If you spend much time on the internet, you
may have noticed the quip “check your privilege” and its recent use ad nauseum. In
fact, when I type “check your” into google, the top response is indeed
“privilege”, above both “internet speed” and “credit rating”, which is probably
saying something.
For those who don’t know, “check your
privilege” is a retort used by young people in an illogical attempt to
undermine an argument. It’s the latest version of “first world problems”, in
which people try to claim that you are wrong about whatever you are discussing,
simply because you live in the first world.
I joke (or do I?). The phrase originates from a desire to remind people that their complaints and judgments
come from the perspective of their “privilege” in the world.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s always
important to remember that depending on your wealth, gender, race, sexuality
and religion, you may experience privilege or be unprivileged. But I am so sick
and tired of hearing that phrase as a be-all-end-all to a discussion. The fact
that you requested that I “check my privilege” does not, ipso facto, make you
right. In fact, the fact that you’re resorting to such an empty request
probably suggests you have nothing left to put forward in this argument.
I recently had a very strange experience in
a restaurant with friends and acquaintances, where a man yelled (yes, yelled)
at me when I mentioned that I was a vegetarian. I thought I had experienced every
kind of argument and alienation there was to experience in this lifestyle, but
boy was I wrong. This guy wouldn’t let me get a word in, but rather insisted
that I was “naïve, stupid and privileged” and the fact that I “knew nothing
about poverty” meant my judgments on food choices were plain wrong. He even
went so far as to say that I was “deeply offending” people in poverty by being
vegetarian because of my privilege.
I wish I were joking about this.
His abusive ad hominem and complete
disregard for giving others the chance to speak prompted me and a few other
people to walk out of the restaurant, and as I walked home, I realised that we had
made the right choice. Some people are beyond reason, especially those who
resort to personal attacks, completely disregard polite responses, and those who
seem to think that your logic is unfounded due to your “privilege”.
So, in the spirit of things, I decided to
compile a list of why I believe you shouldn’t use the gibe “check your
privilege”:
1. It doesn’t make you right
This point needs
very little explanation. When that aforementioned arsehole told me that my
views on meat eating were wrong because I was privileged, he argued a logical
fallacy. Whether or not the consumption of meat contributes to climate change
and global poverty or not is a question wholly unconcerned with my personal
privilege. When somebody queries whether or not animal suffering is a bad thing to be avoided does
not relate to the asker at all.
Of course,
having the privilege to decide whether or not to eat meat is another question.
There are many people in the world who, due to their financial circumstances,
have no opportunity to make such choices; rather, they eat what they can.
However, to
suggest that wealthy people should have the same mindset of poor people would
be akin to suggesting that wealthy nations should not care about climate change
because poorer nations cannot afford to care. It is not only illogical, it is
insulting to the impoverished, who are more likely to be affected by global
warming (and similarly, meat consumption).
Pointing out
someone’s privilege does nothing to forward your own points, so don’t do it.
2. It’s a “personal insult
posing as social critique”
Phoebe Bovy
argued in her article in The Atlantic that “to call someone “privileged” is to say that his or her successes are
undeserved. It’s a personal insult posing as social critique”.
I believe she has a good
point. She points out that recently, Barack Obama’s upbringing was described as
“privileged” in an attempt to undermine his hard work and dedication, and that
Lena Dunham (the writer and main star of the TV show “Girls”) has been
intensely criticised for being privileged.
If you would like to make
a point about Obama’s policies, make a point about his policies. If you don’t
like Lena Dunham, that’s fine by me. But to claim that the work of those people
is somehow less good because of the individuals’ privilege is an insult to
their work masquerading as an intelligent idea.
Which brings me to my
next point…
3. You are doing more harm
than good
When you scream
that Lena Dunham is “privileged”, you undermine the power and importance of her
TV show. When you use “privilege” as a get-out-of-jail-free pass on your shitty
arguments, you are detracting from the real and important questions at hand.
But, more importantly,
when you overuse the “privilege” conversation, you are holding back real
discussion about privilege. By “checking your privilege”, or being
self-depreciating about your own privilege, you are doing nothing to actually
change the problems associated with privilege. Instead, you may become even
more conceited because you now appear grateful and self-aware.
Be aware of your
blessings, yes, and use those blessings to assist others who are not so
fortunate. But don’t pretend to be holier-than-thou when you insist that
someone else is privileged, because what have you actually done? Nothing.
4. It makes you look stupid
When you attempt
to win an argument by using this phrase, you are fooling nobody but fools. Unless
it’s a debate titled “is this person privileged?”, pointing out that someone is
privileged will do nothing.
Try logic
instead, you might find it works better.
5. You are treading on thin
ice
When you ask
someone to “check their privilege”, you have made a judgment that they are, in
fact, privileged. Take a moment to ask yourself what are you basing that
judgment on. Is it the brand of clothing they wear? Where they live? The color
of their skin? Their sex, or gender?
In reality, you
probably have little to no understanding of what kind of background most people
have. Perhaps this person is struggling with their own gender or sexual
identity, perhaps they come from a background of poverty, or sexual abuse, or
perhaps they suffer a learning or other disability.
While it’s
important to remain self-aware, avoid telling others to “check their
privilege”, as you might find yourself deeply embarrassed.
If someone asks you to check your
privilege, my advice would be to respond with a polite “okay, I will keep that
in mind, thanks. Now back to the actual discussion…”
And on that note, I think I’ve written the
word “privilege” enough to last a lifetime. Or have I? Privilege. Privilege.
Privilege. Okay, that’s enough.
“Rank does not confer privilege or give
power. It imposes responsibility” – Peter Drucker
the reckless philosopher
