Owning Your Privilege
It’s simple — you cannot form an equation of a state without factoring in all the variables. Similarly, you can’t understand a situation fully without gathering in all possible perspectives which, considering the human constraints of empathy, is very nearly impossible to do.
Privilege is a funny thing — those who have it the most haven’t the faintest idea they do.
We know how it’s obvious things like having access to education, to equality, to food. But it’s also being allowed to do simple fundamental things like going where you want, loving who you want or wearing what you want without a second thought.
If we truly believe that our experiences and circumstances shape us to be who we are today, we must also consequently believe that the lack of experience often leaves us ignorant.
I’m sure you don’t like being called ignorant, and that’s fair! You’ve done your fair share of reading, you know your history, you’ve seen the pictures. Surely you can imagine how bad things can get!
But you see, the thing is, if you’re not on the side of history that society seems to ardently oppose (by being economically well-to-do/ straight/male/smart/mentally healthy/attractive/fit — to name a few); chances are that you don’t. And that’s not a bad thing, none of us really do, and all we can actually do is sympathize and try to give them the benefit of the doubt.
As I understand it, it starts with recognizing your privilege, and essentially coming to the understanding that you just don’t know enough about the world. For a bit of perspective — I’ve been lucky enough to be born to a well-to-do family, have a decent metabolism and be predominantly straight. I am, however, a girl. Despite having the advantages I do, there are issues this gender faces- like being afraid to walk out when it’s late, or spending the week before my periods with anxiety, or having cramps ruin a few of my exams — that invisibly hinders my efficiency and growth. Like a good majority of us, there are times I’ve been teased, objectified and made uncomfortable in situations that have affected my mental state and restricted how I would have handled situations.
As mentioned, in general, I consider myself extremely privileged in terms of my circumstances and the rights I have. Despite that, if I, just by being a girl, had a point of view that many wouldn’t immediately think about, what of the others?
Everyone has a story to tell that can’t be told. So do you!
Just because everyone’s setbacks aren’t blatantly obvious to us, doesn’t the least bit invalidate them or make them cease to exist. And this works in so many ways! I don’t see how we are qualified to comment on anything unless we’ve personally experienced it. We can’t criticize someone medically depressed for being lazy. We don’t know what it’s like to love someone and have the world deem your love as illegal. We have no idea, residing in modernized cities, how falling under a certain caste results in discrimination and loss of rights in areas where casteism is prevalent. And same goes to say for racism and sexism and ableism and whatever-else-is-majority-ism. To say that certain problems do not exist or that those problems aren’t bad enough because you haven’t faced them yourself is self-centred and ignorant, and causes a lot of harm.
Understanding your privilege involves the painful process of unlearning and relearning, and finally understanding that the world is more than what we perceive — an idea that is inherently against how we’ve learnt to live. Which is hard also because we don’t like thinking of ourselves as the bad guys, or admitting that we simply do not know. But, brave through it. Be kinder, be more understanding. Leave more space in your narrative for people or situations you can’t understand, and use your privilege to uphold them and make things better. Together, we can make the world a little less harsh than it has to be :)
