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35 “Invisible” Privileges That Most People Don’t Notice Because They Have Them
Interview With Author
Whether we like it or not, we’re all privileged. In different ways. In different amounts. But we’ve all got some type of advantage over others. And sometimes… sometimes we don’t even realize we’re privileged. No, not in the classic way you’ve probably read about on the internet! Some privileges don’t actually sound like privileges so some folks don’t realize that’s what they are. In other words, they’re ‘invisible.’
Redditor Woo_loo asked their fellow online users to name a privilege that most people don’t realize is a privilege and their thread went viral. From pointing out that feeling safe in your own home is something a lot of us take for granted to having the ability to read or even a bed to sleep in, some of these responses hit home hard with the simple fact that we take so many wonderful things for granted.
Have a read through some of the best responses that redditors have answered with and upvote the ones you agree with 100%. And be sure to read on for Bored Panda’s interview with the original poster of the thread, redditor Woo_loo themselves.
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Living without constant physical pain. The idea that most people just exist without nonspecific pain is baffling to me.
And worse, invisible pain that people label you as somehow 'dramatic' or 'weak' for suffering from if you mention it. Been there, done that, been ridiculed for having a bad day 😬 Be kind, ppl.
Feeling safe in your own home. Not worrying about rats, mice, roaches, bed bugs, bricks being thrown through windows, violence outside, break ins.
Woo_loo’s thread got 12k upvotes on the r/AskReddit community, over 7k responses, as well as a whopping 92% upvote rate. What’s more, the redditor got 58 medals for their efforts in bringing such an important and intriguing discussion to the forefront.
Redditor Woo_loo was very open with Bored Panda about what inspired them to create the thread and the fact that they didn’t expect their submission to “blow up like this” on the net.
Being able to hold the hand of your partner in public without harassment or the fear of something bad happening to you.
Waking up and just being able to see. What’s that like? No glasses, no contacts. Just wow.
Woo_loo explained to us that what inspired them to turn to r/AskReddit with their question was their line of thinking about all of the things that we have but we’re not constantly aware of.
“I was thinking about how people always say that we should be grateful for things like clean water and education so I wanted to know what else we were taking for granted that isn’t talked about,” they said.
Being able to walk alone, especially at night, without any worry at all.
Having a bed. When I was ages 8-11, my siblings and I had to sleep on the floor because we lived in a tiny one-bedroom apartment.
I remember turning twelve and finally getting to sleep in my own bed after three years of not having one. It was euphoria.
Having an emotionally mature parent.
still don't have one. I still have to live with them tho. I'm not that old
In the redditor’s opinion, all of us, no matter how rich or poor, happy or miserable, all of us have something to be grateful for. However, Woo_loo pointed out to Bored Panda that they don’t expect that anyone’s constantly thinking about their privileges and how much they appreciate them. Imagine how exhausting it would be to always be grateful for hundreds of small wonders, every hour of every day. There wouldn’t be any time for living and making great experiences.
Sleeping through the night
Being in countries where you are able to speak insults to, openly criticise or question authority without going to jail
Within reason (excluding threat to life/well-being of others) we have freedom to express ourselves in the UK... I think that with free speech comes the responsibility to respect others' point of view too.
Fresh water from the tap. Imagine living in rural Africa. Or Flint, Michigan.
I grew up in rural Africa, and our tapwater was as clean as you could want it. On the other hand, for the first four years we only had electricity twice a day for an hour, but we made it work.
One of the things that Woo_loo believes (especially after reading through all of the plentiful responses that their question received on Reddit) is that we’ve all got a responsibility to help those in need and those in a worse position than ours. In short, the redditor is a humanitarian with a very honest desire to lend others a helping hand.
Having pets. So many people discard them like they're playthings over the most mundane reasons.
I love my two cats- they are my chosen companions and would NEVER treat them like a non-living possession. I HATE when people do that. The only thing I control is their access to outside- too many unvaccinated cats in my neighbourhood. I also make sure they have enough good quality food, clean water and litterbox. (PS the eldest of the two is sitting on the desk next to me at this moment, keeping an eye on me).
“We should try to help people acquire the privileges that we take for granted and be a lot more aware of it. Not everyone has the same chances in life but we can make it as fair as possible,” the redditor opened up to Bored Panda, alluding to the idea that we’ve all got to do our best to ensure that society lives by the principle of equality of opportunity.
