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35 Times People Forgot Their Privilege And Revealed They Don’t Get How The Real World Works
Interview With Expert
Everyone experiences the world differently, mainly because of how they have been raised. Some people are more fortunate than others and might see things around them through a rose-colored lens. It’s completely fine to do so, as long as the person is mindful of other people’s lived experiences and aware of how blessed they are.
Unfortunately, not everyone is like that. Some are utterly oblivious to their privilege, and this list contains all the instances where such folks have said or done really bizarre things.
More info: Reddit
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#1
“I don’t get why poor people don’t just budget better.”
Ah yes, the CEO of life, right here.
LizzieBoredom 5 months ago
You can divide it, multiple it, add it, subtract it, take the derivitive of it, and zero is still zero.
RELATED:
#2
I had a college roommate who thought that students on financial aid should have to go to the back of the line at the cafeteria. (I was on financial aid.).
Nathan Lewis 5 months ago (edited)
newsflash, everyone goes to the back of the line. thats how you get into the line.
A person is considered more privileged if they have any special rights or advantages compared to others. Many people are uncomfortable thinking of themselves as being more fortunate than others because it might seem like they are living a better life.
This can be a difficult topic to process, which is why Bored Panda reached out to Martin Vidal to help simplify the topic. He is the author of ‘A Guide for Ambitious People’ and a frequent contributor to a wide swathe of publications. He writes on philosophical and psychological issues, as well as on political issues, in concert with his activism work in South Florida.
He mentioned that “the major reason that people refuse to acknowledge their privilege is because of the implication that whatever benefits they might be enjoying were not fully earned by them. It can undermine their conception of self to concede that they might have had things relatively easy. Let’s say, then, that the first barrier is ego and insecurity.”
“The second is that privilege falls under the general [shortsightedness] that clouds our awareness on all sides. It’s very hard to know what we don’t know and to recognize what might be outside of our lived experience. Our conception of reality is based on where we stand within it,” he added.
#4
“It’s so easy to travel. Just save $100-300 every paycheck. I don’t know why people can’t do that”
This was right after college when I started paying back my loans while only making $18/hr. I told her “lady, I’m lucky if I have $20 left over.” She looked shocked.
Sally Moen 5 months ago
I was recently advised at how cheap air travel is to Europe, after I talked about wanting to visit Berlin someday, but probably won't be able to. I didn't correct them about taking vacation days from work is doable, but then I have to had saved money for rent when I'm not bringing in a paycheck, and saved money for the hotels/hostels, food, transportation, etc on vacation, along with paying for a passport. The Europe on $5 a day is gone
#5
Someone told me they thought poor people just “don’t try hard enough” and that “everyone has the same 24 hours.” It was wild how confidently they said it, like generational wealth, health, and safety weren’t even factors.
Nicole Weymann 5 months ago
To address that "same 24 hours" remark: if you have people doing chores for you specifically (nanny, cook, cleaner chauffeur etc) you DON'T have the same 24 hours as someone who does them themselves. Time is money - if you have one of those you can use it to get the other. Too bad for people who have neither. Imagine a widow with three kids, caring for her bedridden father and no wealthy background: five people's worth of laundry, cooking, cleaning, helping kids with homework, possibly driving them to school or moving around via public transport, shopping for groceries, clothes, school stuff, medication, arranging appointments, and a million more things - and telling her she "needs to step up and get a job" (or even "another job"). Those 24 hour days are NOT the same as Claire McMoney's juggling weekly mani-pedi, hairdresser, polo, yacht/tennis/golf club, art gallery and "real estate business" (aka showing rich friends where to buy their next villa).
#6
Having to fly first class opposed to taking the private jet. Its a tough life for some.
The reason behind so many privileged people on this list saying and doing such out-of-touch things is that they truly might not realize how fortunate they are. It can be annoying for other people to hear them treat their blessings so casually, but it’s simply that they see it as typical for their life.
To understand this in greater depth, we also reached out to Michael Karson (Ph.D., J.D., A.B.P.P.). He said: “Think of walking into a store where you look like the kind of person who is welcome there, such as your local grocery store, perhaps. You don't think about whether you belong.”
“Now think of walking into a store in a very different neighborhood, and now you are self-conscious and situation-conscious. Not having to worry about whether you belong is a delight you don't even recognize,” he explained.
Michael also explained that the way to remedy this is to “read literature, go to the theater, listen to other people. More directly, we can ask ourselves how situations might have played out differently if the race, gender, or other traits of the participants were changed. Even more directly, we can do this even when the encounter seemed unremarkable to us.”
#7
“Lets do a barbecue with your parents in my place tomorrow!”
“Tomorrow is Monday”
“Oh, right! Your parents work”.
