The article explores the concept of entitlement through the lens of Buddhist philosophys Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination. The Twelve Links are as follows

1. Ignorance (avijja)
2. Mental formations (sankhara)
3. Consciousness (viññana)
4. Name and form (nama-rupa)
5. The six sense bases (salayatana)
6. Contact (phassa)
7. Feeling (vedana)
8. Craving (tanha)
9. Clinging (upadana)
10. Becoming (bhava)
11. Birth (jati)
12. Old age and death (jara-marana)

The article explains each of the Twelve Links and their relevance to the concept of entitlement. Ignorance refers to a fundamental misunderstanding of reality, including a misunderstanding of the interdependent nature of all things and a lack of understanding of the limits of ones own rights and privileges. Mental formations refer to habitual patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that arise from ignorance. Consciousness is the faculty of awareness and perception that arises in response to mental formations. Name and form refer to the psychophysical constituents that make up a sentient being. The six sense bases include the physical senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch) and the mind. Contact refers to the interaction of the sense bases with external objects. Feeling refers to the subjective experience that arises from contact. Craving refers to the desire or attachment that arises in response to feeling. Clinging refers to the intensified attachment to objects of craving, leading to further entanglement in samsara. Becoming refers to the karmic process of becoming that results from clinging, leading to the formation of a new existence. Birth refers to the actual birth or coming into existence of a new being. Old age and death refer to the inevitable process of aging and dying, which in Buddhist philosophy is seen as part of the cycle of existence and rebirth.

The article suggests ways to break the cycle at each point of the Twelve Nidanas of Dependent Origination as they relate to the example of entitlement. For example, breaking the cycle at the point of ignorance involves developing understanding and knowledge of the interdependent nature of all things and the limits of ones own rights and privileges. Breaking the cycle at the point of mental formations involves identifying and challenging habitual patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that arise from ignorance. To break the cycle at the point of contact, one can investigate the ways in which contact reinforces ones views and biases, and cultivate openness to differing views.