Having a family that loves you. I grew up in a pretty loving family. It was somewhat dysfunctional, to be sure, but my mother loves me as does my sister. So did my grandparents. We were always a close family and we helped each other when possible. We were always supportive too.
I went to school with people whose parents couldn't have [cared] less about them. I mean straight up, just didn't give a [damn] if their kids lived or died. If your parents actively tried to keep you off drugs and off the streets and were emotionally supportive and not abusive, count your blessings.
Honestly, Memory.
When Alzheimers hits, your brain is basically dead. That disease is heartbreaking for every party involved
I work with people with dementia. It is indeed heartbreaking, especially for their family who are now seeing a beloved parent that often doesn't recognise them, is aggressive, distressed or has reverted to a child-like state & can no longer feed or even toilet themselves. My 'privelege' is that both my elderly parents are healthy in body & mind... I give thanks for this every day & never take it for granted.
Being conventionally beautiful
It gets you more than dates. It influences prison sentences; attractive people are less likely to get convicted, and more likely to get lighter sentences when they are convicted.
Job interviews, assessments of intelligence and academic performance are all biased to favour good looking people. They are also more likely to benefit from kindess from strangers
If you’re not familiar with equality of opportunity as a concept, it’s all about making sure that everyone’s able to compete for social status, as maintaining high social mobility. Or, in other words, it’s all about looking at people’s merits, efforts, and skills, not the social position they were born in. To sound all pop-culture for a moment, I’ll say that equality of opportunity is the rags-to-riches myth that the American Dream is built on.
Being able to read.
I worked in education for a good chunk of my life and saw firsthand what low or no literacy can lead to... I had young people at age 16 who could barely string a sentence together and had great difficulty accessing the information they needed to learn successfully. I could provide simplified texts for them but even those were beyond their abilities... I'm sure they've gone on to struggle in life because of it.
In Woo_loo’s opinion, having access to clean water and proper education are the most basic privileges that absolutely everyone should have in their lives. Without them, you’re barely surviving. “Dirty water can result in many problems that most of us don’t have, but I also think that education is the most important because it's the backbone of society and people need it to improve their lives and establish a better place to live in.”
Not having social anxiety. Imagine how breezy life must be. The amount of effort I have to put into doing normal things like checking out at the grocery store is incredible. I keep telling people that I got better over the years, but it's not so much that social interactions get less scary but more like I'm better at getting ready for said social interaction... or better at pretending that I'm uh, "normal." I'm almost 30 and I still feel like a seven year old who's mom left them at the grocery line to grab something real quick.
Having indoor plumbing
I once met a couple from a small village in Siberia. They didn’t have indoor plumbing or central heat, but they said it was okay because “we have warm sleeping bags”. 😳 I have never felt so wimpy before.
The redditor candidly shared their opinion that we should all stop acting like all of these privileges, small and big, don’t exist. “Everyone has some kind of advantage in life that others don’t and I'm not talking about the privileges that people talk about on Twitter to cancel someone, but the ones that are so natural to us that people don’t even realize that they exist.”
No student loans. Don't take it for granted guys.
Depends on where you're living. In most countries loans are indeed loans which are pretty easy to pay back. In other countries they will be an eternal burden because you have to pay off 3 times more than you've ever loaned.
Having a roof over your head.
Those that work jobs that don't make a living wage have no means to provide for it. Thus they are forced in to unsafe slums or having house mates.
Every day when I pull in to my drive way I reflect on this daily. There is something to be said about the peace of mind knowing you have a welcoming home waiting for you once your done work.
Like many things we grow accustom to having something with no expectations of change, this is something I'm always grateful and respectful of.
Being able to complain about getting bored/not being able to socialize during a pandemic. If you're able to flourish or even live comfortably during these times, that's a privilege.
Whenever I read an article about people having terrible times because of lock downs and quarantaine, I just imagine being in a war where on top of having to stay indoors, you are cold and hungry, you can get picked up in a razzia, get shot for no reason or get bombed. And suddenly a lock down doesn't seem so bad at all.
Woo_loo continued: “By making life as fair as possible and establishing a system that helps people who are at the bottom of society and helping them get back on their feet instead of punishing them, we can help them acquire the privileges.” Are you up for the challenge, dear Pandas?
Education. Where I'm from education is paid through (very high) taxes. We even "get paid" so we can focus on school and not being forced to drop out or take a giant student debt.
I personally believe that young people should be educated for free whichever route is deemed most suitable for them (apprenticeship, college, university...): we also need to stop stigmatising non-university learning. Not everyone is interested in or capable of studying at that level!
my partner has to use IV nutrition because her stomach muscles don’t work properly preventing her from digesting food. Until I met her I never considered being able to eat as something i’m lucky to have.
