Having Privilege Is Not for Judging Others
M. Zakyuddin Munziri
@zakiego
Originally written in Bahasa Indonesia.
The remnants of yesterday's rain still linger this morning. The air and your demeanor battle fiercely on the horizon, over which is colder. Ah. Damn.
This piece is a reflection of my feelings after watching a video of two children by the beach—one happily playing with his father, and the other carrying a basket of goods to sell.
There are people who grow quickly, then assume that this ability is purely the result of their own independence. In reality, that ability is the product of good upbringing provided by their parents when they were young.
After believing that their rapid growth is the result of independence, they begin to judge others. They find it strange to see others growing more slowly than them. They easily pass judgment that those people are lazy, unwilling to work hard, and so on.
Indeed, that is human nature—we often judge others using ourselves as the standard.
Here is a simpler, more tangible analogy.
There is a child who excels at math. Then he says to his friend who isn't as skilled, "Hey, you should stop being lazy. Study! Don't just play all the time."
After school, the gifted child already has a study schedule arranged by his parents. He is driven to the best tutoring centers. He is given every facility to help him study perfectly.
Meanwhile, the other child's parents both work as factory laborers. They come home after sunset. As long as their child is healthy and still attending school, that is their definition of enough. After a tiring day, they have dinner, chat a little, and then sleep.
The analogy above is just a simplification of the reality we can witness around us.
We need to realize that many life skills we possess today are actually a combination of teachings given by our parents as we grew up.
There is nothing wrong with having privilege.
Instead of judging others, use that privilege to bridge the gap for those less fortunate than us, as stated by Athiya Deviyani,
Realizing that you have privilege is more 'essential' than being grateful. We are grateful to be born with privilege, but in my opinion, that alone is not enough. We must know how to bridge the gap between people who have less privilege and where I am now. - Athiya Deviyani
In simpler terms, help others with the blessings God has entrusted to you, not for judgment.
Privilege is not only about material things but can also be non-material. A small example is etiquette and manners. Not every child receives such teachings from their parents. So, rather than inflating yourself for feeling more ethical, help teach those who are 'less ethical' about what should and shouldn't be done.
And finally, everyone has different dimensions of knowledge.
Note: "privilese" is the Indonesian equivalent of "privilege."
Started in Banjarmasin, March 19, 2022 at 7:27 AM
Completed in Pelaihari, March 20, 2022 at 7:20 AM
