perfection is being happy with what you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-poore/listen-said-the-master-coughing-don-t-search-the-ends-of-the-earth/) [Michael Poore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-poore/) > [We're bombarded with liberal propaganda 24/7, from the early morning shows, Hollywood movies, documentaries and sitcoms, all major newspapers, fashion magazines, the sports pages,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/we-re-bombarded-with-liberal-propaganda-24-7-from-the-early-morning/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [It's interesting how identity politics and Ann Coulter-style tactics have now blossomed. But they were always there in CPAC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/it-s-interesting-how-identity-politics-and-ann-coulter-style-tactics/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) ## More by Aaron James > [“of view, may show that he is not getting the respect he deserves. Although our theory is a definition of the term “asshole,” we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/of-view-may-show-that-he-is-not-getting-the-respect-he-deserves/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“Fully cooperative people, we may say, see themselves as equals, as having grounds for special treatment only in special circumstances that others will equally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/fully-cooperative-people-we-may-say-see-themselves-as-equals-as/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“and third things a theory of assholes should explain are related and must be handled with greater care. The second thing to explain is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/and-third-things-a-theory-of-assholes-should-explain-are-related-and/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“To summarize, then, our three requirements for a good theory of assholes are as follows. We are looking for (1) a stable trait of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/to-summarize-then-our-three-requirements-for-a-good-theory-of/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“That is why otherwise coolheaded people fall into a fit of rage or lash out at the asshole: they are fighting to be recognized.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/that-is-why-otherwise-coolheaded-people-fall-into-a-fit-of-rage-or/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“According to Rousseau, healthy self-love does not require comparing oneself to others at all; feeling worthy does not necessarily involve feeling superior to someone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/according-to-rousseau-healthy-self-love-does-not-require-comparing/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“The asshole not only takes special privileges but refuses to listen when people complain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/the-asshole-not-only-takes-special-privileges-but-refuses-to-listen/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“The fight can become extraordinarily frustrating because the asshole usually wins: his sense of entitlement is entrenched, so there is usually no getting through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/the-fight-can-become-extraordinarily-frustrating-because-the-asshole/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“However misguided, the asshole is morally motivated. He is fundamentally different from the psychopath, who either lacks or fails to engage moral concepts, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/however-misguided-the-asshole-is-morally-motivated-he-is/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“The asshole is not just another annoying person but a deeply bothersome person—bothersome enough to trigger feelings of powerlessness, fear, or rage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/the-asshole-is-not-just-another-annoying-person-but-a-deeply/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“one of our basic moral responsibilities is to hear people out, to at least take seriously the reasons they give for wanting to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/one-of-our-basic-moral-responsibilities-is-to-hear-people-out-to-at/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“The asshole, by contrast, traffics in and is moved by moral justification—except that moral justification, for him, leads to an entrenched sense of special…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/the-asshole-by-contrast-traffics-in-and-is-moved-by-moral/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“The key is to understand why we are easily tempted to fight on the asshole’s terms: we are fighting for moral recognition in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/the-key-is-to-understand-why-we-are-easily-tempted-to-fight-on-the/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“answer to our initial question: What is it for someone to be an asshole?4 If nothing else, a good answer—a good theory of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/answer-to-our-initial-question-what-is-it-for-someone-to-be-an/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) > [“When anyone seems to be provoking you, remember that it is only your judgement of the incident that provokes you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/when-anyone-seems-to-be-provoking-you-remember-that-it-is-only-your/) [Aaron James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) [Explore all 19 Aaron James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/) ## More Asshole quotes > [“Light it up, bitch.' 'Light it up, asshole,' ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/light-it-up-bitch-light-it-up-asshole/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [Hated By many Trash Talked By Many Guess How Many Fucks I Give Its Less Than One Asshole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karal/hated-by-many-trash-talked-by-many-guess-how-many-fucks-i-give-its/) Karal > [Sphincter is a Technical word for asshole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sphincter-is-a-technical-word-for-asshole/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When someone describes themself as a taxpayer, they're about to be an asshole.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/when-someone-describes-themself-as-a-taxpayer-they-re-about-to-be-an/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [“The asshole slipped Peggy a five-spot to bring him his burger first. Never trust a man with a penis.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/the-asshole-slipped-peggy-a-five-spot-to-bring-him-his-burger-first/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [Dream big, work hard and don't be an asshole!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-shinoda/dream-big-work-hard-and-don-t-be-an-asshole/) [Mike Shinoda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-shinoda/) > [Broken hearts are for assholes, are you an asshole?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/broken-hearts-are-for-assholes-are-you-an-asshole/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [“When she had asked him how he was able to kill two men with his bare hands, he had gone into asshole mode, telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-taylor/when-she-had-asked-him-how-he-was-able-to-kill-two-men-with-his-bare/) Brad Taylor > [“It was official. I was an asshole with a permanently broken heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/it-was-official-i-was-an-asshole-with-a-permanently-broken-heart/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [If you are an asshole, we can be best Friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/if-you-are-an-asshole-we-can-be-best-friends/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“Did I ever tell you about the man who taught his asshole to talk? His whole abdomen would move up and down, you dig,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/did-i-ever-tell-you-about-the-man-who-taught-his-asshole-to-talk-his/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“She really liked you, Noah,' 'Yeah, well, maybe I'm just an asshole.' I realize my hand is still in his hair and I retract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-wicks/she-really-liked-you-noah-yeah-well-maybe-i-m-just-an-asshole-i/) [Becky Wicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-wicks/) > [I'm nice until you piss me off...then I'm an asshole until you make me laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerett-parker/i-m-nice-until-you-piss-me-off-then-i-m-an-asshole-until-you-make-me/) [Jerett Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerett-parker/) > [Just because I don't fuck you anymore doesn't make me a lesbian.It just makes you an asshole.!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simi-ngr/just-because-i-don-t-fuck-you-anymore-doesn-t-make-me-a-lesbian-it/) [Simi Ngr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simi-ngr/) > [“Christ, what an asshole!" Babette said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/christ-what-an-asshole-babette-said/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) Browse all 489 Asshole quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Our theory is simply this: a person counts as an asshole when, and only when, he systematically allows himself to enjoy special advantages in interpersonal relations out of an entrenched sense of entitlement that immunizes him against the complaints of other people. (Because assholes are by and large men, we use the masculine pronoun “he” advisedly. We will suggest that women can be assholes as well. For the time being, think of Ann Coulter.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aaron James" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-counts-as-an-asshole-when-and-only/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asshole" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-counts-as-an-asshole-when-and-only/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/aaron-james-28681_sense-of-entitlement_our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-count_2221096.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/aaron-james-28681_sense-of-entitlement_our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-count_2221096.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/aaron-james-28681_sense-of-entitlement_our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-count_2221096.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our theory is simply this: a person counts as an asshole when, and only when, he systematically allows…” — Aaron James", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Aaron James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-james/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Our theory is simply this: a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-counts-as-an-asshole-when-and-only/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-james/our-theory-is-simply-this-a-person-counts-as-an-asshole-when-and-only/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```