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35 “Invisible” Privileges That Most People Don’t Notice Because They Have Them
Interview With AuthorWhether 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
Famous comedian Jim Jefferies said the same in one of his shows, "Key to happiness is being beautiful", everything else just falls into place. Of course it was a part of joke he was making, but when you really think about it, it happens every day in life.
Load More Replies...No, just being normal looking is what people take for granted. There are people with scars, severe acne, facial deformities etc, who would kill to just have a face that doesn't draw attention or have people pity them and turn them away in a millisecond. Being conventionally good looking is a privilege but also something you can easily live without.
I feel this one, but I would like to add being THIN. I have been overweight for as long as I can remember, and I've always felt like an entirely different species for it. I have been "thin-ish" a few times in my life, but I could never get it to last for very long. If you are naturally thin or even just a bit chubby, please be aware that you are blessed with that...
but when you grew up being beautiful it's easy to makes you shallow and lazy
Agreed. Those who are physically beautiful, when their looks fade, and they will...they have a hard time coping not being a head turner any more. They often become depressed and angry resorting to surgeries and the like. They don't know how to stand based on their character and wits, rather than a nice face.
Load More Replies...No, not academic performances. My sister is a conventional good looking blonde and she has met with a bias multiple times.
I'm conflicted about this one. I find it weird to say 'hey, I'm beautiful', but I have been told that by enough people to know that I match my society's beauty standards. That said, there are negatives to it as well, especially if you're not the type to actively take advantage of society's bias. I've been not hired because it was between me and another candidate and I 'would have no problem getting a job' on multiple occasions. I've been completely ignored by female bartenders. I get death stares from other women, even when I'm not dressed up - this is something that other people point out to me. I can't seem to have friendships with guys because (with one exception) every single one of them ends up trying to get into my pants, even though I'm in a committed relationship and have been careful not to send any mixed signals. I can go on and on, but the point is: people assume my life is a breeze because of my looks and a number of them will go out of their way to make it harder.
You can’t go off what other people say. The ugliest people get called beautiful, and often. The uglies go through all the same issues you discussed from being overlooked by bartenders to being glared at by other girls. You can look at yourself and tell if you’re attractive or not, stop hiding behind other people’s opinions to pretend you’re being humble. I’m attractive, I can look at myself and make comparisons to other good looking people and apply logic. So can you.
Load More Replies...I think science has proven this to be a built-in prejudice that all human beings have... we respond differently to people who are "conventionally beautiful". Interestingly, I have found myself drawn more to people who are unique and/or non-conventional in their appearance- from those I have dated/been in relationships with to which actors I prefer...
I think being extremely beautiful can paradoxically be a disadvantage, though. To the point where it's the primary thing that people notice about you and it's mentioned to you constantly. I think that probably messes with you.
"Men" are intimidatedby very beautiful women and so they tend to avoid asking them out.
Load More Replies..."When you’re ugly, and someone loves you, you know they love you for who you are. Beautiful people never know who to trust." - Drax the Destroyer
right what i meant by 'this is stupid' is that its stupid that people who are considered 'beautiful' are more likely to get out of prison or get better jobs.
Beautiful people have more opportunities than the rest of us. But without those of us who aren't attractive, no one would realize how beautiful the lucky ones are.
It depends on what "conventionally beautiful" means which depends on where and when you are. In the Medieval times a fat, pasty white woman was considered beautiful but not so much today. Part of Africa love large females as it is a sign of wealth. Some societies want large, power lifter looking men, some want the medium framed, not so muscular ones. Society is fickle.
This is honestly sad. Ugly people should be treated the same as beautiful people. Looks don't matter
Define "ugly" and "beautiful" and then we'll talk.
Load More Replies...This is why you dont see any good looking ppl working at walmart. Good looking ppl get better positions even without the skills to obtain them
Nah. The reason why ugly people work at Walmart is because they are poor. Nobody is ugly really. Only poor. Once you have money you can afford skin care, hair care, clothes, gym time, dental work and plastic surgery if necessary.
Load More Replies...Disagree. Being unconventionally beautiful is equally as beneficial.
It is, but sadly it is also true.
Load More Replies...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.
Note: this post originally had 97 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.
