What is privilege after all? Is it something you own or does it in fact own you?
Actually the privilege you have exists only by comparison to someone else. It is not otherwise a thing in itself.
Yet we have somehow come to consider it an important and valuable aspect of who we are.
You may not brag about it or consciously think you are better because of it.
But stop for a moment.
Consider all the people and places NOT on your wish list for trading what you think you have.
Perhaps you aspire in some way to "trade up" as it were - might be difficult to find someone interested in considering your offer.
So what to do with it? If you are curious, I would offer that you might learn to see through whatever way in which you find yourself privileged compared to others.
See through to where you can acknowledge and appreciate all the myriad ways in which you and these others are the same
Perhaps slowly, carefully, not all at once, allow some degree, of reveling in the extraordinary sameness you share with them.
This is called connection, and connection trumps privilege any day.
photo: linen bobbin lace figure by Luba Krejči 1966
I really like how you define privilege in terms of relationship, something that “exists only by comparison to someone else”. I heard a powerful comment recently from someone in a monthly discussion group in which I participate, to the effect that he tried to always keep in mind that his privileged life was dependent upon the hard work (and possibly suffering) of countless unknown others whose difficult livelihoods were producing the goods and services that made his own life so comfortable. Would that all of us living our privileged lives could recognize our sameness and our connection with others.
Nice!
I really like how you define privilege in terms of relationship, something that “exists only by comparison to someone else”. I heard a powerful comment recently from someone in a monthly discussion group in which I participate, to the effect that he tried to always keep in mind that his privileged life was dependent upon the hard work (and possibly suffering) of countless unknown others whose difficult livelihoods were producing the goods and services that made his own life so comfortable. Would that all of us living our privileged lives could recognize our sameness and our connection with others.