Part of being Privileged is not having to think about being Privileged

[Sunstone]

I've heard it said that part of being privileged is not having to think about how you privileged.

If you're White, you don't need to think about -- and you can even deny without consequence to you -- that 80% of the police stop and searches in your neighborhood happen to young men of color.

If you are a male in a society that does not allow women to drive, you need not reflect much on how inconvenient, limiting, or infantilizing that might be for a female in your society.

If you're rich and live in a neighborhood with access to full line grocery stores, you do not need to be aware of how limited the food options are to poor people living in neighborhoods with no full line grocery stores.

It seems that there are few, if any, negative consequences to being ignorant of your own privileged position in society.

Or are there? What do you think?

 

[Reverend Rick]

Life is like a crap sandwich, the more bread you have, the less crap you have to eat. :slap:

 

[Me Myself]

Yes and no.

You are describing a privilege that doesnt go away, like the ones that come from skin or gender.

People should know driving is a privelege and act in the knowledge that it will be taken away if abused.

 

[Alceste]

I think the disadvantages are not being able to relate or empathize with those outside your privileged group, and in the case of ultimate privilege (white heterosexual first world adult male), you tend to underestimate the severity of problems and overestimate the likelihood the "leaders" of your society will be able to fix them. The result of that is that nobody bothers to fix the most outrageous problems. Yes, I am thinking of global warming and peak oil, thanks for asking.

 

[Mercy Not Sacrifice]

I've heard it said that part of being privileged is not having to think about how you privileged.

If you're White, you don't need to think about -- and you can even deny without consequence to you -- that 80% of the police stop and searches in your neighborhood happen to young men of color.

If you are a male in a society that does not allow women to drive, you need not reflect much on how inconvenient, limiting, or infantilizing that might be for a female in your society.

If you're rich and live in a neighborhood with access to full line grocery stores, you do not need to be aware of how limited the food options are to poor people living in neighborhoods with no full line grocery stores.

It seems that there are few, if any, negative consequences to being ignorant of your own privileged position in society.

Or are there? What do you think?

You pretty much nailed it. That is one of the key aspects of any sort of privilege: it is almost invisible to those who receive it. And when pointed out, the defensiveness often takes the form of denial, attempting to justify the situation by singling out convenient cases or distorted facts (ex., "look at all the shootings in black neighborhoods").

Admitting that I am an undeserved benefactor of white, male, heterosexual privilege was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. But ironically, once I finally was able to, it was strangely...freeing. Besides, one could argue that it gives me more credibility to point out the Christian privilege that I no longer enjoy (but the trade was well worth it).

 

[Quagmire]

I've heard it said that part of being privileged is not having to think about how you privileged.

If you're White, you don't need to think about -- and you can even deny without consequence to you -- that 80% of the police stop and searches in your neighborhood happen to young men of color.

If you are a male in a society that does not allow women to drive, you need not reflect much on how inconvenient, limiting, or infantilizing that might be for a female in your society.

If you're rich and live in a neighborhood with access to full line grocery stores, you do not need to be aware of how limited the food options are to poor people living in neighborhoods with no full line grocery stores.

It seems that there are few, if any, negative consequences to being ignorant of your own privileged position in society.

Or are there? What do you think?

(emphasis mine) Yes: lack of gratitude for what you have. Once you start taking something for granted, you might as well have lost it, because it doesn't mean anything to you anymore.

The real downside is that even once privileges and advantages have lost their meaning, that doesn't mean we've lost our dependence on them. At that point, privileges just turn into needs, so instead of winding up happier, you just wind up needier.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

I think the disadvantages are not being able to relate or empathize with those outside your privileged group, and in the case of ultimate privilege (white heterosexual first world adult male), you tend to underestimate the severity of problems and overestimate the likelihood the "leaders" of your society will be able to fix them. The result of that is that nobody bothers to fix the most outrageous problems. Yes, I am thinking of global warming and peak oil, thanks for asking.

Pft. Sorry but the ultimate privilege group has nothing to do with white heterosexual first world adult male... its got entirely do do with wealth. If you have enough wealth it does not matter if you are purple-skinned hippo-loviong space-colonial prepubescent and transgendered.

 

[Revoltingest]

The best part of privilege is enjoying it.
The 2nd best part is extending it to others.

 

[Quagmire]

The best part of privilege is enjoying it.
The 2nd best part is extending it to others.

And then there's gloating. :yes:

 

[Revoltingest]

And then there's gloating. :yes:

OK, maybe mine were #2 & #3.

 

[I.S.L.A.M617]

The only negative consequence I can think of is the chance that you might find yourself alone surrounded by a bunch of people who don't have that privilege and things could get ugly. But, as long as you stay in your bubble, life is perfect.

 

[I.S.L.A.M617]

And then there's gloating. :yes:

Hell yeah. Nothing better than taping yourself swimming during a drought.

 

[Revoltingest]

The only negative consequence I can think of is the chance that you might find yourself alone surrounded by a bunch of people who don't have that privilege and things could get ugly. But, as long as you stay in your bubble, life is perfect.

I thought that lesser folk revered there betters, & strove to serve them.
No?

 

[Quagmire]

Hell yeah. Nothing better than taping yourself swimming during a drought.

I like to ask homeless people if they have change for a hundred.

 

[Revoltingest]

I like to ask homeless people if they have change for a hundred.

I just ask them for spare change.

 

[I.S.L.A.M617]

I thought that lesser folk revered there betters, & strove to serve them.
No?

They've somehow gotten the idea that they're "equal" (whatever the hell that means)... I blame the gays and those ever-so-sneaky Gypsies...

 

[I.S.L.A.M617]

I just ask them for spare change.

I tell them I don't have change, skip away so they can hear my pockets jingle, buy a bottle of liquor with my change, then pour it on the street in front of them.

 

[Revoltingest]

A strong sense of theater you have!

 

[Quagmire]

I tell them I don't have change, skip away so they can hear my pockets jingle, buy a bottle of liquor with my change, then pour it on the street in front of them.

You sir, are an artist.

 

[I.S.L.A.M617]

Thank you, thank you. No more applause, please; you're making me blush...