Rights without Duties are just Demands: Raising Grateful Leaders in an Entitled Age

“But it’s my right!”

If you are a parent to a tween or a teen, you’ve likely heard this phrase. Maybe it was about staying up late, getting a new phone, or choosing what to wear. As someone passionate about human rights, I usually love hearing those words. It means our children are growing up aware that they have a voice. But lately, I’ve noticed a worrying trend: we are teaching our children all about their Rights, but we are forgetting to talk about the Duties that keep those rights alive.

When a child understands their rights but ignores their duties, they don’t become a leader; they become entitled. A Right without a Duty is just a demand. It’s like wanting to drive a fast car without ever learning how the brakes work. It feels powerful for a second, but eventually, it leads to a crash.

Rights and Duties are like two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other. Think of it this way: your child has a Right to a clean park to play in. But that right only exists because everyone else has a Duty not to litter. If everyone only demands the right to a clean park but ignores the duty to keep it clean, the park disappears.

This is the psychological “Superpower” I want to share with our children.

Many kids think Duties are just extra chores—like cleaning their room or doing homework. But in my new book, The Superhero Formula, I reframe this entirely. I want our children to see that Duty is the “Responsibility Suit” of a hero. A hero doesn’t just show up and demand things be better; a hero is the person who steps up to make them better.

When we teach our children that they have a duty to respect others, to protect public property, and to stand up for the environment, we aren’t giving them more work. We are giving them character. We are teaching them that their power (their Rights) is fueled by their integrity (their Duties).

This is how we raise grateful leaders instead of entitled ones.

A grateful leader looks at a public library and says, “I have the right to use these books, so I have the duty to return them in good condition for the next kid.” That shift in thinking—from “What do I get?” to “What do I uphold?”—is the spark that will change the fate of India.

In The Superhero Formula, I use sci-fi and time travel to show kids exactly what happens to a future where people forget their duties. It’s not a lecture; it’s an adventure. It teaches them that being a citizen of a strong nation isn’t a passive role. It’s an active, exciting mission.

As parents, we want to give our children everything. But the best gift isn’t a gadget or a luxury; it’s a moral compass. It’s the knowledge that they have the power to change the world, provided they are willing to do the right thing when no one is watching.

Let’s help our children trade their demands for dedication. Because at the end of the day, a strong, powerful India isn’t built on what we take. It is built on what we uphold.

About the Author

Indu Balakrishnan is deeply passionate about Human Rights and Duties and is the author of The Superhero Formula Starts with You, a book designed to empower the next generation of Indian leaders through the magic of the Constitution.

Awards & Honors

Rabindranath Tagore Hall of Fame Award – Outstanding Contribution as an Excellent Author,

Welred Foundation (Non-Profit Organization)

Pride of Bharat Award 2025,

I Can Foundation

International Achievers’ Award 2025,

Gyan Uday Foundation

Tamil Nadu State Award – Children’s Literature (Fiction),

Indian Literature and Arts Society

Sahitya Sparsh Award 2026 – Best Fiction

Amazon Link:

https://www.amazon.in/Superhero-Formula-Starts-You/dp/B0FD367236