Powered Up

POWERED UP - AN INSIGHT BY THE IN GROUP

It’s not a competition

I’ve been called privileged a couple of times in the last year, purely on the basis of being male and closer to the ‘white’ end of the spectrum. According to my parents’ ancestry DNA tests, we’re a mixture of Greek, Middle Eastern, North African and a host of other things. Their story is very much the old cliché – arrive in a new country with nothing and start again. Things were by no means easy. I did a bit of moving around as a kid, and it’s fair to say that not everywhere we lived was as diverse or as tolerant as London. When I’m called privileged, I remember all the offensive names I was called as a child by people I’d never even met, simply because I was ever so slightly different to them. My family’s originally from Cyprus, which has had multiple rulers over the centuries and politically has struggled with ethnic infighting for many years – as have countless other countries. Division, occupation and all the associated hardships don’t necessarily lend themselves to the idea of privilege. But like I said, it’s not a competition.

Respect each other

If there’s one thing the last two years have taught me, it’s not to judge. To be sensitive to the challenges experienced by others. But that should apply to everyone we meet, not only to those we perceive – perhaps erroneously – to be disadvantaged in some way. You never really know what’s going on in someone’s life. Sometimes, judgementalism comes from safety. We judge others to deal with our own potential feelings of shame or inferiority. Sometimes I catch myself doing it and give myself a metaphorical slap around the ear. That’s when it’s important to acknowledge who we are, who we want to be and, most importantly, our own value. As someone once said, “It’s always the ones who know the least about you who judge you the most.”

Don’t judge a book by its cover

People of a certain background are more likely to experience certain benefits or, at the very least, to be exempt from some of the challenges experienced by other demographics. But by making assumptions about people purely based on their gender, their race, their socioeconomic group, or any combination of these factors, we’re in danger of falling into precisely the trap we’re trying to avoid. We’re being judgemental. We’re perpetuating negative stereotypes. Though our need for ratification and the rise of social media are accelerating our hunt for meaning and fellowship, no two people are the same. At this time, more than any other, we don’t need excuses to emphasise our differences. It’s far too easy to do that. Instead, by singing from the same hymn sheet while acknowledging our different voices, we can actually learn from each other. After all – and here’s another interesting word beginning with P – no one’s perfect.

CREDIT - PEXELS