I Lied, Put Your Clothes Back On…
Today, we’re going to discuss several topics. First, I would like to introduce the concept of egotistical fragility.
No matter who you are, you have some level of privilege. This is a concept that many people seem to misunderstand. Yes, you don’t have to be a straight, cisgender, white male to be privileged. Anything that marginalizes another community can be seen as something that privileges you. Whether it’s being able-bodied, neurotypical, straight, or white, privilege manifests in various ways.
The fragility emerges when people are confronted about their privilege and refuse to acknowledge it. This creates an atmosphere where everyone feels they should be shielded from uncomfortable truths. It’s the very reason I can’t discuss certain topics in this article. We are often ordered to be mindful of people’s sensitivity and avoid certain discussions. But when you have the privilege to turn your back on issues because they don’t affect you, I think we’ve crossed the line from sensitivity to denial.
Whether you agree with me or not isn’t the point—this is my opinion article, after all. I’m not aiming to convince you to agree with me. My goal is simply to make you understand that this is a very real, common issue, and it’s starting to frustrate me. You don’t need to be highly educated to show people basic human decency. If you think not acknowledging your privilege isn’t that important, then you’re part of the problem. This isn’t aimed at any specific community—it’s a call to humanity. Acknowledging your privilege doesn’t mean assuming every issue is directly related to you; it means recognizing the problem you’re part of and working to fix it. It means leaving space for marginalized voices to be heard, not just echoing your own.
But I digress.
The second topic is the constant pressure for minorities to be quiet—needing them to be docile, to fit into the corner that has been designated for them. Yes, you’re oppressed, but could you please be less loud about it? If you’re too loud, you might burst the delusional utopian bubble the world is living in. I suppose this ties into the first topic: people don’t like confronting what’s going wrong because doing so might actually require them to put in some work. Not physical work, of course, but mental and emotional labor, which is perhaps even harder. It’s easier to scroll past the issues than to try and change them. Why bother, right? After all, it doesn’t affect you. Who cares about empathy, decency, and genuine kindness? I guess it’s a free world for those who can afford it, so you can do what you want. But how can you call yourself an ally, stand for a cause, or claim to be for the people if you can’t even call out bigoted, discriminatory behavior? Not everything has to be spelled out for you—please start actually doing the work.
The third and final topic is somewhat unrelated, but it wouldn’t be a rant if it were completely coherent. The emphasis people place on relationships is becoming downright sickening. I say this as an alloromantic individual, but please, just stop. It’s reached the point where it feels like it’s the only thing anyone can think about. Most of the time, when people gossip or share secrets, it’s about romance, relationships, or similar topics. Honestly, I’m tired of it. I want to have a genuine, honest, thrilling, and interesting conversation about something other than your boyfriend (sue me).
Beyond that, people are far too quick to jump in and out of relationships. What’s the end goal? Marriage? Yet another prison? Sure, if you love each other, that’s great, but statistically, you have a 50/50 chance of either living happily ever after or chasing child support payments every other month. Yes, humans need companionship, but what happened to friendships? Everyone is so ready to chase a romantic relationship at the expense of platonic ones, only to get bored and end them. I’ve had my fair share of romance, but I guess what I’m really asking is: why do we constantly feel the need to be "completed" by another person? If that’s a personal decision, I suppose that’s commendable, but why should you decide what the norm should be? Why is life considered unfulfilled until we get married and have children? Why aren’t we confident enough in our sense of self and the people around us to be content alone?
But, you know, who am I to say?
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