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How to Recognize Privilege — and Uplift Those Without It | Mariam Veiszadeh | TED

Depending on your lot in life, you may see the status quo as a result of unearned privilege or a simple reflection of merit. If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas: Follow TED! Twitter: Instagram: Facebook: LinkedIn: TikTok: The TED Talks channel…

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Depending on your lot in life, you may see the status quo as a result of unearned privilege or a simple reflection of merit.

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#TED #TEDTalks #privilege

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53 Comments

53 Comments

  1. Spartan963

    February 7, 2023 at 2:39 pm

    How to recognize CRT prejudices.

  2. TheEvolver311

    February 7, 2023 at 2:44 pm

    Well giving a Ted talk to a bunch of Neo-Liberals who consistently support a economic agenda that only helps the wealthy and powerful probably isn’t helping in fact I’d say it only helps allow fascistic movements to grow just look at all the “anti-woke” brown shirts in the comments.

  3. systemCheck

    February 7, 2023 at 2:49 pm

    The title = this video

  4. Orangeman on steroids

    February 7, 2023 at 2:51 pm

    When the world economy finally collapses from all these entitled people of color i don’t think we will have to worry so much about them. they will die first, probably from mass starvation, Riots and bad idea home invasions.
    This white man is secretly praying for it everyday.

  5. Tre Revilo

    February 7, 2023 at 2:58 pm

    When you need to be taught the obvious, you’re in trouble if you don’t learn it.

  6. chocomalk

    February 7, 2023 at 3:12 pm

    If you cant uplift yourself…..well you are weak or uninterested in working for a better future…or you can always blame a color.

  7. Bo

    February 7, 2023 at 3:15 pm

    Very mature and well-rounded comment section, everyone, great work

  8. Harry Beacham

    February 7, 2023 at 3:23 pm

    It may interest you if you’re in the comments to lookup ‘Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Scar’ a pyschological experiment in which women ‘believe’ they have a facial disfigurement before an interview and come out of the interview afterwards explaining how they have been treatly differently due to their facial disfigurement. Victim mentality is real.

  9. Cosmic Warrior Princess Harmony

    February 7, 2023 at 4:16 pm

    Privileged people are people like you who can use your perceived victimhood to bully other people for the color of their skin and their gender.
    They didn’t earn that. They found themselves there. themselves in it.
    For some of these people, their positions of privilege, they worked very hard for.
    Nobody gets hired just because they are white.

    That’s your victim bias talking.
    Please look in the mirror and start changing yourself.

    Most intersectionality is perpetuated by the people in the group, and how they behave towards others.
    Time to start changing from the inside out.

  10. RuyLopezQB6

    February 7, 2023 at 4:31 pm

    What I “recognize” is the unelected global elite of WEF, WHO, BlackRock etc using their extreme wealth and influence to control, confuse, divide, shame and silence the public via bullshit media narratives and social media. And I’m sick of it. That is privilege that needs to change in our society. Once we’ve rid ourselves of this authoritarianism and inequality (masquerading as progress), we can concentrate on showing tolerance for each other. As Obama said, activism is not insulting people online to make yourself feel better.

  11. Ox Horn

    February 7, 2023 at 6:01 pm

    WOKE BULLSHIT

  12. Dave Bush

    February 7, 2023 at 6:36 pm

    Artificially tipping the scales to create a balance is not the answer. Inclusion by exclusion is profoundly (and ironically) damaging to everyone involved.

  13. Shiro Amada

    February 7, 2023 at 7:14 pm

    Collectivized guilt and promoting biological determanism.

    Marx? Is that you?

  14. Lina Aaf

    February 7, 2023 at 7:21 pm

    So much more convenient and easier to dismiss those who don’t reaffirm your world view. “Collective shame is not guilt”, and accepting flaws is how growth happens. Accepting reality can’t be convenient. Amazing how freedom and open-mindedness is claimed by people who have to always be right.

  15. Jay Tse

    February 7, 2023 at 7:45 pm

    Thank you TED for this wonderful video – more people need to see and understand it. But unfortunately, because of lack of awareness of unconscious biases, few will…

  16. paazbra

    February 7, 2023 at 7:46 pm

    Terrible and unscientific ideology

  17. Think for yourself

    February 7, 2023 at 7:58 pm

    100% propaganda. Those in power want the citizen slaves to fight amongst each other so that they don’t realeyes who their real enemy’s are. Further brainwashing and indoctrination.

  18. Charles Dickens

    February 7, 2023 at 8:45 pm

    Enough of this poison, please. Lies, lies, lies.

  19. RogerWazup007

    February 7, 2023 at 9:24 pm

    As soon as I saw the title, I predicted a huge downvote ratio probably largely by conservatives, people in the center who’ve been swayed by right-wing talking points and rising anti-woke mentalities, and people who downvoted without watching the video. People don’t like being told they have privilege, don’t understand that there are different categories (i.e., being white or having white privilege doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to be wealthy and successful or to have a comfy childhood, and it doesn’t mean that you didn’t earn everything you own), and often don’t understand what’s meant by the term privilege.

