Understanding And Using Our Privilege To Make The World A Better Place

Over the past couple of years, I’ve found myself deeply reflecting on the concept of privilege - what it means, how it shapes our lives and most importantly, how can we use it for the greater good.

As a white, cisgender, upper-middle class woman, I acknowledge that my life has been marked by ease compared to many. While my own personal journey, like everyone’s, hasn’t been without hardship (because suffering is part of being human), there are realities that I’ve never had to face. 

I am able-bodied, I’ve never feared homelessness or hunger, and my children went to school without the terror of being shot or violently attacked. I live in a society with excellent access to healthcare and the means to afford private care. My family owns four cars - one for each of us - and we have clean running water and access to electricity.  Much of the opportunity in my life, and now my children’s lives,  has been shaped by cultural capital (non-financial social assets eg education, skills and social connections that help individuals gain advantage and succeed in society).

For most of my life, I took this privilege for granted. It remained largely unexamined. But over the past 6 years this has shifted for me especially when I started to disentangle myself from the diet and “fitspo” culture - systems that are deeply embedded in a privileged society focused on hyper individualism and personal gratification for self only. In understanding this for myself, I started to recognise how many of my experiences and opportunities in life were shaped by factors that many others did not have.

In yoga, we speak of “Artha”, the accumulation of wealth, as necessary to live a good and fruitful life. But the teachings also emphasise that wealth must not be hoarded at the expense of others. It should be shared and it’s pursuit should not be driven by an empty hunger for more, more, more, for the mere sake of accumulation. 

It is this same principle that challenges us to examine our internal (often unconscious) biases. Many of which arise from the culture we are born into.

How often do we reflect on our privilege and what is enough?

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AWARENESS

The big question are these;

How can we use our privilege in a way that is meaningful?

How do we step into the shoes of those less privileged with a sense of empathy and care?

Once we become aware of our advantages, we must acknowledge the responsibility that comes with this awareness.

Privilege does not exist in a vacuum - it only exists in relation to those that are underprivileged.

We did not necessarily “earn” our privilege; much of it is inherited; something we were born into - whether it be race, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic climate. Conversely, some are born into identities that bring discrimination or disadvantage, through no fault of their own.

Privilege can also breed unconscious arrogance and ignorance of others’ suffering.

When we don’t face the same struggles, it becomes easy to assume that others should just “work harder” or “do better” without realising the systemic barriers that are often in the way.

This ignorance can lead us to minimise the very real pain and challenges that others endure, simply because we don’t have the lived experience to understand it. It’s important to remember that privilege can blind us to the depth of suffering that exists beyond our immediate perspective.

Compounding this is the rise of influencer culture, which often feeds into hyper individualism and reinforcing systems of marginalisation. Influencers frequently promote curated lifestyles of abundance and success, inadvertently perpetuating the idea that if we simply work hard and manifest our dreams, we can have everything we want. 

While this message might resonate with the privileged, it ignores the systemic barriers that marginalise others.

By focusing on personal success and wealth accumulation, influencer culture often neglects the reality that individualism, unchecked, can deepen the divide between the “haves” and the “have nots ”. It can reinforce the idea that others suffering is somehow a failure of effort or mindset. 

In yoga, we believe that all beings are innately worthy, simply because they exist. This principle can serve as a foundation for how we approach privilege. It is up to us to take responsibility for our own position in the world.

Through svadhyaya (self study) and contemplation, we can commit to better understanding the structures that uphold our privilege, and seek to dismantle them. 

The intention is not guilt or shame, but rather the recognition that with privilege comes opportunity - an opportunity to help contribute to the happiness and freedom of everyone, not just ourselves.

KNOWING BETTER AND DOING BETTER

As we educate ourselves, we have the choice to “do better” - not out of obligation, but out of a genuine desire for equity for all beings. This is not about grand, sweeping gestures posted on social media but about making small meaningful choices in our day-to-day lives. By examining our thoughts, actions and habits, we can begin to weave a thread  of awareness and responsibility into everything that we do.

Privilege calls us into responsibility and through self reflection and mindful action, we can contribute to a future where privilege no longer defines the opportunities one has in life.

May we all have the courage to turn inward, to seek the truth and act with the intention of making the world a better, more equitable place for everyone.

( My next post will include common examples of unconscious, internalised bias that we often hold as privileged people )

Let us move forward, knowing better and doing better.