My Privilege Affects Everything I Write

I can sympathize and empathize, but I might never understand.

Matthew Maniaci
Thing a Day

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A sign taped to a wall that reads “Recognize your own white privilege. Have the uncomfortable talk with family/friends. Make change!”
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

As of this writing, I have published over 950 articles here, including 765 on the Thing a Day. I write about a lot of big, broad topics, which can include a wide variety of things: racial inequity, end-stage capitalism, religion, American culture wars, and LGBTQIA+ issues, among many others. I also write about things that are personal to me — my bipolar disorder, the things that I like and dislike, my day job, and the experiences that I’ve had.

And, as with any writer who observes the world around them, my experiences color my perspective. Whenever possible, I try to remind everyone that I come from a place of privilege. I seek to qualify my words whenever I can, and although I don’t always cover every base, I feel like I do a decent job.

And, while I try to write with some level of understanding, in the end, I am a straight cis white guy with a middle-class life and an upper-middle-class upbringing. I am the kind of person that American society was designed to please, at least in such a way as to encourage me to support the billionaire oligarchs who society is really designed to please.

I don’t really have a good idea of what it’s like to be AFAB or female-presenting, BIPOC, a member of the…

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Matthew Maniaci
Thing a Day

I write about everything from my experience with mental illness to politics to philosophy. Much of my so-called "wisdom" is from Tumblr dot com. He/him/his.