Why do we sometimes choose to hurl hurtful words at people if we have never lived one single day in their life. We’ve never seen nor experienced life from their perspective. So why do we sometimes feel superior thinking we would have fared better.
Why do you insist on labeling a person a failure if you’ve never tasted life the way it was served to them. Why do you shake your head in pity and conclude they lack ambition if you don’t know what fears they secretly abhor. All of these boils down to being blinded by our own privilege….
How you close your eyes in disgust seeing someone who appears to have a huge money making career. But has nothing to show for it in terms of savings and general standard of living. Because you don’t see the privilege you have in being free of black tax. And being able to save as much as you want unlike this person who has a “whole village” to cater for financially.
The privilege in not seeing how rich you are in social capital and how it has helped skyrocket the success of your business. Unlike your counterparts that you marvel in shock at the slow pace of their growth who have little to zero access like you have.
Privilege
You know I always wondered why people, most especially children that live in remote villages get excited at being brought bread by someone from the city. Because I just couldn’t understand it. To me, bread is the norm. I have never seen it as something to get excited about.
I have eaten enough of it from my early childhood till now to recognize I don’t really like it. But here are people deriving joy from something that I take for granted everyday.
How many people do you consider weak just because you’ve never experienced their reality. Why do we get blinded to the plight of others, seeing only what we want to see. But not seeing how the difference between how we were born makes a total difference. Where we were born, the people we socialize with, the kind of families we have, all being a defining factor.
How we grew up, having supportive parents or spouses, having friends who are high up on the socio economic ladder are all privileges on their own.
When you say you are good at taking risks and pushing others to the same with you. Don’t forget the privilege you have in having something or someone to fall back on when failure comes as a result of that risk.
Frankly, we do not all have the same opportunities in life. The sooner we all come to terms with that, the faster we can ease ourselves off the fake pedestal of being identified as a self made individual. Because even though you feel you did all the hard work alone, try not to forget the people or things that helped push you. Together with the extra moral support, financial support and words of encouragement you received along the way.
What do you think of this? Do you believe in the idea of being known as a self made individual? Please type it in the comments section. I would love to hear from you.
