Check your privilege

radamanthine · 2012-09-11T17:02:13+00:00

Its inherently dismissive, and that's the point.

"Check your perspective" might be better in many cases. I'm not a woman, I don't live that life. The pressures put on me by society are certainly different, and I might not be seeing the whole picture. It does happen.

"Check your privilege" though, dismisses any account of any perspective, of my opinion. Like I'm not entitled to have an opinion because I am what I am. You're right, it destroys egalitarian aims because the sentiment- and it's a pervasive sentiment aside from just the usage of those words- is inherently dismissive.

And it reinforces perpetual victimhood as well. It implies that only one group is marginalized enough to actually have a voice. Despite the "privileged" side having valid qualms.

Debate can't be done in a vacuum- It almost always ends up a dysphoric circle jerk. Any positive egalitarian outcome has to be with the input of all parties involved. I would no more want the most crazed MRA writing legislation as I would the most crazed feminist- neither outcome would present a workable solution.

double-happiness · 2012-09-11T19:48:55+00:00

If anyone is underprivileged in society it's disabled people and the elderly, especially wheelchair users and the blind / deaf.

I used to be care worker and I've seen (black cab) taxis refuse to stop for a wheelchair user, and I know for a fact they have the equipment on board to carry a 'chair - they have to - it's required for the black cab license here.

The low level of access for disabled folk to housing, public building, businesses etc. is shocking. Next time you use an ATM look for the headphone socket for hearing-impaired users. Nae chance, they never have them, though it doesn't cost much AFAIK. [Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_ATM#Talking_ATMs_in_the_UK]

Check my privilege? I'm lucky not to be in wheelchair, to be honest.

2012-09-11T19:14:47+00:00

When i hear "check your privilege" i know i've won an argument. Feminists use this term way too much among other things.

ErasmusMRA · 2012-09-11T22:57:25+00:00

I avoid anyone who utters that phrase seriously. You cannot have a serious discussion with them.

2012-09-12T01:59:03+00:00

I had a feminist link me an example of white male privilege.

You're white, and you think you can say nigga/er just because black people say it! That's privilege.

Paraphrasing, but...

So my privilege is in thinking I deserve an equal right to free speech?

Funny thing, when I recounted the incident to my black lesbian friend, she laughed and said:

Nigga, you the blackest nigga I know; come give yo nigga a hug, nigga!

I'm Irish.

2012-09-11T17:10:39+00:00

Your privilege is that your privilege makes your opinion moot. Awesome...

2012-09-11T18:00:40+00:00

I've never heard this phrase in the wild, but the overwhelming temptation would be to look into my pants, grin, and say "Yep, still there!"

rightsbot · 2012-09-11T16:28:17+00:00

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neilmcc · 2012-09-11T17:08:35+00:00

used by sociologists

No, it is used by victim group ideologues to guard their shit from criticism.

EpicJ · 2012-09-11T17:15:56+00:00

I said this a week back but it's always relevant, I always hear white cis men are privileged because they don't realize they have any, yet when you ask the person they will say they have no privileges.

LucasTrask · 2012-09-11T19:44:12+00:00

My question is how the word "check" is being used. Is it like "check your fly?" Or more like "check your coat?" Or maybe its "a hip-check into the boards?"

funnyfaceking · 2012-09-12T01:46:54+00:00

This phrase needs to be fought at every opportunity.

how?

pauldustllah · 2012-09-12T04:36:48+00:00

Well, I am still unsure what exactly my male privilege is. It makes my blood boil every time I hear this. I had the "privilege" of being an infantryman because women were not allowed in the infantry. I had the "privilege" of losing my left leg. Since getting out I have never met a woman who wanted to be in the infantry. I guess female legs are of more value than mine. That check your privilege shit needs to stop.

2012-09-11T22:51:09+00:00

"Check your privilege" "Notice how you tried to use it to dismiss my valid points. Check yours."

Corneal_Refraction · 2012-09-12T00:50:32+00:00

This is kind of late in the thread, but does anyone else hate the word privilege? These are things all people should have, and while they do not necessarily be gov't-enforced, they should still be viewed as rights (well, obviously not all of them such as owning a person as property, but things like being open about your gender/sex without stigma should be).

2012-09-12T04:24:16+00:00

The phrase is hardly ever used in a constructive way, it's simply used to prevent peoples opinions from being considered. It's an ad-hominem argument to that effect.

cthulufunk · 2012-09-11T21:21:32+00:00

(Write out a) check (for) your privilege.

srasmus4 · 2012-09-11T19:31:31+00:00

This concept has been bastardized and twisted by feminists who want to assert that if men have some privilege they have it all.

I don't agree with this. Black feminism has evolved in the face of dealing with the fact that black women were oppressed by black men who were also oppressed. And that black women in turn oppressed homosexual women and men. It is all about understanding ways in which people can simultaneously be the oppressor and the oppressed.

There are plenty of dumb people on the internet who will yell "cis-privilige" as a cheap way of discarding their opponents arguments. Don't conflate that with a lack of sophistication in the understanding of privilege throughout the feminist movement.

ENTP · 2012-09-11T17:36:02+00:00

Men have no privileges, only responsibilities.

(in the West)

Plushhh · 2012-09-12T08:43:04+00:00

This is a false dilemma, a tactic used by feminists alongside argument to the person and begging the question, etc...typical childish arguments, transparent to anyone with basic intelligence.

Tomsterlinger · 2012-09-19T08:18:59+00:00

Hey i have a question. Im a white, straight and thin guy. Am i priviliged? If yes. Why?

Title	Check your privilege
Author	[deleted]
Upvotes	36
Comments	39
Date	September 11, 2012 4:27 PM UTC (13 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/zpqu5/check_your_privilege/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/check-your-privilege.1013746 https://theredarchive.com/post/1013746

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