“You’re talking from your privilege!” was an ad hominem argument from an acquaintance of mine a year ago. It has become a dead-beat argument, just like “Nazi” or “Snowflake” or other ad hominem that have little to do with the issue, but are made to distract. Which gives me the idea to write up a post about common deflective and distractive pseudo-arguments. But that’s not important right now.
The truth is – it’s true. We all have privilege. Just being able to sit here and work on a computer, write things down, share them in my spare time (having spare time) is a huge privilege. And the deeper you go down the rabbit hole, the more privilege you will find, down to the most basic needs like having enough food and access to water to eat and drink whenever you feel like it. Remember the “Children in Africa are starving!” that our parents used to motivate us to eat? It’s true, too.
Perspective matters.
I believe it’s good to take an investigative look at one’s privileges from time to time. Not to feel guilt, but to put things into perspective. To get a good idea of how we’re standing in the world, in that particular moment. Being able to honestly assess that is a healthy mechanism to keep oneself in check, to neither waver too much towards the depressive side (my life is the worst!), nor towards the over-achievement side (I need more!). It can keep us nicely balanced.
The current strikes here are a good example. We have a lot of people being very angry and desperate because they’re not making any money, but will have to pay rent at the beginning of the month. But they have a business. Then there are those who can’t work, so they don’t get paid. But they have a job. And then there are those, and they are way too many, who don’t have either. And then there are those who must decide between using the little money for the school bus or food.
And so on…
One of the most important privileges I enjoy is the capacity to think ahead, brought to me by family (mom’s side, to be honest), culture (Germans, you know…) and education. I don’t have to worry about my business, I have Plan B – M, more or less. I can keep paying wages, help out friends, organize for my community, even though revenue is down around 60%. I can do so for several weeks, because I lived through many emergency situations in Ecuador and am well prepared for most (eruption of the nearby volcano not included).
But everybody could do that!
Sure. But you need the right base settings for that. You need to learn how to plan ahead. How to save up, manage emergency funds, be rational about it. Everybody could, but not everybody can. There are some privileges that come through coincidence – nationality, sex, skin color, monetary class, looks, and so on. Yet many others stem from upbringing, the values and attitudes we’re taught when young. And others come from formal education. If you’re not lucky enough to receive all that, it's quite difficult to obtain them afterwards.
It’s not a bad thing.
I remember the “discussion” that I mentioned in the beginning. The other person was herself very privileged, but hated it. I think she wanted to get rid of the stink of privilege to be like the rest. Make everyone equal takes away the privilege, removing her own privilege would solve that. Make her whole again. Make her coherent. Maybe that wasn’t the case, but I knew people thinking like that back in my university years. After arriving here in Ecuador, I learned something very important:
It’s not about the privilege itself, it’s about how you use it.
You can use it to keep people down, or to lift them up. You can use power for the well-being of many, or of yourself and a few. You can use knives to prepare food, or to kill. For a long time now, I’ve been using my privilege to bring people up to my level. Or at least trying. Yes, I cherry pick, as I can’t do it for everyone, so I choose those that are most likely to succeed and do the same. People within my community who will not benefit as single persons but understand the importance of community and will give back. Who won’t take the privilege and use it to suppress others, but just like me, will use it to elevate them.
Shame!
As a German, I learned early on that I don’t have to feel shame for something that is out of my control. I’m not ashamed for what my grandparents’ generation did. I can’t be, I wasn’t even there. I can only be aware of it, and hold myself responsible for not letting it happen again. Or trying to, as always, I mean, I’m not that powerful. Same goes for my privilege. Being aware of it, staying aware of it, reminding myself of it helps me to stay on the ground. Knowing that though I worked by butt of, a lot of my success is not just my effort, and that not everyone can just replicate it. That I can’t expect people to even try.
Checking my privilege from time to time also sets a better base line for my empathy. For my willingness to help. And one very important thing – it tells me how rich I am, how much I have, how incredibly awesome my life is and that even if something inconceivably bad happens, it would still be pretty good.
I guess I’m an optimist after all.
What are your thoughts about this topic? Please feel free to engage in any original way, including dropping links to your posts on similar topics. I'm happy to read (and curate) any quality content that is not created by LLM/AI, as well as read your own experience and point of view, I love to learn!
