Whats your advantage in life?
Whats your advantage in life?
I never felt the need to compare myself to others. aka, I’m competing with no one but myself.
I consider that a huge advantage, but who knows maybe I’m wrong.
Occasionally will be in a conference room working and co-workers will come in to work out their drama
I hate that. So many people talk to their therapist about their drinking in front of me.
It’s not something you actively use, it is just “there.”
For example: I applied to a job as a refrigeration technician and during the interview the guy actually fucking said “it’s really hard to get clean cut white guys to apply. I don’t want some Dominican (literally referring to their Dominican maintenance guy) walking into a store with our logos on.”
I had finished a tech school with some other black guys that I know also applied, I got the job and they didn’t. :/
Yeah nothing to be proud of but I can’t discount how powerful this one is, now that I’m “woke” to it.
Like I have worked for people for years and just not known they were racist or sexist, only for them to let it slip. And then you see behind the mask.
Realising why there are no people of colour in my office, or women with any kind of power. Realising I would not have this job if I was not a white man.
The number of times I’ve been “accused” of being gay just because I don’t have a problem with homo couples. Sometime in the 200Xs I stopped correcting people and went with “so what if I am gay” which added a real satisfying record scratch moment to arguments.
Let them believe I’m gay if they want, it’s none of their fucking business, and they should be aware there are queer folk in stealth mode literally in every aspect of their lives.
I use that power. I say things ranging from “Dude, that’s not ok” to “Are you fucking stupid or something?” if I’m looking to get their attention.
I’ve also pulled out “You know my cousin is black, right?” (true statement) and “That’s my sister” (untrue statement). When you make it personal they get real uncomfortable and start apologizing.
Welcome to being “high functioning” autistic, which is basically an undercover assignment from birth where if you slip up suddenly you have enemies.
Nobody, literally zero people, will acknowledge treating autistic people differently but holy shit.
Nah, if you aren’t a magat, they revoke your privilage anyways.
If cops know you support any ideology left of Biden, they will shoot you too. We’re in this together.
I know you’re joking, but queer white men exist, and they also face oppression.
It’s almost like the system that keeps us all oppressed actually doesn’t give a shit about these marginal differences, and just wants to keep us focused on identity politics and fracturing ourselves.
I made a conscious choice to be facetious about immediately apparent and physical marginalizing differences, but yes, you’re correct, and thank you for adding that as well.
I’m just pointing out the importance of recognizing privilege.
loving parents that supported me in all ways when needed.
This is the component that I was missing. I have the white male privilege, but I’ve always had split parents and 2 stepfathers that were always dicks. I had to move out at 18. My friend had the exact opposite situation where he could stay at home as long as he needed to and he spent his time studying towards a computer science degree. I always had to worry about moving and paying rent so I never pursued anything “difficult” or time consuming as I never knew when I’d have to move again so I’m now just a worthless, single, factory worker schmuck living in someone’s garage and my friend is happily married working from home making major money from a well known major corporation.
We couldn’t possibly have more different outcomes unless our skin color were also different.
I’m sorry you got a rough rub, man. I’m heading in a similar direction (moved out at 17, now late 20s working a dead end job to barely afford bills and halfway trying to go to school) and yeah, shits depressing, especially when you have friends that had similar interests and skills as you that were able to make something out of them (my friend who’s floor I slept on the last year of highschool is now a literal rocket scientist).
Just remember, we’re never truly worthless! So long as we keep clocking in every day, we have immense value to our employers. And what more could a person ask for.
Other than randomly being born in a western democracy ranking high on living standard, happiness etc.
I was a good boy and put in the effort in school. I get paid accordingly and have a relatively stress free job.
My mom is absolutely terrified of heights, to the point where she can’t stand on a chair without someone holding it. On tables isn’t happening. Ever.
But she’s perfectly fine with flying, and does so at least a couple of times per year. I even offered to take her flying in a very small aircraft a while back, and she had no problem with the idea.
I’ve had lots of problems in life (late diagnosed neurodiversity), walked out of jobs, changed careers, gone back to uni three times, and had a series of mental breakdowns. But despite all that, because I had a caring family, I knew that the worst that could happen is I’d have to move back in with my parents, which might be. A bit humiliating but would be easy, comfortable and safe.
This security allowed me to spend two decades fucking up until I got the right diagnosis, medication and a satisfying professional career. I’m extremely conscious that if I’d not had love and support I’d have ended up an unemployed alcoholic, or dead. I have so much respect for people fighting through life on hard mode, but I’m also so glad I happened to get the lucky draw.
Similarly, being a normal looking white guy is an amazing superpower. Although “invisible disabilities” absolutely have their own challenges, the fact that my problems aren’t easily spotted means that despite being repeatedly terrible at a wide variety of jobs, and a general screw up, I have gotten every job I’ve interviewed for, often massively beyond my actual skills and expertise. And it’s not just the external appearance, the confidence I grew up with from being white, male, straight passing, and middle class, has meant that people just believe stuff when I say it, and take me seriously even if I don’t really know much about whatever we’re discussing.
Obviously there’s some small amount of individual traits and whole lot of luck (you can still lose a game in easy mode, and sadly I know folks who have) but it so obvious I’m playing with a stacked deck compared with most of the world, that it boggles my mind that people try and deny their ‘privilege’.
Same. My partner calls me a fortress. She is frequently coming down with colds, like once a year at least. And covid twice. Meanwhile, I haven’t got noticeably sick since the first lockdowns.
Hope that doesn’t just mean I’m contagious af. I keep testing negative on the RATs anyway