This week, Reddit user u/Mburns15 posed a question to the internet: "What is something most people don’t realize is a privilege?" It sparked a massively viral conversation about the invisible ways so many of us carry privilege in our daily lives.
Here are some of the top-voted responses from users:
1. "Privacy. I don't mean digital privacy, I mean a room with solid walls and a door that closes. Lots of people don't have that."
2. "I'm glad therapy is becoming less stigmatized, but the 'everyone should go to therapy' crowd acts like it's free."
3. "Knowing a firetruck is on its way when there is a fire."
4. "Learning how to swim. Still surprises me that lots of people never learned how to swim, which is a basic skill for many. It may save your life someday."
5. "Spontaneity in your daily plans. If you’re a wheelchair user, that’s virtually impossible. So few places have accessible restrooms. Some public transport needs contact 24 hours in advance in order to accommodate you. The list goes on. I envy people who can just go with the flow."
6. "Being able to express PDA (public displays of affection) to your significant other without fearing for their safety and your own."
7. "The ability to buy a drink or snack in the spur of the moment, without thinking about how it would impact your ability to pay for utilities/rent/groceries/essentials."
8. "The ability to just eat whatever you want without having to read the label and make sure it doesn't have something that'll fuck you up."
9. "Feeling safe in your own home. Not worrying about rats, mice, roaches, bed bugs, bricks being thrown through windows, violence outside, break-ins."
10. "Being neurotypical."
11. "Having people assume you are telling the truth."
12. "Libraries! I think a lot of people who have access to a public library don’t appreciate how much of a privilege that is."
13. "To have people around who can and will help."
14. "Having two good parents."
15. "Not having chronic pain."
16. "Being mentally healthy."
17. "Uninterrupted power supply."
18. "Having a garbage truck that picks up your trash, and being able to flush toilet paper."
19. "Having access to water and a sewage system. Also, the abundance of food in western supermarkets is quite frankly insane. Every day, I try to spend a moment to reflect on how lucky I am."
20. "Having a vehicle."
21. "Sanitary products for women! It's different in different parts of the world and for different economic backgrounds."
22. "Access to birth control."
23. "Being able to just quit a job you don’t like."
24. "Going about your daily life without seriously worrying about your physical safety. Sleeping at night without worrying about whether a bomb is going to come through your roof."
25. "Having the ability to express an opinion. Free speech is very censored in a lot of the world."
26. "Criticizing your own government."
And finally...
27. "The ability to actually be a kid when young. It's heartbreaking how many children have to grow up or are hardened before they even hit puberty."
You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.