REFLECTION
Privilege , Empathy , and Hope for Peace
By Dawn Shattuck
One of the greatest illusions we have as Americans is that we rightly deserve everything that we have , or that we have justifiably earned everything that we have accomplished . While this may be true for a few , is it really true for most of us ? If we are completely honest , wasn ’ t there someone or something in our past that made it possible for us to have greater access to funds , or to an education , or an inside chance at a job interview ? Wasn ’ t there someone or some group that blazed the trail or opened doorways making it possible for us to be in the position we are today ? Privilege , or lack thereof , clearly has a profound impact on the trajectory and satisfaction experienced in one ’ s life .
No matter what part of the world we live in , privilege seems to be a gift of circumstance . The great Midwestern financier Warren Buffett quips that many of us in America have “ won the ovarian lottery ,” the ultimate position of privilege he describes as being born a white person in the United States , a society that mandates access to a certain level of education , and is run by a government that continues to support some level of protection of a person ’ s basic civil rights .
But does it really make sense that the opportunities that a good life provides be determined in large part by the circumstances of one ’ s birth ? Should the wherewithal to obtain a good education , land a decent job , or live in a neighborhood where children can play without fear be the luck of the draw ? People without privilege are disproportionately and negatively affected by lack of opportunities and options . Many face daunting challenges just to survive , let alone thrive . Under their circumstances , how difficult it must be to find any amount of peace of mind or to have hope for a more secure and successful future .
A humane society should not require a privileged life to be able to feed , house , and clothe one ’ s children or to protect one ’ s family from harm . A compassionate society would mandate access to those basic needs for everyone , while ensuring access to a good education , healthcare and equal protection under the law .
Does having privilege then come with added moral responsibility ? Isn ’ t it logical that those more privileged step forward with benevolence and be willing to stand up for others , and certainly , whenever possible , provide added opportunities ? Can we really expect the conditions of the underprivileged and ultimately the world as a whole to change if those of much privilege do not help make social change happen ? We must not only guard against the arrogance of privilege , but we must also be mindful of how our personal privilege impacts others , negatively or positively . Privilege can be used as a great force of social change if those who are privileged consistently view the world through a lens of compassion and goodness for all .
We can begin to accomplish positive social change by first acknowledging that privilege actually exists , and , with that rarefied capacity to make things happen , work for a more humane world . Considering how many people of privilege live in the United States alone , imagine what might happen if an additional ten percent of the population stepped up to help others ; we could easily launch a positive change tsunami .
Empathy as the key to a more humane world
David Lacy , cofounder and columnist for iPinion Syndicate contends : “ We have an empathy crisis in this country . Our fierce sense of independence and entitlement allows us to effectively shut off suffering for anyone but ‘ our own .’” What is the impetus then that makes people more attuned
4 IMAGINE l SPRING 2016