Your intestines wriggle your food down without you even noticing, that's mind blowing O_O
Being able to go to a store without worrying if your wheelchair can fit through the aisles of if they have front steps.
Do you think that all of these things are privileges that most people don’t realize are privileges? Why do you think we tend to take so many of these for granted? How many of these privileges do you have without noticing them in your daily lives, dear Pandas? Share your thoughts and any extra examples of unseen privileges in the comment section below.
Reliable electricity and clean running water.
Being mentally healthy. Basically, my childhood was such that as an adult I have an overactive amygdala - the part of the brain that handles strong emotions and instincts like fight/flight.
As I’ve gotten treatment and medication, and as my situation has gotten better, I’ve had quite a few ‘whoa’ moments where it really hits me that this is how a lot of people naturally see the world.
A steady income, even one that means living paycheck to paycheck. You have money to support yourself and the means to get assistance where you can. A lot of people don’t have that.
Most people don’t, and it’s terrifying! Your whole life changes when this isn’t the case.
Having all your basic senses (sight and hearing especially).
To complain. The ability to complain is such a privilege, it's not even funny
Growing up in a household where you aren't abused
Or having someone believe you when u finally get the courage to speak up.
Marrying someone you absolutely love. Many often marry for stability, convenience (settling/not wanting to be alone), or because they live within cultures that arrange their marriages.
Bathing.
Basic hygiene in general. I lived on the streets for 4yrs and showers were hard to come by.
To be able to taste and smell!
This "perks" are really under-appreciated. Until you loose your taste for example due to medical conditions...
Knowing that food is available basically at all times in first world countries
Even during this pandemic there has been little effect felt on food supply here in the UK... i have shopped locally and relied on the basics (milk, bread etc.) and had no difficulty in procuring them.
A friend mentioned this to me when I was about 28 and we were walking down our city's sidewalk: Man, it's great walking with you, people just get out of our way.
I'm 6'6" 230# (1.98m 103kg) and have lived my entire adult life thinking everyone was courteous and we would each make room for one another..... Apparently, people aren't always making room for one another. I had no clue.
I am 5'3" and a woman and one day I decided to NOT move out of the way when people (mostly white men) were walking towards me. It's amazing to see how many people just assumed I would be the one to move.
Being highly intelligent. I’ve had many colleagues argue they have gotten where they are simply through hard work and determination. They really are very dismissive of the notion that birth is a lottery and genetics are hit-or-miss.
My Sis-in-law insists that she, a tall blonde blue-eyed daughter of a family headed by a person earning top 5% income, "worked harder than anyone else" to get a job, etc., and has said "people just need to go get the education to make the money" like it's that easy. Poof! Magic wand waved! Voila! .... And I wonder, what's life like on *her* planet of S-class Mercedes-driving 7-figure-income privilege gotten by luck, marriage, and looks? B/c it isn't her hard work or intellect, and even her family admit that one... *sigh*
24-7-365 of the following:
Clean, drinking water
Heated water
Heated/cooled indoors
Electricity
Food
Being able to “pursue your dreams” because you have enough support systems to thrive regardless of outcome.
A reasonable commute. Commuting costs and time are a huge issue for poorer people who can't afford housing near where they work, or an issue when they have to get from one job to another.
Health.
People born with physical defects are destined to be alone and pushed away and I hate it when normal* people tries to lecture anyone (me) on depression, loneliness and a lack of opportunities and how I go through all that because "I want to".
Sometimes I read quotes by celebrities saying "please don't let me be normal" and it makes my blood boil. Lucky, lucky bastards.
The right to say “no” in any situation, whether it be sexual, social or work related and not be judged for it. Just because a girl wears nice clothes and does her hair and makeup, does not mean her “body said yes” while her mouth said no. Saying no to doing extra for a social commitment does not make me a bitch and refusing extra shifts doesn’t make me one either.
The phrase used by rapists in court was 'she was asking for it, your honour' ie she was dressed 'provocatively' Unbelievably this mitigation was actually accepted until relatively recently and it was also perfectly legal to rape your wife in England too (not anymore thankfully) Rape is the only crime where the victim has to prove the crime took place. Can you imagine this with anything else? Are you SURE you had your car stolen? Did you just leave the doors open in an invitation for someone to...take it? How ridiculous!!
Being a native English speaker.
