My Take on the Meaning of Privilege

No one is entitled to a life of unruffled privilege. There are always terms and conditions that overturn our conception of the very definition of the word itself. I feel in this age of social media, a seemingly recurring theme on this blog, there are more invisible tools for self-harm than visible ones. 

I've realized that saying one is privileged is hardly explanatory of one's character. You can always assume rich people to be egotistical, but I know of some who defy that stereotype. So at the end of the day, privilege is a word that carries less meaning, more stereotypes. 

You can be privileged in different ways - your wealth, your looks, your personality, your achievements and opportunities, your character, your peers, etc. 

But whatever it is that this word refers to hardly is fulfilling for somebody. If I am rich, I probably have a struggling home life. If my peers are incredible, I have financial instability. If I have a great personality, I barely have opportunities to showcase it. And I can go on.

We, humans, tend to create problems for ourselves. Conditioned from birth, we are made to accept that life is filled with misadventures and perils. But that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the truth. With barely any solid foundation, we embark on the journey of life, our minds filled with brimming unfounded preconceived notions. The end result is what we see today. This picture. This event. This moment. It's all captured into it. One whole frame where everything wrong with us is cropped within. How ridiculous. 

I feel like that's changing now. Maturity is still a common denominator among the GenZ, where we focus on mental health, on social interaction, and don't take smaller blessings for granted. We have come far enough to understand how misleading someone's privilege can be about their frame of mind. You could own 25 mansions across all 7 continents and still be depressed. Not because you are an ungrateful prick. For dissatisfaction and unhappiness with life can not be extinguished by the linear approach of being forcefully happy. Crossing countless lines of madness, we must learn to let our wounds heal. Even privileged folks suffer mindless stereotypes that assume such people to be happy all the time. 

The most fundamental yardstick of life is how it will eventually find a way to upend the calm and the stillness it has allowed to spread. This yardstick should not be selectively used, although it can be very exciting to play into the evils of prejudice. I consider myself to be privileged. I have everything I need and more to survive and lead a more than comfortable life. I have an opportunity to educate myself and move ahead in life. And I have a family behind me who truly loves and gives. This is a curious mix of materialistic and sentimental privilege that I claim to enjoy. But that does not satiate my wants. I wish to blog for the millions. I wish to own much more comfortable home with a pet and a beautiful sunrise to observe as I sip into a hot cup of hastily made tea. 

The term privilege sheds no light on my desires or my character. It is moot in its common usage and unfortunately the word most people dwell on for the longest period of time. We are obsessed with a rag to riches story, that it's almost a shame to work your way up to the top, even if your climb was only a few steps up. No one is debating upon who had it worse. It is simply a matter of recognition where the purpose is lost. The term privilege has yet again misled us into avoidable rabbit holes. 

For those who feel guilty to be privileged, know that your financial status, or anything else that substantiates why you think you are privileged, is nothing close to what truly defines you. You here represents your character and personality. The word is shallow in its meaning and yet overused. 

What defines you is what choice you make. When you see the news, are you empathetic of those who are less fortunate than you are? Are you kind? Do you feel superior those your peers because of your status? I have always accepted this principle: stop associating yourself with objects or things and start filling up your thoughts with more logical amounts of emotion. That ought to draw some perspective.

Privilege is now a concept that has singularized into meaning one thing and one thing alone - an abundance of wealth. 

But why do I strain myself and my nonexistent readership of this frivolous word? Well obviously because you have come to value it way more than you need to. Some strive to achieve some form of privilege that they desire, while others simply cannot manage to dissociate theirs from themselves. Privilege that is inherited or handed down, is NOT a privilege at all. 

It is to subject one to a mundane standard that is not viewed the same way by another who does not possess or is desirous of the very thing. This is the touchstone of how nuanced privilege can be. Succinctly put, what is my preferred kind of privilege can certainly be completely different from yours. 

That said, one important take away from all of this is that who we are, and to what extent we have decided to believe in ourselves, should never be challenged by this term. Simply because everything, not just force, has an equal and opposite reaction, and to be presumptuous enough to insinuate that you are as shallow as what you term as a privilege, is a crime you are both a victim of, and guilty for.