17 Things That Are Definitely Privileges Even If You Don't Realize It
It's easy to get so caught up in the stress and routine of everyday life that you forget how good you really have it.
A little while ago, we wrote up privileges that many people don't even recognize. And there were so many more in the comments that we just had to share those, too:
We also included responses from this and this Reddit thread.
1."Good health."
"Great answer. I’d give anything to have my health. When people complain about their commutes, I remind them how fortunate they are to be able to commute physically."
2."Clean tap water."
"The notion that we flush waste through pipes with water clean enough to drink is probably striking to a billion or more people."
3."Going out to eat. I remember a time my mom took us out, and the bill was more than she thought. You could see her doing math in her head of how she would afford this."
4."Marriage equality. So many people with disabilities can't get married because they'll lose their health insurance and other disability benefits."
5."Having parents who I can live with to save money. They intend to give me their house when they pass. I hope that with my savings, I can care for them in their old age — a group effort for them to support me so I can support them later."
6."Being able to go to a doctor."
"And having a doctor who doesn't medically gaslight you."
7."I would say always having the power on at home. A lot of people have to choose whether they have the heating on or eating. When things get tight for me, I will only heat one room, and everything but the fridge is turned off."
8."Being able to call an ambulance without worrying about the bill afterward."
9."Definitely being able to afford healthy, fresh food and having the knowledge of how to make meals from it. I am eternally grateful that even though I am on disability benefits, most of the time, I can afford to eat."
10."Having a car. I was 30 when I got my first car, and it was thanks to the generosity of my boyfriend. So many people would laugh and say, 'You’re wild for walking to work in the rain/snow/sleet.' Only a few understood that it wasn’t an option and would give me a ride on particularly bad weather days or when it was dark. I live in a small-ish city where most people drive exclusively. It impacted where I could even work because I had to be able to get there via walking or public transportation."
"From this experience, I try to never make someone self-conscious of their mode of transportation and always offer a ride when I can. I try to vote for politicians who are for improving public transportation. While I care about the environment, it’s less about that for me and more about providing people fair access to life."
11."Being able to buy whatever good soap, shampoo, and laundry detergent you like and not having to water it down to make it last."
12."Accessibility. I’m limited from going to so many places because they aren’t wheelchair accessible — from places like restaurants, bars, campus buildings, offices, concert venues, old museums, etc., to places like friends and family members' homes. People block disabled parking spots and ramps, too. I can’t tell you how disheartening it is to be so excited to go somewhere only to find out that you can’t get in the building."
13."Being able to afford having your kids home during the summer. Free and reduced lunches are really a lifeline for families. My parents couldn't afford to have us home all summer because of food costs, so we would visit family in Mexico. Our financial situation stabilized as we got older, but the cost was always really high, and my parents dreaded it."
14."Having new clothes that have only been worn by you."
15."Going on holiday each year, especially to other countries."
16."Having parents in the same industry you are pursuing. I am so tired of those nepo babies denying it and claiming that it actually makes their lives harder. What BS is this?"
"All of my architecture colleagues that have successful architecture offices of their own nowadays had one thing in common: architect, engineer, or building company-owner parents. It's so advantageous to have very early access to a good home library, someone to ask anything to, anytime, and other kinds of resources that the common mortals don't even dream exist."
17.And finally, "Living in creative mode instead of survival mode."
Any other privileges that people might not even realize are privileges? Share them in the comments below.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