I've traveled a bit (which is a privilege in its own right, no matter how hard I've had to work to be able to so so) and everywhere I've gone, I've met people who either speak English or can direct me to someone who does. It's funny to listen to so many Americans complain about foreigners not knowing English, and yet we generally also don't take the time to learn whatever language of whatever place we are traveling to.
Walking on a sidewalk. Or in other words, walking in comfort in a relatively safe space in streets.
Sadly a lof of bicyclers won't allow you that safety. I've had several occasions where a bicycler nearly hit me at full speed in a pedestrian zone. Never got an excuse from one of them. Insults, threats and curses? Yes. Excuses? Never.
Religious freedom. You learn what it's like to be a Muslim in the west when you experience being a Christian in the middle east.
Yes. Religion should be a choice. If you don't want religion, fine. If you do, fine. But don't force it on others. I know they are talking about people being murdered in other countries due to their religion. I am thankful that I am allowed to be agnostic. I know my Catholic relatives are not going to kill me over it. I wish others around the world could freely worship/not worship.
Economic and material privilege. People will be quick to define themselves as marginalized without realizing that being a billionaire homosexual is vastly different from being a poor, working-class homosexual, or even just a poor, working-class heterosexual person.
A "billionaire homosexual"? I'm sure that there are many more millionaire homosexuals... but yes, marginalisation has to do with a lot more than sexual orientation. I think gender, race, social class, disability etc. can prove to be more of a barrier to life...
Access to painkillers and emergency medical services.
Being able to sleep through the night without sirens, gunshots, bombs or family members being hauled away through the dark of night.
Owning a vehicle.
I can't fathom the amount of times how people dismiss those who don't have their personal transportation and how public transportation isn't always going to match up to their conveniences.
I need a car for my job, but if I lived in a city and could get around on foot, bicycle or by public transport, I wouldn't. I estimate my car costs me £500/month to run.
Decent mental health. Not feeling depressed or anxious at least half the time.
Hair.
I took my hair for granted, it was always healthy and thick, and than out of nowhere i had a bout of alopecia areata. It went away, but it left me in constant fear of it coming back and counting the fallen hairs. And being afraid of getting a fever.
Being born into a world that is set up for you. As a disabled person the problem was always with me, not with the fact that the world was not set up for people like me.
Clean air, there's countries that are heavily polluted to the point you can breath fresh air it all smells like smoke and it's not good for the environment
Owning a dog. You have this incredibly complex creature that loves you no matter how you look or what you are feeling and just wants to be with you and make your life better. Our dogs may just be one aspect of our lives but to our dogs, we are everything.
I agree. I'm crazy jealous of people who have dogs. I couldn't afford one and even if I was given one for free (as they can cost a lot to buy) I still wouldn't afford the insurance and other costs. I would actually prioritize the dog before myself, but that's not a good way to live in the long run.
A best friend. Not a close friend, but a best friend. One with whom your sense of self is deeply intertwined.
Not wanting to die. Being able to forget. Leaving your house without taking anxiety medicine. The sun "rising" every day.
These are endless.
I remember this feeling, and it saddens me to think that so many who feel like this can't get the help they need to get through it. It's sad to think that I was more fortunate to receive treatment for suicidal depression and be able to afford it at the time--this is something EVERYONE should have affordable access to.
To never know desperation.
Never experiencing bullying. I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone.
Experienced it from the same bully for a few years. I take a dark pleasure in knowing my bully's life is pretty much a trainwreck.
Growing up with 2 stable parents in the home.
I think many of us grew up with two unstable parents in the home when it would have benefitted us all to have only one stable parent... I have great respect for alternative family setups too, e.g. multi generational households, multi family households etc.
Normal sleep. Have ptsd and the only serious issue that comes from it for me are night terrors.
The fact that we shower using clean, drinkable water while there are countries that dont have a clean water source.
Free time
Being truly happy. I was in a really bad place for so long, and I was never really happy. I had some fleeting moments of joy, but they never lasted. Now, while I'm still trying to get over it, I have started to get back the happiness I lost at 9 years old.
I think the "pursuit of happiness" is a folly... it causes people unending misery because they will always fall short (btw advertisers know this to be the truth). 24/7/365 happiness is not possible and shouldn't be humanity's goal. If people would settle to be content and savour the moments of joy when they happen, they would be much more at peace with themselves and the world.
Finding romantic love and having a partner who really loves and supports you til death actually parts you from eatchother.
I've been alone and single for so long that I am convinced that loves isn't meant for me.
