In the case of students, increasingly high academic standards are required for success and there are greater penalties for failure. But at the same time there are more distractions requiring more will-power to resist. The proliferation of alternative cultures and lifestyles, many based on simple and beguiling philosophies, offer easy refuge for those disinclined to personal effort. In addition, there is also a reduced or non-existent sense of gratitude for financial assistance provided as a right by the state and local authorities, thereby reducing the incentive to effort to some degree.