CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, February 04, 2015

The Privilege of Privilege

HowlRound: If I’d realized earlier how privileged I am, I’d have enjoyed it more.

Now that privilege is being challenged, and is no longer unconscious, or taken for granted.

Dang.

Don’t worry. I’m not going to slather myself in liberal guilt and whine about it. That’s a waste of time. The energy required to wallow in guilt is energy that is better spent unpacking my privilege, acknowledging the damage it has done to me and to others, and doing what I can to use it positively or help to dismantle it.

1 comment:

Kimberly McSweeney said...

I believe that recognizing unearned privilege is a very important part of fixing society. The hardest psychological transition for someone to make is giving something away that they believe they deserve to have. And privilege is definitely tricky to rationalize giving away. I can admit that I am very privileged, and some things that I do not like about my life some people would take as a blessing. However, I do believe that a basic human right is inclusive of privileges, and in that context, privileges are no longer privileges, they are now rights. I can’t quite outline exactly what should be included in basic human rights without hitting some areas of gray or someone yelling about other clauses in those cases, but still. Everyone deserves a fighting chance and everyone deserves the opportunities that they seek. Whether unjust discretion transpires is the fault of no one but the instigator. If someone seeks an experience, they should be held at a level to others seeking the same experience.