How to Talk About Privilege, & Disadvantage

Frida Kahlo (painter unknown)

Power & Privilege

A lot of professions work in diversity intervention and consultation. This includes individuals trained as counselors, psychologists, social workers, anthropologists, and sociologists, resulting in discordant opinions, assertions, and theories about the types of privilege. One stance is statistically the most powerful, especially at our current inflection, and especially on this point: How do we engage diversity, or power and privilege? 

First, let’s examine strategies that fail, strategies that deteriorate into chaos. 

Claiming Privilege or Bias

Some think they ought to claim their privilege or bias. No. This presupposition is that others' opinions (or one’s own social status) are more important than others’ well-being. While inner-work is important, foisting inner-work upon others is rooted in ego and conveys either insecurity or narcissism. This may even be domineering proof of privilege. Claiming privilege or bias degenerates into dishonest, exploitative virtue-signaling. 

Claiming Disadvantage

Others think they ought to claim disadvantage at the outset. No. This undermines personal worth and is a codependent or sociopathic behavior that destabilizes the psyche. Claiming disadvantage is victimhood which leverages psychological dependency to gain validation in the self or power against the socially objectified other.

Pointing Out Others' Disadvantages 

Some think they ought to identify the disadvantages of others. No. This depersonalizes and crosses boundaries. It also glorifies and confuses "suffering" with "wisdom." Wisdom is produced by suffering, but suffering typically produces apathy, nihilism, and aggression. Identifying disadvantage is objectification and presumption which obscures identity. 

Pointing Out Others Privileges

Lastly, some think they ought to identify others' privileges. This is normally perceived as a hostile – even Marxist – aggression. It is only possible if trust has been earned, or it will depersonalize and cross boundaries, obscuring the identity, history, triumphs, and suffering of an individual. Even when not an outright attack, it is typically presumption and objectification. 

Implications   

These assertions are rooted in tribal, group transference which strips us of identity. At later stages, they cause psychological disorders rooted in narcissism, dependence, dishonesty, and hysteria. Positive change becomes more difficult as selfish or dissociative ego increases. 

So how do we engage privilege? We recognize the individual experiences of every person. We don't rank human value according to suffering. We avoid assertions, and we ask, "How are you doing? How did you succeed there? What are you struggling with? How have you suffered? How can I help?" We open our hearts. Change becomes easier when we create a culture of interest in other's experiences and belonging based on shared humanity.

Psychological Safety 

This is called psychological safety. It engages privilege naturally by allowing individuals to share and find compassion without requiring any particular identity. Groups such as these excel at caring for the follower, the disenfranchised, the weak, the neurotic, the fearful, and the poor. 

Yet psychological safety goes further. It allows the strong to capitalize on their strength. Those with advantage, intelligence, resilience, personality, experience, or training are more capable of facilitating it and have more to give. In competitive environments, others become rivals worthy of both challenge and praise. In collaborative environments, all ideas have potential; creativity and positivity increase. Group security increases, and so does performance.  

Those who suffer, those who survive and thrive interest us. We seek tomorrow’s heroes. We want to be tomorrow’s heroes. Psychological safety is the way. 

Summary

Psychological safety is one of three psychotherapeutic mainstays, one of just three things in psychology that work. It is the key to performance, and it makes the world a better place. It is the foundation of productive argumentation, individual development, and a healthy culture of any type. It is the most effective way to manage talent, diversity, and privilege in a group scenario.