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
Load More Replies...If we subscribe to the idea that these are 'privileges' then we're dispensing with the idea of rights - human rights. According to the Declaration of Human Rights, we're entitled to many of these things, and in countries which subscribe to the Declaration, we can hold our governments responsible for not delivering them. Many of us work hard to make sure that those governments continue to subscribe to such beliefs, and also work to assist other countries to join the nations which do. That doesn't mean they aren't 'privileged' and we are, but that there is systemic injustice which some governments fight hard to maintain. It's not about privilege and counting your blessings, it's about demanding what we've decided are rights during our single, short time on earth.
What you need to understand is that the entire concept of "rights" is an illusion. You don't really have any "rights"... Just certain things governments allow.
Load More Replies...Gonna be controversial here. Live in the UK and extremely grateful that it's bloody difficult to own or use firearms. Can still use them as part of strictly controlled sport but that's the limit. Feel safer in the street and sleep better at night.
Being able to just eat food wherever you go is a huge privilege too. My son has life threatening allergies to dairy and eggs and a less severe allergy to all mammal meats. We can’t just stop anywhere to eat when we are on road trips, or accept food a relative or friend has graciously made for us, or even enjoy the candies and cookies at his school holiday parties. He always has to bring food with him so he rarely gets to eat something he hasn’t already had a million times. Another is just being able to learn at a normal pace. My son with allergies is also intellectually disabled, and his younger brother is very advanced. Between the two of them, we are constantly meeting with teachers to try to come up with the appropriate curriculums while also allowing them maximum time with *typical* kids their own age. One either end of that spectrum, it can be very alienating.
The food thing is a good one. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to shellfish. I will always have to carry some kind of purse for my medication.
Load More Replies...Being able to grocery shop rather than accepting the gracious donations that showed on our doorstep from friends and family. Getting to choose a flavor of pop tarts was HUGE when I was 7.
I had to tend to a woman with bad case of multiple sclerosis while her husband was working. It was just for a couple of hours for several times. Until then i have never thought of being able to do most mundane things, like going to the toilet by yourself or being able to hold tea cup, as a blessing.
Having a dad who's life isn't completely influenced by alcohol. Half the time, I will wake up to the sound of my parents fighting, usually about the amount of drinking/smoking my dad does. Its so sad, I'm just trying to pass 7th grade and all my dad can think about is when he can go to the bar. I just wish he was more present, and that we can all spend more family time together that DOESN'T involve alcohol.
I've had chronic migraine for over 20 years. I don't know what it's like to feel normal and well-rested. Nearly every decision I make is based on whether it could trigger a migraine.
I lived in rural South Africa, I drank water from the tap it was cleaner than in most parts of the cities.
If...u have all the family members alive...and not dead due to covid....then u r the luckiest person on earth...
I agree with so many of these items and do NOT agree with all of them.
One for me is seeing color/ seeing a lot of different color distinctions. I was talking to my boss once, and he literally said a range of what, to my eyes, was purple to almost green was all "blue." and when i questioned, it wasn't that he didn't know the names of each shade -- they all looked basically the same to him.
I am privileged to never have used Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit.
I still have a reflex to want to push back against this word. Some of these things I just lucked into, some I worked for, and some I experienced and overcame. I always try to be empathetic and considerate of how someone's situation might be different than mine - but sometimes I feel like I'm getting 'privilege's' thrown in my face. Am I supposed to apologize for having two parents - never bring them up in front of my friend with one? I mean...I just don't know how to react to this sometimes. I DO try (and am obviously) still learning to not take it personally and just do my best to be kind to everyone.
You're acting like you're being attacked, no one said you have to apologise for having parents but obviously consider that other people have had hardships in their lives that you have not. If some group that you are not part of is saying that they are going through X,Y,Z then put yourself in their shoes before explaining to them that they are not etc, basically don't be a d**k.
Load More Replies...I found out last year that my hip pain is partly because my left leg is shorter than my right leg.
Load More Replies...Half of these are relative to the beholder. Someone always has it worse and that sucks! Makes me sad
Not losing a job because the person who is bullying you tells lies that make more sense then the truth. Lost a couple of jobs and one job cost me a raise and a bonus (gov job). Only to have them come back later and profusly apologize (by then too late) when they realize i hadnt been the problem.
So everything that is not bad, is a privilege? I was lucky to be born in a first world country, but you can also choose to move to one, or seek asylum. We work hard for affordable healthcare and pay taxes. Many things on this list are not privileges at all.
The fact that you weren't born in a war-torn country is the very definition of luck/privilege.
