Top posted linguistic rant

[neadods]

Most of rant cut and possibly triggering:

Comments

[suricattus]

and attitudes like this [discussed, not yours, she amends to clarify] are why I call myself a craftsperson rather than an artist, ever... *sigh*

(had an interesting discussion last weekend with a fellow writer, who happens to be a male of A Certain Lack-of-Pigmentation and financial status, about the difference between 'privilege' [which he had purely for being male-and-pale in this world] and 'entitlement' [which he did not have, Life having knocked the gloss off him in the manner proper to all self-aware adults]. I think he got it.)

[neadods]

Hmmmm. I think an expansion on privilege and entitlement and how they are not synonyms may be in the works... but not now, because I'm late to work.

[suricattus]

well, one of the quickest ways to explain it is that privilege is something other people give to you, and entitlement is what you take for yourself (the assumption that you are worthy of/entitled to privilege).

Or: privilege is passive, entitlement is active.

But that's simplification, 'cause my brain's not awake yet.

[kradical]

Simplistic, perhaps, but also not inaccurate, and a handy way to make the distinction.

[fyrdrakken]

Or maybe, privilege is what you have by accident of circumstances, and entitlement is when you confuse that for something that should be yours by right?

[neadods]

I like that! Nice summary.

[fyrdrakken]

I was thinking about the point that loss of privilege tends to be taken as active oppression, and figuring that that reaction is the difference between entitlement and enlightenment.

[neadods]

loss of privilege tends to be taken as active oppression

Certainly it's being presented as such. Was it Limbaugh or O'Reilly who blurted "They're trying to take away your white male privilege"?