Privileged Guilt

[an anarchist]

Privileged Guilt: The guilt that one has as a direct result of their privileged lifestyle.
Synonym: Survivors Guilt

This term I came up with to describe my perpetual feeling.

It is similar to survivors guilt, because I and every other human being on Earth is just trying to survive. We are in this together. I succeed, with great comfort I might add. Food, water, shelter... I'm an American! Even if I gots to hustle to get those things, I'm not being continually bombed, starved, and the like. That is contrary to many, and I mean many, of my fellow human beings on Earth. I'll be sitting on my recliner, eating delicious take out, while watching the news about how the Palestinians are starving and being bombed.

I have guilt. How could I not? If I did not, then that would be a cause for concern. I am guilty of being privileged. I was born into it, but that is no excuse.

Oh, how part of me wishes I could suffer with my fellow humans. To bear some of their weight, to alleviate some of their pain.

I take solace in the fact that one day, America too will burn and suffering will be wrought upon her head. Then it will be my turn to suffer. Perhaps I will live to see the day, I fear it is close.

 

[an anarchist]

To be able to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict from the comfort of our computers/phones...

To spout our opinions online continually while the subjects of our conversation are dying by the minute makes me feel ill

 

[Wandering Monk]

In days gone by the privileged could sometimes relieve their guilt by philanthropic deeds. Seems to be rare these days.

Carnegie built libraries all across the nation, even in little towns in Iowa.

 

[Eddi]

Privileged Guilt: The guilt that one has as a direct result of their privileged lifestyle.
Synonym: Survivors Guilt

This term I came up with to describe my perpetual feeling.

It is similar to survivors guilt, because I and every other human being on Earth is just trying to survive. We are in this together. I succeed, with great comfort I might add. Food, water, shelter... I'm an American! Even if I gots to hustle to get those things, I'm not being continually bombed, starved, and the like. That is contrary to many, and I mean many, of my fellow human beings on Earth. I'll be sitting on my recliner, eating delicious take out, while watching the news about how the Palestinians are starving and being bombed.

I have guilt. How could I not? If I did not, then that would be a cause for concern. I am guilty of being privileged. I was born into it, but that is no excuse.

Oh, how part of me wishes I could suffer with my fellow humans. To bear some of their weight, to alleviate some of their pain.

I take solace in the fact that one day, America too will burn and suffering will be wrought upon her head. Then it will be my turn to suffer. Perhaps I will live to see the day, I fear it is close.

Don't worry, if reincarnation is a thing you may be reborn as someone living in some dangerous and impoverished hell-hole

 

[an anarchist]

Don't worry, if reincarnation is a thing you may be reborn as someone living in some dangerous and impoverished hell-hole

"Don't worry" followed by a "if..." is cause for worry lol. The uncertainty ya know?

Not that I necessarily want suffer. But I want to be free from this guilt that privilege affords me

 

[Eddi]

Not that I necessarily want suffer. But I want to be free from this guilt that privilege affords me

Would helping people who are less fortunate than yourself help ease the guilt you are feeling?

 

[Jimmy]

You take solace? I hope you get well soon.

Guilt? No. I’m grateful and thankful everyday for my life and how it is.

 

[an anarchist]

Would helping people who are less fortunate than yourself help ease the guilt you are feeling?

Perhaps.

I have always thought that bringing about fundamental and foundational change to society is how I would alleviate suffering. But such a thing may be beyond my grasp.

But to simply throw the local hobo my spare change... to round up my total at the cash register for the local charity... to donate part of my paycheck to the emergency employee fund... I find these things not enough. A cheap cop out. I'm trying to buy off my guilt. So now I stray from such things.

 

[Stevicus]

Privileged Guilt: The guilt that one has as a direct result of their privileged lifestyle.
Synonym: Survivors Guilt

This term I came up with to describe my perpetual feeling.

It is similar to survivors guilt, because I and every other human being on Earth is just trying to survive. We are in this together. I succeed, with great comfort I might add. Food, water, shelter... I'm an American! Even if I gots to hustle to get those things, I'm not being continually bombed, starved, and the like. That is contrary to many, and I mean many, of my fellow human beings on Earth. I'll be sitting on my recliner, eating delicious take out, while watching the news about how the Palestinians are starving and being bombed.

I have guilt. How could I not? If I did not, then that would be a cause for concern. I am guilty of being privileged. I was born into it, but that is no excuse.

Oh, how part of me wishes I could suffer with my fellow humans. To bear some of their weight, to alleviate some of their pain.

I take solace in the fact that one day, America too will burn and suffering will be wrought upon her head. Then it will be my turn to suffer. Perhaps I will live to see the day, I fear it is close.

I can understand this to a large extent. Some of this may be due to the advances in technology and the immediacy of instant news and events.

There is a lot of turmoil and misfortune in this world, even here in America. There's nothing really special about America or anything that puts us above it all, even if we have been in a somewhat geographically insular position in the world, protected by a buffer of two oceans. I don't think there's any need for any Americans to feel personally guilty, except for things that they might have done as individuals. If Americans voted for the wrong candidates for political office, then I guess they can feel guilty about that.

For some reason, I'm reminded of times when I was a child, and there were some foods I didn't like or didn't want to eat completely. My grandfather would then give me a lecture about all the poor, starving children all over the world, trying to guilt me into eating something I didn't really want to eat. I was just a child at that point. I had little knowledge of the state of the world, and I wasn't responsible for the circumstances and conditions into which I was born. All I knew was that I didn't like my peas, and suddenly I'm getting a lecture on guilt and geopolitics from my grandfather. So, I ate my peas on behalf of the poor, starving children who didn't have peas.

