What privileges teach us

I love coworking spaces that are nicely located, well-run, and have an interior where it feels like the people who came up with the concept thought it through. One day, I will open up such a space in my second home and transfer all the inspiration I got from the many spaces that I visited. These include not only coworking spaces but also business incubators and start-up hubs across the world. I know for sure that I have learnt a lot from the visits about ideal work cultures, habits, and values, the surroundings, the type of people you would want to have around you whilst working, and, of course, where to get the best coffee.

During another book writing session, I came across a poster in the bathroom of a coworking space. The headline was Check your privilege and just below, it was written “If you don’t have to think about it, it’s a privilege!”. The poster then listed several privileges around race, gender, religious and sexual orientation, as well as career opportunities and the possibility of earning a sufficient or equal salary. The poster made me reflect on my own privileges and I had honest conversations with loved ones that made me recognise them even more.

Discrimination is a violent act that many face in the world at the expense of a few. I can argue that in some way or another, we all experience discrimination. However, the question here is, does the discrimination that you face bother you? It is hard to deal with discrimination in real-time. I often wish that we would not have to go through or witness this hurtful act, but unfortunately, this is not reality.

So, I propose that we learn to be empathetic, loving, and respectful towards each other. Let us be patient with others as we should be with ourselves. Listen to understand instead of being understood. Prejudices are deeply ingrained in some of us due to our history and past life experiences. If you acknowledge this statement, then I believe you are open-minded enough to reflect and recognise that what we think, say, and do can cause harm to another person. Discriminatory remarks, in my opinion, are often miscommunications that result from a lack of understanding. Therefore, despite being empathetic, loving, and respectful, listening to understand is an important recipe to end discrimination, and requires a bit of patience.

Those of you who know me are probably aware that patience is not one of my biggest strengths. Actually, there was a time when I thought that I had to move to South Africa at one point to learn how to just chill and be more understanding of delays. Thanks to everyone who contributed to me learning this lesson, and to those of you who want to learn how to be more patient, I recommend spending some time in Africa. It has been a game-changer for me. Since I always emphasise the importance of ending with a call to action, here is one for you. Reflect on your privileges, however, do not judge yourself but rather learn more about them and have intentional conversations. I promise you that this exercise will be worth it in the end.

By the way: If you google the headline of the poster I mentioned, you will find many resources on the Internet. The brilliant work of Tupoka Ogette has helped me listen in order to understand. Let us spread the word.