It’s easy to take so much of one’s life for granted. The entire concept of privilege revolves around the idea that going through life without noticing major issues is a privilege all in of itself. So it can help to expand one’s horizons a bit and learn from other’s experiences.
Someone asked “What's a privilege people act as if it isn't?” and netizens shared the examples they have encountered in their own lives. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorite examples and be sure to share your own thoughts, stories and experiences in the comments section below.
#1
A fully functioning body. A strong immune system.
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#14
Being raised well, some of us had are developmental years torn to pieces, feels like being set up to fail as an adult, has you wondering if your parents ever liked you, or if if they were just stupid.
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#17
Having electricity, then never having it go out.
mysecondaccount27: I remember watching a TV show when I was really young where the power went out at the school and everyone freaked out and got scared. I was so confused as to why they were acting like it was a big deal. That's the day I found out that in first world countries, power going out is a very rare occurence, and usually means something extreme (weather etc). In my country, it's just a regular thing. It's rarer these days (goes out maybe once every one or two weeks) but at the time, it was happening every few days.
Blew my mind.
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#21
Whole crews going around gathering up garbage. Clean water flowing directly to your house. Sanitation is crucial for a healthy society.
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Having a pet of any kind. The vet bills , decent food, appropriate training, equipment.
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Financial stability.
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#32
The capacity to earn a living.
#33
Being able to afford to take time off i cant tell you how many times i will say "i cant afford to take anymore days off" and i get asked why.... because i cant afford to go a day with out pay.
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#58
Supportive parents.
People coming from loving families don't even get how lucky they are.Having running water. You’d be surprised how much of the world does not have that. When I was growing up as a kid in northwest India, we used to make a human chain to get water from the community tap. My mom at the head fending off others and putting our vessel. Then me, my middle sister and then my eldest sister who would go an pour it in a big vessel. We had several of those big vessels. That was our water storage. After pooping, we would fill a small bucket to flush the toilet. It was only after I was around the college going age and started earning money after taking tuitions of younger kids and my sister got a government job that we could afford water and a pump to fill a big tank on the rooftop and get a semblance of running water.A sane mind, and to keep it that way.Honestly, being born in a first world country.Having friends or at least a decently stable group of friends to count on.Complaining about your government freely.Being physically attractive is a major privilege that doesn’t really get acknowledged.Eating what you want and being able to afford it . ( m not talking about gold flakes on a burger or caviar , just like simple dumplings or even salad or even bread and butter )
As a kid I grew up in a communist “paradise” . At some point towards the end of the regime things got so bad - we had to eat cabbage and potatoes ( and NOTHING ELSE) for the entire winter - for about 4 months .
When I tasted sunflower oil after that - it tasted like ambrosia .Time. If I have to take the bus while you use your car, we do not have the same 24 hours in a day.
EDIT: I think y'all are too focused on my example. Also, sure, you might be able to read on a bus, but you can't do your laundry.
If you can afford a housekeeping service and I can't, we don't have the same 24 hours in a day.
If you can afford a lawnmowing service and I can't, we don't have the same 24 hours in a day.
If you have to care for an ailing parent and I don't, we don't have the same 24 hours in a day.
If you have to work two jobs to pay off some debt your ex saddled you with when they split and I don't, we don't have the same 24 hours in a day.
If you have a physical handicap that makes navigating the world more time consuming and I don't, we don't have the same 24 hours in a day.
If you have a chronic health condition that requires frequent medical appointments and I don't, we don't have the same 24 hours in a day.
And time equals opportunity for: exercise, doctors appointments, hobbies, socializing, more work, improving living situation, etc.
