06-05-2018, 03:55 PM
I thought it would be worthwhile to have a conversation about privilege outside one of the topical threads.
There are a lot of things that are privileges. Being aware of how you're privileged, or being asked to think about how you're privileged when others aren't, are not bad things. As humans almost all of us believe that our lived experiences is the same as other peoples', and that's very rarely the case. Even twins, raised together in the same house by the same parents can have very different lived experiences, and when we assume that the way we experience the world is or should be universal, we diminish the lived experiences of other people.
It's worth spending a few minutes just thinking about privilege without whatever connotations you've built on it from active discussions elsewhere (in news cycles, popular culture, etc) and just think about what life would be like without them. Being privileged isn't inherently wrong in any way, but it's important to recognize that other people aren't coming to the table with the same assumptions and expectations.
There are a lot of things that are privileges. Being aware of how you're privileged, or being asked to think about how you're privileged when others aren't, are not bad things. As humans almost all of us believe that our lived experiences is the same as other peoples', and that's very rarely the case. Even twins, raised together in the same house by the same parents can have very different lived experiences, and when we assume that the way we experience the world is or should be universal, we diminish the lived experiences of other people.
It's worth spending a few minutes just thinking about privilege without whatever connotations you've built on it from active discussions elsewhere (in news cycles, popular culture, etc) and just think about what life would be like without them. Being privileged isn't inherently wrong in any way, but it's important to recognize that other people aren't coming to the table with the same assumptions and expectations.