General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This message was self-deleted by its author [View all]gollygee
(22,336 posts)All men benefit, whether you want to or not, or even whether you try to avoid benefitting. It's just how society is made up and affects men as a group.
But it isn't about you - it isn't anything you did or can personally stop. All you can do is become aware that it exists and when someone else in different circumstances is in a different situation, hopefully withhold judgment. Though hopefully people at a progressive website at DU are already withholding judgment and not assuming people in different circumstances are lazy and just don't want to work if they have trouble finding a job (as one example.) There are some places online where you read things where people seem to revel in their privilege. But those are specific people - and this isn't about Nye (? - don't remember username exactly) specifically.
Privilege is just about recognizing different circumstances different groups of people are in so we can be compassionate and not judge people for areas where they are disadvantaged. It is trying to make us understand that if someone lacks advantages due to lack of privilege X (and there are many), the flip side of that is that someone else has an advantage due to having privilege X. I am very lucky in my life. Part of that is because of good choices, but part is also because I grew up in a middle class household and had parents who could pay to send me to college without me having any debt from that. There is serious privilege to that, so when I read that someone is struggling over student loan debt, it would be unfair of me to say, "Well they should live within their means! What were they thinking taking on that debt and then whining about it?" I shouldn't say that when my mommy and daddy paid for me to go to college.