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How Privileged Are You?

Check(list) your privilege. posted on April 10, 2014 at 5:30pm EDT

Rega Jha BuzzFeed Staff posted about 4 hours ago

I know, right? Now tell your friends!

How Privileged Are You?

Rega Jha

How Privileged Are You?

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Jen Lewis / Via BuzzFeed

Check off all the statements that apply to you.
1. ✓ I am white.
2. ✓ I have never been discriminated against because of my skin color.
3. ✓ I have never been the only person of my race in a room.
4. ✓ I have never been mocked for my accent.
5. ✓ I have never been told I am attractive “for my race.”
6. ✓ I have never been a victim of violence because of my race.
7. ✓ I have never been called a racial slur.
8. ✓ I have never been told I “sound white.”
9. ✓ A stranger has never asked to touch my hair, or asked if it is real.
10. ✓ I am heterosexual.
11. ✓ I have never lied about my sexuality
12. ✓ I never had to “come out.”
13. ✓ I never doubted my parents’ acceptance of my sexuality.
14. ✓ I have never been called “fag.”
15. ✓ I have never been called “dyke.”
16. ✓ I have never been called a “fairy,” or any other derogatory slur for homosexuals.
17. ✓ I have never tried to hide my sexuality.
18. ✓ I am always comfortable with P.D.A. with my partner in public.
19. ✓ I have never pretended to be “just friends” with my significant other.
20. ✓ I have never been ostracized by my religion for my sexual preference.
21. ✓ I have never been told I would “burn in hell” for my sexual preference.
22. ✓ I have never been told that my sexuality is “just a phase.”
23. ✓ I have never been violently threatened because of my sexuality.
24. ✓ I am a man.
25. ✓ I feel comfortable in the gender I was born as.
26. ✓ I still identify as the gender I was born in.
27. ✓ I have never tried to change my gender.
28. ✓ I have never been denied an opportunity because of my gender.
29. ✓ I make more money than my professional counterparts of a different gender.
30. ✓ I have never felt unsafe because of my gender.
31. ✓ I have never been catcalled.
32. ✓ I have never been sexually harassed or assaulted.
33. ✓ I have never been raped.
34. ✓ I work in a salaried job.
35. ✓ My family and I have never lived below the poverty line.
36. ✓ I don’t have any student loans.
37. ✓ I have never gone to bed hungry.
38. ✓ I have never been homeless.
39. ✓ My parents pay some of my bills.
40. ✓ My parents pay all of my bills.
41. ✓ I don’t rely on public transportation.
42. ✓ I buy new clothes at least once a month.
43. ✓ I have never done my taxes myself.
44. ✓ I have never felt poor.
45. ✓ I have never had to worry about making rent.
46. ✓ I have never worked as a waiter, barista, bartender, or salesperson.
47. ✓ I have had an unpaid internship.
48. ✓ I have had multiple unpaid internships.
49. ✓ I went to summer camp.
50. ✓ I went to private school.
51. ✓ I graduated high school.
52. ✓ I went to an elite college.
53. ✓ I graduated college.
54. ✓ My parents paid (at least some of) my tuition.
55. ✓ I had a car in high school.
56. ✓ I’ve never had a roommate.
57. ✓ I’ve always had cable.
58. ✓ I have traveled internationally.
59. ✓ I travel internationally at least once a year.
60. ✓ I studied abroad.
61. ✓ I’ve never skipped a meal to save money.
62. ✓ I don’t know what “Sallie Mae” is.
63. ✓ I spent Spring Breaks abroad.
64. ✓ I have frequent flier miles.
65. ✓ My parents are heterosexual.
66. ✓ My parents are both alive.
67. ✓ My parents are still married.
68. ✓ I do not have any physical disabilities.
69. ✓ I do not have any social disabilities.
70. ✓ I do not have any learning disabilities.
71. ✓ I have never had an eating disorder.
72. ✓ I have never been depressed.
73. ✓ I have never considered suicide.
74. ✓ I have never attempted suicide.
75. ✓ I have never taken medication for my mental health.
76. ✓ I can afford medication if/when I need it.
77. ✓ I have never been told I’m overweight or “too skinny.”
78. ✓ I have never felt overweight or underweight or “too skinny.”
79. ✓ I have never been shamed for my body type.
80. ✓ I consider myself to be physically attractive.
81. ✓ I can afford a therapist.
82. ✓ I’ve used prescription drugs recreationally.
83. ✓ I have never had an addiction.
84. ✓ I have never been shamed for my religious beliefs.
85. ✓ I have never been violently threatened for my religious beliefs.
86. ✓ I have never been violently attacked for my religious beliefs.
87. ✓ There is a place of worship for my religion in my town.
88. ✓ I have never lied about my ethnicity as self-defense.
89. ✓ I have never lied about my religion as self-defense.
90. ✓ All my jobs have been accommodating of my religious practices.
91. ✓ I am not nervous in airport security lines.
92. ✓ I have never heard this statement: “You have been randomly selected for secondary passport control.”
93. ✓ I have never been called a terrorist.
94. ✓ Nobody has ever tried to “save” me for my religious beliefs.
95. ✓ I have never been cyber-bullied for any of my identities.
96. ✓ I was not bullied as a child for any of my identities.
97. ✓ I have never tried to distance myself from any of my identities.
98. ✓ I have never been self-conscious about any of my identities.
99. ✓ I have never questioned any of my identities.
100. ✓ I feel privileged because of the identities I was born with.

Check my privilege.

How Privileged Are You?

You’re among the most privileged people in the world. We don’t live in an ideal world, but you happened to be born into an ideal lot. This is not a bad thing, nor is it something to be ashamed of. It just means a lot of other people in the world don’t live life with the advantages you have, and that’s something you should always be aware of. Hey, the fact that you took the time and effort to check your privilege means that you’re already trying.
You’re quite privileged. You’ve had a few struggles, but overall your life has been far easier than most. This is not a bad thing, nor is it something to be ashamed of. But you should be aware of your advantages and work to help others who don’t have them. Thank you for checking your privilege.
You’re not privileged at all. You grew up with an intersectional, complicated identity, and life never let you forget it. You’ve had your fair share of struggles, and you’ve worked hard to overcome them. We do not live in an ideal world and you had to learn that the hard way. It is not your responsibility to educate those with more advantages than you, but if you decide you want to, go ahead and send them this quiz. Hopefully it will help.
You’re underprivileged. The world is not a fair or ideal place and you know that because you grew up with several identities that the world is not kind to. You had a lot of challenges to overcome simply to get on a level playing field with most people in the world. It is not your job to educate the world about its injustices, but if you choose to, go ahead and send them this quiz. Hopefully it will help.

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