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
Load More Replies...If we subscribe to the idea that these are 'privileges' then we're dispensing with the idea of rights - human rights. According to the Declaration of Human Rights, we're entitled to many of these things, and in countries which subscribe to the Declaration, we can hold our governments responsible for not delivering them. Many of us work hard to make sure that those governments continue to subscribe to such beliefs, and also work to assist other countries to join the nations which do. That doesn't mean they aren't 'privileged' and we are, but that there is systemic injustice which some governments fight hard to maintain. It's not about privilege and counting your blessings, it's about demanding what we've decided are rights during our single, short time on earth.
What you need to understand is that the entire concept of "rights" is an illusion. You don't really have any "rights"... Just certain things governments allow.
Load More Replies...Gonna be controversial here. Live in the UK and extremely grateful that it's bloody difficult to own or use firearms. Can still use them as part of strictly controlled sport but that's the limit. Feel safer in the street and sleep better at night.
Being able to just eat food wherever you go is a huge privilege too. My son has life threatening allergies to dairy and eggs and a less severe allergy to all mammal meats. We can’t just stop anywhere to eat when we are on road trips, or accept food a relative or friend has graciously made for us, or even enjoy the candies and cookies at his school holiday parties. He always has to bring food with him so he rarely gets to eat something he hasn’t already had a million times. Another is just being able to learn at a normal pace. My son with allergies is also intellectually disabled, and his younger brother is very advanced. Between the two of them, we are constantly meeting with teachers to try to come up with the appropriate curriculums while also allowing them maximum time with *typical* kids their own age. One either end of that spectrum, it can be very alienating.
The food thing is a good one. I'm lactose intolerant and allergic to shellfish. I will always have to carry some kind of purse for my medication.
Load More Replies...Being able to grocery shop rather than accepting the gracious donations that showed on our doorstep from friends and family. Getting to choose a flavor of pop tarts was HUGE when I was 7.
I had to tend to a woman with bad case of multiple sclerosis while her husband was working. It was just for a couple of hours for several times. Until then i have never thought of being able to do most mundane things, like going to the toilet by yourself or being able to hold tea cup, as a blessing.
Having a dad who's life isn't completely influenced by alcohol. Half the time, I will wake up to the sound of my parents fighting, usually about the amount of drinking/smoking my dad does. Its so sad, I'm just trying to pass 7th grade and all my dad can think about is when he can go to the bar. I just wish he was more present, and that we can all spend more family time together that DOESN'T involve alcohol.
I've had chronic migraine for over 20 years. I don't know what it's like to feel normal and well-rested. Nearly every decision I make is based on whether it could trigger a migraine.
I lived in rural South Africa, I drank water from the tap it was cleaner than in most parts of the cities.
If...u have all the family members alive...and not dead due to covid....then u r the luckiest person on earth...
I agree with so many of these items and do NOT agree with all of them.
One for me is seeing color/ seeing a lot of different color distinctions. I was talking to my boss once, and he literally said a range of what, to my eyes, was purple to almost green was all "blue." and when i questioned, it wasn't that he didn't know the names of each shade -- they all looked basically the same to him.
I am privileged to never have used Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Reddit.
I still have a reflex to want to push back against this word. Some of these things I just lucked into, some I worked for, and some I experienced and overcame. I always try to be empathetic and considerate of how someone's situation might be different than mine - but sometimes I feel like I'm getting 'privilege's' thrown in my face. Am I supposed to apologize for having two parents - never bring them up in front of my friend with one? I mean...I just don't know how to react to this sometimes. I DO try (and am obviously) still learning to not take it personally and just do my best to be kind to everyone.
You're acting like you're being attacked, no one said you have to apologise for having parents but obviously consider that other people have had hardships in their lives that you have not. If some group that you are not part of is saying that they are going through X,Y,Z then put yourself in their shoes before explaining to them that they are not etc, basically don't be a d**k.
Load More Replies...I found out last year that my hip pain is partly because my left leg is shorter than my right leg.
Load More Replies...Half of these are relative to the beholder. Someone always has it worse and that sucks! Makes me sad
Not losing a job because the person who is bullying you tells lies that make more sense then the truth. Lost a couple of jobs and one job cost me a raise and a bonus (gov job). Only to have them come back later and profusly apologize (by then too late) when they realize i hadnt been the problem.
So everything that is not bad, is a privilege? I was lucky to be born in a first world country, but you can also choose to move to one, or seek asylum. We work hard for affordable healthcare and pay taxes. Many things on this list are not privileges at all.
The fact that you weren't born in a war-torn country is the very definition of luck/privilege.
Load More Replies...