#8
I did private duty home health for an extremely wealthy woman who had round-the clock home care employees. I came to work one evening and was getting her ready for bed and I noticed that she had several new yoga pants and casual tops hanging in her closet with the tags still on. I commented how cute they were and she told me that her day shift worker had taken her shopping at Target, and asked me if I’d ever been there, followed by saying she “never knew stores like that existed”. (Of course she didn’t know because everything she owned came from Neiman Marcus, Saks, Gucci, Prada, etc.)
I laughed and said, “Sweetie, if Target excited you that much, Walmart will blow your mind. You can get new tires on your car while you grocery shop, or a get new tv and even patio furniture.” She said, “Are you kidding??! Well, then that’s where we’re going tomorrow!”.
When people become aware of their privilege it might be difficult to go back to the old ways they used to think and act. This can actually be beneficial because it comes with more awareness about society and how different factors like age, religion, gender, race, and wealth play a role in our everyday lives.
Once this way of thinking kicks in, it’s very important to acknowledge how fortunate we are and work towards ensuring other people also get a chance to be so blessed. This also includes speaking up for minorities whenever possible and standing up for those who don’t have as much power as we do.
#10
Friend in college, very nice Turkish fellow. We went to an art school.
"Langstarr, we go to art basel this weekend, you come?
"No. I have to work."
"Hm, call in sick."
"I need the money. For rent."
"Hm, why dont your parents pay?"
*deep unending sigh*
"If its about money, there's no need for tickets or hotel, we can take my dad's jet."
*rolls eyes to back of head*
"No thank you, next time maybe."
He was very sad and just couldn't wrap his head around the idea that I just couldn't go.
DrBronxx 5 months ago
My wife and I have promised each other that, in the extremely unlikely event that we ever become rich, we will try very hard to live the same life we have now, and not tell our daughter about the money. The goal in that situation is to for her to have an unseen safety net, so we can raise her to be appreciative but be able to help her out when she needs it. None of the attitude this guy has. However, this all a perfect example of "easier said than done". Also, we'll never be rich, so it's an easy promise to make.
#11
I had someone question me why I bother working when I'm indian, they thought that the government pays me to be indian.
Sarah Belt 5 months ago
This sounds like someone perhaps misinformed about welfare benefits the US government "provides" for Native Americans as opposed to a person with ties to the country of India.
#12
My friend’s sister attending medical school: did you know some people’s parents don’t pay for their school?
Littlemiss 5 months ago
Like an exworkmate who used to gloate about her multiple degrees she never actually used professionally. It was so easy she'd say, she did it all with 5 children! What she failed to mention was she neglected and dumped her children on all her family members to bring up because she was far too busy for that b s. and never paid to do a single degree, they were all paid for by grants she got and government assistance. She had nothing but time to k**l because everyone else took care of all her responsibilities in life.
In case it becomes difficult to always check your privilege, there are certain simple ways of doing it that anyone can try. Martin Vidal mentioned that people can “think and listen! I’ve written a lot about critical moments in my past when I’ve had revelations about my privilege. They came in unserious ways at first because I wasn’t actively looking for them.”
“For example, one was from the Barbie movie: at the end, when I saw the Supreme Court with all women on it, I reflexively thought, ‘well, in a happy ending, couldn’t it have had some men on the court too?’ This was immediately followed up by the thought, ‘silly man, something like this has been women’s reality for ages!’” he added.
#13
In a creative writing class many years ago, I'd written a scene which was almost a complete recreation of my stepfather berating my mother, using what he said word for word and his actions in belittling and putting hands on her.
Someone criticised it as being a caricature, and disbelieving that people behaved like that in real life.
#15
“Why don’t you just buy a house? This apartment is awfully small for the four of you.” I loved the person who said this very much, he was like family, but my ex and I couldn’t believe our ears when he said that. We both wanted to answer in a tone absolutely dripping with sarcasm, “Gee, we never thought of that! We’ll have to go shopping tomorrow. Would you like to write the check for the down payment since it’s such a great idea and we don’t have any money?”.
Littlemiss 5 months ago (edited)
Yep had this comment from someone who lives off Daddy's money. She told us that it would be so much cheaper if we just got a mortgage and bought a house. We asked her for the $130k deposit to do so, she scoffed and replied she didn't have that type of money! Her Daddy bought her house and pays all her bills. He also paid her lawyers fees when she was caught dealing too. But apparently she's struggling, after scamming multiple people out of thousands of dollars. She's nearly 50 years old.
The best part about living in a society is that so many people with different lived experiences can come together and contribute to the collective good. Recognizing one’s privilege is the first step toward creating a more equal society like that where all people can enjoy a safe, comfortable, and happy life.
What do you think are some privileges that you might be taking for granted, like the people on this list? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below.
#16
A former friend of mine had a fight with her parents about some boy she met on snapchat. The parents were 100% in the right. Guess what the punishment was.
She wasn´t allowed to wear her designer clothes for a week. A week.