Time is a privilege.Having a job with a regular schedule and guaranteed days off on holidays for sure.Being healthy. I was diagnosed with my first chronic illness at 15, I’m 32 and I’m f*****g exhausted. I loathe people who say “you’re too young to be tired!” Those people have really never known true physical suffering.Working from home. People who don't have to squeeze time out to wake up early, shower, dress, rush their breakfast and get stuck in a traffic for 40 minutes have more time than us who have to go to work in office daily. Talk about having time to clean the house, save money on cooking at home and exercising after work. The time we lost is the time you gained.Having strong teeth.OWNING a house, even if your parents are the one who own it.Being neurotypical and not genetically predisposed to mental illness.Opportunity. I have a few affluent friends that, in high school, were able to get excellent grades and extremely high SAT scores because their parents had wealth and, therefore, could provide them opportunities for support. For example, one friend, who is now a psychiatrist, was 3rd in our class of 600+ kids because his grades were amazing. After school he’d go home and study and his parents paid for SAT prep courses, giving him ample opportunity to succeed. Meanwhile, after school I would go to work because my parents had little money, so car payments, gas, clothes, school lunches, cell phone, etc. fell to me. That’s 5 hours I didn’t have to dedicate to studying. People take things like this for granted.Travelling. Hearing people talking about how you're closed minded if you don't travel, as if everybody gets the choice.Being able to go to college.Basic medicine, especially for children. I know that the modern medical system has its flaws but kids used to die from stuff that is cured by $5 in medicine now is wild. .Leaving the home and being able to return safely everyday.Never having food insecurity. Some people have access to so much food that it would make others' heads spin.The privilege of having Wi-Fi so fast it could outrun a cheetah, yet complaining when a webpage takes more than three seconds to load.Voting in a democracy.Assuming that the police will show up and help.Having good social skills. If you're a people person it's very easy to make connections and get places in life. Pretty much every career requires being at least decently good with people, and if you really want to succeed it's a requirement.
It's not always just confidence either, because being confident but lacking the proper interpersonal skills will usually just get you branded a creep or weirdo. It's an art and certain people just seem to "get it" better than others. It's possible to learn and improve if you have poor social skills, but it can be very difficult if not impossible for certain folks, especially those who are neurodivergent.
I believe people skills are probably the biggest driver of career success honestly. Your skills and resume matter less if you can get people to like you and make connections easily. Anyone hoping to get into a management or executive role absolutely must not only have good communication skills but be quite adept at making friends and navigating difficult social situations.
For those of us with disabilities that hinder social skills, like anxiety or autism, or simply people who are not naturally extroverted, it can be a massive roadblock to success.Libraries.Not having to support your parents. I was encouraging a friend to move away from grad school but they let me know it’s not that easy seeing how she supported her family financially. I always viewed moving away being “hard” on your family was just an emotional thing. I never took me and my siblings ability to move away without considering the financial impact on our parents/family.Going out to eat (with table service, I mean.) That was a rare thing when I was growing up.Growing old. Not everyone gets the opportunity.Having options.A good passport.Being well socialized, and able to talk to people efficiently.
I think a lot of folks don’t realize that social anxiety can really put up obstacles, like even something as simple and menial as asking a stranger for directions seems terrifying.Brushing your teeth with sink water. I've been living in southeast asia for a while, and its a weird little thing I miss.Getting time to workout for 1 or 2 hours 4-5 days a week. It’s such an underrated privilege. Very few understand it.Your “rights.”
The only rights we have are the ones we’re allowed to keep.
Every time I hear someone say “He can’t do that!” No… he totally can. He really *shouldn’t*, but here we are.Eating fresh fruit.A decent personal computer.Driving.Not having a learning disability and being stuck in garbage IEP classes that have students learning way behind the rest of their peers while getting screwed over with no child left behind.
So many people ive seen graduate high school only to be left in the dust and not be able to handle college at all because it's a massive leap from being stuck in those lower level classes.Not always. But often: Spontaneity.
For many, it just shows how rich in time and /or money they are. They don't care about the negative consequences spontaneity can bring. Because they don't apply to them.
*They can afford an evening to not work out, since they have time for many more evenings like this.*
*They can afford to miss the concert because they can easily book the next one.*
*They can afford to book the train or airbnb last minute, because they have the financial freedom to do so.*.Family.Being in a healthy romantic relationship. Easy for some people, near impossible for someone like me.Being able to live with your parents as an adult.In the U.S., you are free to start a business any time you want with little to no hassle. Many people in the U.S. dont realize what a beuracratic nightmare it can be to start a business in some countries. It's often highly regulated with big fees, taxes, oversight, and perhaps some palms that need greasing.Being able to complain about non-issues. I support women talking about abortion rights, equal pay, etc.
When I see women complain about air-conditions being set to cold as a sign of patriarchy because it keeps them from wearing cute clothes, you know that person is either stupid or so privileged that they have nothing else to complain about.Girls getting their nails & hair done. I see/hear girls complaining about rent and groceries all the time but not about the hundreds they spend on those fake nails and hair.Being Middle class.Being naturally extraverted.Working in an Air-conditioned office with carpet on the floor.Being the gender that won't be drafted into a war.