Not everyone wants to be or should be in a romantic relationship... I think too often this notion that you must be coupled up as an adult is actually very toxic and leads to people being in relationships that are not good for them. I think people need to have a good, deep think about what it is they actually need/want.
Living in a developed country. Regardless of your situation. There’s middle class people in developing countries that only dream of having the privileges of low income people in developed countries.
Umm, I'm not too sure about this one. The middle class in developing countries are a lot more privileged than low income people in developed countries. If you're comparing the same economic class in both countries, you are correct.
Central heat and air.
Most people take it for granted that you can just go to the thermostat and turn it up if they're cold or turn it down if they're too hot. But not everybody can do that and it sucks, really really bad, if you can't.
Being able to look up absolutely anything on our phones at any time within seconds.
Having windows that don’t leak cold air into the house
We did when I was a kid, icy on the inside as well, before we got central heating.
Being able to buy luxuries. Some people can only buy things that are absolutely necessary, because they don’t have much money. I think people need to acknowledge how many things they have before being ungrateful.
I grew up poor by modern standards but had a very happy (almost idyllic) childhood, thanks to very loving parents. Yes, I didn't have expensive clothes and I didn't go abroad until I was 17 but we had amazing camping holidays 'by the river' and in the age before social media, I wasn't really bombarded with 'how the other half live' so didn't know better.
Freedom to speak.
Depends on what you're saying. Freedom of speech is no carte blanche to spew your hate or incite to violence.
I'm honestly suprised that I haven't seen anyone post this yet. WiFi. Especially good WiFi. Where I grew up, almost no one had WiFi, and the few people/places that did, barely had any.
being able to choose who governs you. Most humans who have ever been alive have not had a say in the matter. A larger portion of currently living humans have that privilege than at any point in human history
Being "Zero Waste". For example, if you have a medical condition that requires a lot of medication, or many medical procedures in general, it's not a choice to use tons of plastic and other disposable materials all the time.
I know this is silly, but some people that choose to be zero waste don't realize that is not just a choice.
Medication (ie pills) used to come in a glass bottle with a screw top. Perhaps the chemist would put it in a paper bag. All of it was recyclable. These days you get a plastic bag containing a cardboard box that has your foils of medication contained in it. Along with that is a MASSIVE sheet of contraindications folded like a map and squeezed in the box. If you have an 'odd number' of pills to get ie just a bit more that the normal box qty, then you'll get a big box half full. The plastic and the foils can't be recycled and this will FILL your bin! What was wrong with the glass bottle??
Being normal sized. I’m 6’4, 350. I have almost completely stopped shopping for clothes in stores.
6'3 and about 240, it's bad enough for me, when I find something that fits, I buy 10 of the same thing.
Being right handed. Life is so difficult for lefties
Having a healthy body weight.
I think it is important to be thankful for the good things we get in life so thank you for listing all this positivity. :) I would, however, not call most of those "privileges" as this is something that has a negative ring to it. Privileg is often used to describe a somewhat undeserved/unfair advantage, given by some form of authority. Today you kinda feel bad if you find you have a privileg and this list is surely nothing to feel bad about. Lets just call it "Things we are thankful for". ;)
Well said. Let's not turn the good things into negative stuff. We're already miserable enough. Let's turn this article into something that will remind us to appreciate the things we have.
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Being able to attend school without fear that the next school shooting will be at your school. I can't imagine how kids go through highschool in the USA.
Honestly? In my experience no one talks about it, we just go through our normal lives and internally hope that today is not the day. I mean I don't even really think about it that often until someone says something related to it. It's just there and we all pretend that it's not
Load More Replies... I think it is important to be thankful for the good things we get in life so thank you for listing all this positivity. :) I would, however, not call most of those "privileges" as this is something that has a negative ring to it. Privileg is often used to describe a somewhat undeserved/unfair advantage, given by some form of authority. Today you kinda feel bad if you find you have a privileg and this list is surely nothing to feel bad about. Lets just call it "Things we are thankful for". ;)
Well said. Let's not turn the good things into negative stuff. We're already miserable enough. Let's turn this article into something that will remind us to appreciate the things we have.
Load More Replies... Being able to attend school without fear that the next school shooting will be at your school. I can't imagine how kids go through highschool in the USA.
Honestly? In my experience no one talks about it, we just go through our normal lives and internally hope that today is not the day. I mean I don't even really think about it that often until someone says something related to it. It's just there and we all pretend that it's not
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