when we can’t acknowledge the pain of others while experiencing our own joy, we close our eyes, insulate ourselves, pretend that there’s nothing we can do to make things better, and opt out of helping others. This ability to opt out of suffering and injustice or pretend everything is okay is the core of privilege: Today I choose not to acknowledge what’s happening around me because it’s too hard. The goal is to get to the place where we can think, I am aware of what’s happening, the part I play, and how I can make it better, and that doesn’t mean I have to deny the joy in my life.
