Privilege

I had a fairly in-depth conversation with a co-worker this past week on which we were discussing privilege. The question arose in my mind; how much does privilege affect our life and how aware, or unaware, of it are we? And how do privileges affect our happiness?

I’d like to think that I am aware of many of the benefits and blessings in my life. I have a fiance who loves me unconditionally, a family that provides undying support, and friends who continue to be friends no matter how bad of a friend I am. I have a job that is challenging, a roof over my head, and a plethora of food available whenever I desire it.

On top of all that I have many decadent aspects of my life. I live in a vibrant city that always provides something entertaining. I have a computer to connect me to anything my heart desires and a cell phone that can do everything for me (short of wiping my ass). My body is covered in tattoos and I enjoy more cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco than should be allowed for any responsible human being. Therefore, it would be fair to say that I live a very privileged life.

I was lucky enough to be born in the United States which has afforded me more freedoms than many, many, people in the world. Not only that, I am male and my skin color is white, which notwithstanding recent political events, is still the norm for power holders in this country. But all of these things come together to put me into the group of people that enjoy the most privileges in society.

On the other hand there are many people in our society who are greatly unhappy due to the lack of privileges that society bestows upon them. There are gays and lesbians who cannot share in the pleasures of marriage. There are minorities and impoverished who lack access to a decent education and honest jobs. Women, still to this day, face glass ceilings in many different fields. And for the most part this is not the fault of the individual but a result of the structure of society and its allocation of privileges.

However, the privileges and blessings bestowed upon me are not what makes me happy. The happiness in my life does not come from external factors; namely societal recognition. If I were only happy when society tells me I should be, or am allowed to be, I would never experience joy. I am not at the peak of my career. I am not married and am without children. My 401k is non-existent and I have no investments. I have not been recognized in any field that I work in for any degree of accomplishment. Yet most every day I am filled with a sense of joy.

Every day, or at least most days, I acknowledge the privileges that are taken for granted. I feel grateful for the use of both of my legs and arms; for my sense of hearing and sight. I thank the ‘all-that-is’ for the blessing of freedom of mind and freedom of choice. Not the freedom of choice to do what I want, to buy what I want, but to choose where I draw my fulfillment from.

My joy and happiness come from the simplest things in life. Many of which I consider privileges. Too often we get caught up in all of the things that we don’t have; the things society does not give to us freely. And the focus on those things causes us great unhappiness. We think that if we were to only attain those things, those privileges, then we could be happy. I am not saying one should accept a deplorable situation, indeed much happiness and fulfillment is derived from bettering one’s situation or for standing up for those who are unable to stand up for themselves. But I tell you, no amount of attainment, no degree of privilege can cause happiness.

The seeds of appreciation and gratitude must already be present for there to be any hope of true and lasting happiness.