I Am Privileged: A Response To A Fellow Blogger - Sis

My brother recently sent me a link to a blog post. I would like to respond to this post at this time. I respect all authors and think blogs are an amazing outlet for authors

The blog post is:  My Problem With the Success Narrative by Table for One

The blog starts off by the author stating she has an issue with the FIRE community “universally ignore(ing) the role of privilege”.

This author states that privilege can be something like race, gender to growing up in a stable community. I feel that these are characteristics that describes a person. Yes, some of these traits lead to advantages in life but they are just that, traits. It is up to the individual self to determine the effects of these traits. For example, I am a female. In the financial world females aren't traditionally as educated as their male counterparts. I made the conscious choice to educate myself. It was up to me solely to put in the time and effort, this was not determined by gender. I grew up in a privileged house with a stable family. My roots were established by my parents but the choices I make today are solely mine. I get to make the choice of living a more frugal life vs a life of excess. I get to decide everyday if I cook dinner or we order out. Life to me is about choices, and all you can do is make the next choice with the best knowledge you have.

The author then continues, “But these are individual stories, which ignore the fact that the greater the odds are against a person, the less likely they are to succeed.”

As I stated above, I believe that life is full of choices. Today we live in a very diverse world. There are all sort of different people with different traits, but being unique can also be an advantage. For example, there is a 12 year old boys who does makeup videos on YouTube and I am guessing making money off them. I am sure he faces challenges in life with diversity but I am trying to look at this from a financial standpoint. He made the choice to take a passion and monetize it, despite his age, gender or race. The above statement seems like an excuse to me.

Next, the author say, “While it’s great to celebrate individual successes and be proud of our own accomplishments, we need to also acknowledge the things that have helped us to get to where we are.”

Now the above statement is completely true, I agree with it as a stand alone, but in the context of this blog post, there are a few things that bother me. First, I believe there is nothing more important than celebrating our individual successes. You have worked hard for that success, you deserve to share them. If people don’t celebrate then it is going to lead to burnout. Small wins are what add up to the bigger picture. Next, I don’t feel like I need to acknowledge my past as much as my future. My past has built me but my future is what my choices depend on. I could tell you my story. Do you want to hear about my bad dad or how about my stepdad that saved me? What does that have to do with my financial success? Nothing. I did the work with the guidance of various people in my life.

Now I have not really touched the word “privileged”. I am privileged. I have a rich life full of love and support. My traits may lead to how certain people perceive me but I get to choose my choices. I get to invest, save and earn. The author wrote a very interesting post that I respect but also believe it misses a lot of perspective.

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