Luck or privilege?

Yeah, so this is probably going to be a little ranty. It’s my site, I’m allowed to be.

And I should probably add ‘entitlement’ to the title.

Plus, luck and privilege are usually mis-used and could be replaced with entitlement. The word, because the concept is already there.

So many claim to be unlucky or something happened because of luck, but really it’s entitlement and privilege. Often both. I’m also writing this as an Australian-American citizen living in Australia. Privilege.

That thing you wanted on sale? It’s privilege you had the spare money for it.
When you went to the doctor, got blood work done, that healed you without causing more harm or bankrupting your family? That’s privilege.
Meeting a person who’d help you start a business? Privilege again.
The job you got? Privileged education.
Going to university? More privilege.
And that help you got from your parents. Yep, privilage.

I didn’t want to make this about my privilege, but it is. I grew up in a low income family, but because I was in Australia, school was government-paid. University too. Then, graduate school. I’m still paying off my contribution, and I worked hard and lots, but without privilege it wouldn’t have happened. When I was 5 I had a blood disease. A several week hospital stay and my parents didn’t have to pay. Even my US citizenship was easier. They apologised for asking me to do the English test; and being born in Australia meant fewer background checks.

What is luck?

Natalie Foster said on a Pitchfork Economics episode, “There’s an old saying that says progress is made when chance meets the prepared mind.”.

Chance is the luck and the prepared mind is privilege. Luck, or in this case chance, doesn’t happen without the privilege setting the scene. It was luck how I first went to university from high school. Privilege paid for it (with government funding). My other degrees were the same. Especially the last 2. Being able to have the Australian government pay for most of my Masters degree

Is privilege bad?

I don’t think privilege is bad. I can’t avoid my skin colour and the privilege it brings. My education. My experiences and opportunities.

Privilege is only bad when we deny it. “I’m not lucky” and “I deserve that” are entitled phrases. Yes, you worked hard, or saved, or were gifted money, but just acknowledge and thank the privilege that let the good thing happen. And know having that privilege doesn’t make you better than anyone else. Especially that last part.

Photo by Ava W. Burton on Unsplash

The Running Marketer