Anyone always feel guilty for how much privilege they have

[It’s so Joever]

Okay this is odd but like for at least a good chunk of my life I’ve definitely felt guilty about how lucky I am. Because I am. My parents are rich, not to the obscene amount but rich enough I feel safe saying at this point we are upper class (although that wasn’t always the case it grew over time)

This started when I was like 12-13 and spent a lot of time learning about differences between neighborhoods (I was a weird kid) and I very quickly realized how economically disadvantaged a lot of people were compared to my very nice upbringing. Going to a more diverse middle school helped but so did my map addiction. Anyways since then…I’ve always felt VERY guilty about it all.

My parents are literally paying for my college (I mean it helps I “earned” a lot of merit aid but if I had been raised in different circumstances I very well may not have been able to do that due to education differences) and my f**king rent. Who the f**k does that? I am going along with this because I know they want the best for me and I am of course trying to “get ahead” so eventually I can become self sustainable and maybe someday can even return the favor…but I doubt it will ever happen.

It’s  not that I don’t want this advantage in life…but I really do think ninety percent of people who I meet who may not have it would be using it better than me. This isn’t some pity party s**t, I’ve known I could do better and don’t. sure I’m not the worst, but that’s not the bar is it??

I’ve literally had such a good life, and I did nothing to earn it. What if the person next (okay well not him because he’s literally a nepo baby but the OTHER guy near me) to me would have done so much better than me with the resources if they had them?

I’m not writing this for my own ego as f**king pretentious as it sounds, and I REALLY don’t wanna hear “oh it’s okay” because it’s f**king not. We’ve wasted so much in the world from this s**t. And no I won’t change anything about my life because I am a bad person and value my own material comfort over all else (yes I know) I just wanna know if anyone has always felt similar?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Kinda.

[T'Chenka]

Kinda, somewhat, sometimes. Just for being a Canadian citizen in good health.

[dead0man]

guilty?  nah  How could I feel guilty for something completely out of my control?  That would be as dumb as feeling guilty about slavery for people who have never owned a slave.  Every single person alive has ancestors who were slave owners and slaves.


"thankful" would be a better word, if any


OP, I promise you that you would feel less guilty if you started paying your own way.  Feeling guilty is way easier though (because feelings aren't as important as, ya know, real, tangible things like money).  I hope you regularly (and earnestly) thank your parents.

[Vosem]

No; after all the whole point of human society is to get people as much privilege as possible. I want to live in a society where everybody is always trying to become more privileged, and that gets meaningfully harder to achieve even if a small minority feel guilty about it.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

Yes. And taking privilege discourse to its natural and obvious conclusion, there is no way to obviate yourself from your own privilege, and the most just solution is to just remove yourself from any situation in which you have privilege over others by, e.g., not applying for certain jobs.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

When I'm gainfully employed, with a real job, and have the luxury of independence, I'll reevaluate my privilege. It's not something I have right now due to life circumstances I no longer really share with the forum for privacy reasons. All I know is that continuing to strive towards the goals I've had for years takes predence over feeling guilt or shame for the way things turned out in my life.

[John Dule]

No. I deserve it.

[jamestroll]

most people here are millionaires easily.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Lmao nah

[Antonio the Sixth]

Sometimes, yeah, but I try to keep in mind that it's not a good way to think about it. If we're not guilty for the circumstances we're born in, that should count both ways, about circumstances of privilege as well as circumstances of poverty. Ultimately, what counts is what we do with it (and no, I can't say I do much to make the world better, but oh well).

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Sometimes, yeah, but I try to keep in mind that it's not a good way to think about it. If we're not guilty for the circumstances we're born in, that should count both ways, about circumstances of privilege as well as circumstances of poverty. Ultimately, what counts is what we do with it (and no, I can't say I do much to make the world better, but oh well).

Good point.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

(and no, I can't say I do much to make the world better, but oh well).

Volunteer in Turkey to help with the earthquake.

[Antonio the Sixth]

(and no, I can't say I do much to make the world better, but oh well).

Volunteer in Turkey to help with the earthquake.

I mean, no, I won't do that (though I have donated to some relief organizations but that's not the same). I know I should though!

[It’s so Joever]

guilty?  nah  How could I feel guilty for something completely out of my control?  That would be as dumb as feeling guilty about slavery for people who have never owned a slave.  Every single person alive has ancestors who were slave owners and slaves.


"thankful" would be a better word, if any


OP, I promise you that you would feel less guilty if you started paying your own way.  Feeling guilty is way easier though (because feelings aren't as important as, ya know, real, tangible things like money).  I hope you regularly (and earnestly) thank your parents.

I know. I am working on top of my schooling but obv it’s not at all enough to even come close to being able to cover everything. I do hope that once I graduate I will be able to become self sufficient for good. And yes of course I thank my parents regularly.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Grateful but not guilty. I just wish other people could have my privileges too.

[Sir Mohamed]

I feel grateful. I don't feel bad, though I want more people to succeed in life.

[Torie]

No. It's not my fault, and I don't think I did anything wrong on the journey. But I do consider myself fortunate.

[Del Tachi]

The proper response to this feeling is to develop an inferred responsibility to act generously to those less fortunate than you (i.e., noblesse oblige.)  Give/volunteer your time to charities you think could make a difference in the lives of these people.  Be warned:  the contemporary left considers this patronizing, however.   

[Progressive Pessimist]

Yes, actually. At least to some extent. I feel very fortunate to have been into the circumstances that I was...at least on the outside. I certainly wish I was born with a different brain chemistry makeup to better be able to enjoy and get the most out of it though. Genetically and physically too I would hope for better in an ideal world.

[RFK 2024]

No, don't mope around and feel guilty.  Use your privilege, whether that's good health, fortune, or anything you have going for you to your advantage, and once you're all set in life you can help others out.  You only have one life to change things so use your time wisely.

[Kahane's Grave Is A Gender-Neutral Bathroom]

most people here are millionaires easily.

What? The average Atlas user is an autistic & queer college student.

[Diabolical Materialism]

I don't feel particularly privileged in the context of the United States, being gay in the South and poor. I am very thankful however that I got the coin flip of being white, male and a native born citizen of a developed Western country. Rather than dwell on my unearned privileges I find it more useful to fight for extending the benefits of them to all people.

[All Along The Watchtower]

No I complain about not having more like a normal American

[All Along The Watchtower]

Be warned:  the contemporary left considers this patronizing, however.    

Everyone, across the political spectrum, should really stop caring about what some weirdos on Twitter and/or college campuses think.