35 Times People Forgot Their Privilege And Revealed They Don't Get How The Real World Works

A person is considered more privileged if they have any special rights or advantages compared to others. Many people are uncomfortable thinking of themselves as being more fortunate than others because it might seem like they are living a better life. 

This can be a difficult topic to process, which is why Bored Panda reached out to Martin Vidal to help simplify the topic. He is the author of ‘A Guide for Ambitious People’ and a frequent contributor to a wide swathe of publications. He writes on philosophical and psychological issues, as well as on political issues, in concert with his activism work in South Florida.

He mentioned that “the major reason that people refuse to acknowledge their privilege is because of the implication that whatever benefits they might be enjoying were not fully earned by them. It can undermine their conception of self to concede that they might have had things relatively easy. Let’s say, then, that the first barrier is ego and insecurity.”

“The second is that privilege falls under the general [shortsightedness] that clouds our awareness on all sides. It’s very hard to know what we don’t know and to recognize what might be outside of our lived experience. Our conception of reality is based on where we stand within it,” he added.

The reason behind so many privileged people on this list saying and doing such out-of-touch things is that they truly might not realize how fortunate they are. It can be annoying for other people to hear them treat their blessings so casually, but it’s simply that they see it as typical for their life.

To understand this in greater depth, we also reached out to Michael Karson (Ph.D., J.D., A.B.P.P.). He said: “Think of walking into a store where you look like the kind of person who is welcome there, such as your local grocery store, perhaps. You don't think about whether you belong.”

“Now think of walking into a store in a very different neighborhood, and now you are self-conscious and situation-conscious. Not having to worry about whether you belong is a delight you don't even recognize,” he explained. 

Michael also explained that the way to remedy this is to “read literature, go to the theater, listen to other people. More directly, we can ask ourselves how situations might have played out differently if the race, gender, or other traits of the participants were changed. Even more directly, we can do this even when the encounter seemed unremarkable to us.”

When people become aware of their privilege it might be difficult to go back to the old ways they used to think and act. This can actually be beneficial because it comes with more awareness about society and how different factors like age, religion, gender, race, and wealth play a role in our everyday lives.

Once this way of thinking kicks in, it’s very important to acknowledge how fortunate we are and work towards ensuring other people also get a chance to be so blessed. This also includes speaking up for minorities whenever possible and standing up for those who don’t have as much power as we do.

In case it becomes difficult to always check your privilege, there are certain simple ways of doing it that anyone can try. Martin Vidal mentioned that people can “think and listen! I’ve written a lot about critical moments in my past when I’ve had revelations about my privilege. They came in unserious ways at first because I wasn’t actively looking for them.” 

“For example, one was from the Barbie movie: at the end, when I saw the Supreme Court with all women on it, I reflexively thought, ‘well, in a happy ending, couldn’t it have had some men on the court too?’ This was immediately followed up by the thought, ‘silly man, something like this has been women’s reality for ages!’” he added.

The best part about living in a society is that so many people with different lived experiences can come together and contribute to the collective good. Recognizing one’s privilege is the first step toward creating a more equal society like that where all people can enjoy a safe, comfortable, and happy life.

What do you think are some privileges that you might be taking for granted, like the people on this list? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below.