 

[Revoltingest]

What me guilt?

 

[Orbit]

Privileged Guilt: The guilt that one has as a direct result of their privileged lifestyle.
Synonym: Survivors Guilt

This term I came up with to describe my perpetual feeling.

It is similar to survivors guilt, because I and every other human being on Earth is just trying to survive. We are in this together. I succeed, with great comfort I might add. Food, water, shelter... I'm an American! Even if I gots to hustle to get those things, I'm not being continually bombed, starved, and the like. That is contrary to many, and I mean many, of my fellow human beings on Earth. I'll be sitting on my recliner, eating delicious take out, while watching the news about how the Palestinians are starving and being bombed.

I have guilt. How could I not? If I did not, then that would be a cause for concern. I am guilty of being privileged. I was born into it, but that is no excuse.

Oh, how part of me wishes I could suffer with my fellow humans. To bear some of their weight, to alleviate some of their pain.

I take solace in the fact that one day, America too will burn and suffering will be wrought upon her head. Then it will be my turn to suffer. Perhaps I will live to see the day, I fear it is close.

Just do what you can on a daily basis to make the world a better place; be kind to others. That's all one person can do. No guilt is needed.

 

[PureX]

Do what everyone else does ... blame the victims for their own troubles, and then praise the gods for making you so much wiser, faster, smarter, and prettier than them.

 

[Alien826]

So, I ate my peas on behalf of the poor, starving children who didn't have peas.

The logical response would have been "OK, I'll give up my peas. Can you send them to the starving children?"

 

[osgart]

I think RF is a good place to try to understand other humans. I look at these devices as tools, or a compact library.

Personally I think a system of charity would go a long way toward getting people off the street and educated. Let them subsist and learn.

Collective cooperation and collective action is where real change takes place.

Ideas spawn action, if you can find any that people will invest in. Then those ideas have to be tested. To change anything on one's own they would have to win support of people, and build relationships. If everyone is a stick in the mud, and there time is heavily invested in survival and building individual freedom and saving for retirement they may not have time, or resources to help. How many people are willing to change or uproot the system? Capitalism serves them fine, and if you are wealthy you are probably not going to go for change that isn't heavily researched and tested.

Not everyone wants to throw themselves to the wind to create change. If the pen is mightier than the sword then perhaps people becoming more intelligent is how that change is going to happen.

Trying to change the world is a lifetime commitment. A single person's actions could be the impetus for major actions. The question is can the average person make waves on his/her own and actually be making progress. The more you have to lose that smarter and more shrewd you will be about the wisdom you choose.


To rock the boat or not too, that is the question. The average prosperous person is heavily resistant to major changes.

Perhaps AI and the coming displacement will bring people out of their shells. Who knows?

Change for the sake of change isn't going to move anybody. Once powerful people attain power then they move to keep that power in place. So there's good power, and then there is unhealthy power that oppresses.

To help people you have to weigh a lot of considerations. Or just volunteer with a charity organization that actually does charity.

People know economics is a bottom line put up or shut up world. When people finally succeed they fight like mad to keep what they got and grow. When people lose they clamor for change.

 

[Quintessence]

Are you okay?

Being serious. Because it sounds concerning to me that you are shouldering guilt for something that is no fault of your own, are unable to simply appreciate your blessings, and are finding solace by imagining the crashing and burning of your own culture. That does not sound like a good mental space to me.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

The logical response would have been "OK, I'll give up my peas. Can you send them to the starving children?"

I tried that...it didn't work...

 

[The Hammer]

Don't worry, if reincarnation is a thing you may be reborn as someone living in some dangerous and impoverished hell-hole

Like a pedophile getting reincarnated as an abused child. Karmas a *****.

 

[ChristineM]

Are you okay?

Being serious. Because it sounds concerning to me that you are shouldering guilt for something that is no fault of your own, are unable to simply appreciate your blessings, and are finding solace by imagining the crashing and burning of your own culture. That does not sound like a good mental space to me.

^^^THIS ^^^

Plus...

It sounds to me like you are amplifying what should be a concern into feeling of guilt. How long have you felt this way?

 

[an anarchist]

Are you okay?

Being serious. Because it sounds concerning to me that you are shouldering guilt for something that is no fault of your own, are unable to simply appreciate your blessings, and are finding solace by imagining the crashing and burning of your own culture. That does not sound like a good mental space to me.

To answer your question promptly: no. Mentally at least, but my physical health does reflect my mental health unfortunately. Though I do shrug this off at times due to my privilege. My privilege more than makes up for my poor mental health.

I have a Messiah Complex, so for me, suffering is entirely my fault. I can end everyone's suffering if I wanted to. I know the way forward. But I refuse. I blame everyone else too. If everyone only thought like me then we would be able to end suffering...

I finally meet a therapist later this week. I've been waiting many months for a therapist for my delusional thinking. The clinic's therapists passed my case off to one another without meeting me. The third therapist finally passed my case off to an organization that deals specifically with psychotic people, so I have my first meeting with that medical team this week.

So I'm not ok. Fret not, I am in the medical system. The gears of the medical system grinds slow, however.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Like a pedophile getting reincarnated as an abused child. Karmas a *****.

I hate that particular type of karmac bs.

What it essentially implies is an abused kid is getting what is deserved.