She was so mad. It was so weird and a big reality check for me. I knew her parents were rich, but then i realised how different our lives were.
superfluous 5 months ago
The punishment for what? Having an argument? Being wrong? How do you fight with your parents about a boy on Snapchat? (Ugh, I'm old!)
#18
Once heard someone say, 'Why don’t they just buy a house instead of renting?' — completely unaware that not everyone has family money, perfect credit, or a six-figure salary at 25. Privilege really does shape perspective.
#19
My wife does work for high profile clients. Often youll see a $20,000+ food order barely touched and due to liability concerns, thrown away. I wish this was /s.
#20
If people earn a lot more money than you, it’s just because they work harder.
Sarah Belt 5 months ago
Yeah, I'm sure fElon works harder than all the people on the planet put together. /s
#21
My roommate my freshman year of college asked me, "so when is the cleaning lady coming to collect our clothes to be washed?" Ummm...what now? She honestly thought that someone came around & picked up dirty laundry, washed & folded it then returned it back to us and thought that was part of our dorm fees.
#22
I was at the store with my kids and a guy started chatting me up. He told me he had 4 kids under 5. And I said wow that’s a lot of diapers.
He just casually dropped this line on me like it was nothing.
“Oh I don’t do diapers”
That was it. My jaw must of been on the floor.
I probably change 90% of the diapers in our household. I’m a stay at home Mom and my husband travels a lot. But he’s not like that.
#23
Listening to an ex explain how her parents rented a spot in a s****y trailer park in some s****y area to use as an address to send financial aid despite the fact she comes from Virginia Beach money.
#24
Friends that go on vacation to a private island..........and complain..........
#25
Girl I knew in high school was whining about how her parents cancelled their annual ski trip to Switzerland and they had to settle for Jackson Hole instead. Poor girl, times were tough.
#26
I’m planning a wedding and I’ve had MULTIPLE people tell me my wedding should be black tie because “what grown adult doesn’t own a tuxedo?”.
#27
My friend messaged her dad asking for £10 and he sent her £690 as a joke. Wish my parents had that sense of humor
Edit incase you didn’t get the joke: 69 is a funny number hahaha.
#28
My ex once said before a date “I won’t wear my Rolex so you don’t feel poor.” ☠️.
Sarah Belt 5 months ago
My favorite response to someone having a Rolex was "my Timex shows the same time"
#29
My aunt is in Greece rn specifically just to get a tan. She is doing nothing else in one of the most beautiful places on earth. She went to Greece because she heard they have the best conditions for tanning.
#30
Not the most, but when roe was overturned people would say, “well you live in a blue state who cares?” I care.
Sarah Belt 5 months ago
I care. The US federal government can overrule US state laws. Getting rid of Roe wasn't their last step.
#31
A friend was craving this macaroon shop in Paris over breakfast, and cancelled her date that night to fly for a night to eat them.
Edit - Macaron*.
#32
“How much do you think the city will make me pay to move this bus stop so I can replace my bottom unit with a garage?”
I dunno if that perfectly fits the prompt, but it was definitely a moment that underscored just how different my and my friend’s problems are.
#33
Once saw a white girl on my college campus use her MacBook to protect her hair from the rain lmao.
#34
"If you don't like this town, then move."
As if coming up with thousands of dollars to relocate and start over are just readily available. Yes, Priscilla, I would love to just move. How about you slip me about 10 grand so I can, you clueless boomer?
Lady Eowyn 5 months ago
Why throw in the word boomer? I will downvote anything that does this.
#35
I don't do manual labor.
What do you think ?
Boris Long-Johnson 5 months ago
Minds me of Food Bank Phil - CEO of BT group when they setup a foodbank because staff were struggling whilst he got millions. https://www.bigissue.com/news/employment/bt-workers-label-ceo-philip-jansen-food-bank-phil/
Apatheist Account2 5 months ago
The trouble with very large organisations is that if you want the people at the bottom to be earning a decent wage, the people at the top will be earning (or at least getting paid) a fortune.
Load More Replies...
Lazy Panda 2 5 months ago
Scout group used to do bag packing at the local supermarket to raise money for charity. They always raised more money at the supermarket in the least affluent area. People from poverty know the challenges of life and where they can they help out. People with spare income don't understand, and therefore are less willing to donate
Boris Long-Johnson 5 months ago
Minds me of Food Bank Phil - CEO of BT group when they setup a foodbank because staff were struggling whilst he got millions. https://www.bigissue.com/news/employment/bt-workers-label-ceo-philip-jansen-food-bank-phil/
Apatheist Account2 5 months ago
The trouble with very large organisations is that if you want the people at the bottom to be earning a decent wage, the people at the top will be earning (or at least getting paid) a fortune.
Load More Replies... Lazy Panda 2 5 months ago
Scout group used to do bag packing at the local supermarket to raise money for charity. They always raised more money at the supermarket in the least affluent area. People from poverty know the challenges of life and where they can they help out. People with spare income don't understand, and therefore are less willing to donate
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