    • tiefensucht

      February 7, 2023 at 9:39 pm

      Would you say that there is something like jewish privilege?

  20. John BEE

    February 7, 2023 at 10:01 pm

    Privelege exists in western society. And most with privelege will come out swinging that either #1 privelege does not exist or #2 its all about race. Sadly theybare unwillingly to admit that it exists. As a 60 year old white male in a western country I do know that I was priveleged and that it benefited me greatly.

  21. Team Signal

    February 7, 2023 at 10:06 pm

    “How do you fight racism? Stop talking about it!”..
    … Morgan Freeman

    • Tokuijin

      February 8, 2023 at 12:20 am

      He did not say that. 🙄

  22. katherandefy

    February 7, 2023 at 11:32 pm

    The privilege club is self-alienated. It is almost impossible to deal with bias since perception is hidden. People simply deny and says it’s all lies.

    It’s a great exercise to take Harvard’s bias surveys. Do it!

    Explaining and advocating for myself on a near constant basis just gets the privileged further ahead because that group isn’t listening.

  23. Johnny Jones

    February 7, 2023 at 11:47 pm

    “Free people make free choices. Free choices mean you get unequal outcomes.

    You can have freedom, or you can have equal outcomes. You can’t have both.”

  24. Erik B.

    February 8, 2023 at 12:48 am

    We need to decide as a society how we want to balance equal quality of life vs maximum productivity. Hiring the best qualified individuals is generally best for productivity, but the best qualified individuals are often the most privileged, as Mariam mentions.

    But I disagree with the discussion of merit. Isn’t merit just another form of discrimination? Let’s say I am ‘6″5 tall (I’m not). If I practice a lot of basketball, maybe I can be a pro. I would be rewarded for my merit – all of that dedicated practice. But what if I were ‘5″6 tall? I could practice basketball with just as much dedication, but my chances of becoming a pro – of generating ‘merit’ are much, much lower.

    The difference between these two scenarios is not in my dedication, but in my height, which is completely outside of my control, much like race, gender, or place of birth. When we optimize for merit, we simply shift the basis by which we choose to discriminate.

    That said, optimizing for productivity has plenty of advantages, and while equality may not be one of them, it would be foolish not to atleast consider the losses in productivity that could occur by artificially leveling the playing field. Personally, I prefer equality over productivity, but there are real costs in either direction.

    TLDR: I agree with Mariam’s point (that equality is a worthy goal to be pursued), but I’m not sure that accomplishing equality is simple, easy, or without cost.

    • tj 1911

      February 8, 2023 at 8:33 pm

      Yes eric MERIT is a bad thing, yup!

  25. Kalden

    February 8, 2023 at 12:52 am

    So, I clicked on this video with an open mind… however, Question 3 is a bogus question. “At some point in your life you felt that you were one of the few, or only persons, of your gender, race, faith, sexual orientation, or disability in a room in an educational or professional setting?” If we, as a society, allow a spectrum of infinite genders, then is it not entirely possible for someone of a certain gender to indeed be the only person of that specific gender? Moreover, as more and more classifications of sexual orientation ‘come out,’ is it not entirely possible to have fewer people of that sexual orientation? Furthermore, people with disabilities may very well be the only person in a room in an educational or professional environment with their affliction. How many disabled athletes are there in professional sports? When are we going to advocate that professional sports leagues be more inclusive of those with a desire to play, but have a disability? When shall we advocate for people with disabilities to be allowed to train for missions in space?

    Regarding the illustration at the 5:00 mark, how do you classify those people who have additional obstacles in life… but those obstacles were put in their life as a consequence of their own choices? I know you want to focus on race, as evidenced by the caricatures in the illustration… but if we compare two people: Person 1 was someone who studied hard in public school, focused on working/earning an income and self-betterment, whereas Person 2 was someone who didn’t care so much for school, partied, and otherwise neglected some of their responsibilities. If you fast forward both lives, there is a higher likelihood that Person 1 will become more successful because they had fewer obstacles in life… because they PREVENTED those obstacles from getting in the way in the first place.

    Discussing privilege is a tricky and slippery slope. It becomes very easy to villify certain demographics of people because of their perceived “privileges.” Eventually, there may stem a bias against demographics of people because of their perceived “privileged.”

    You say you don’t want companies to “check box” for diversity in hires. Okay. How do you propose we accomplish this? I propose that potential employees submit their work applications and resumes without their names or ethnicity listed, and allow a company to hire that person based solely off of their achievements and accomplishments. Beyond letters of recommendation, that would yield the desired result, or would at least step closer towards achieving the desired result of hiring based on merit, correct?

  26. David Douglas

    February 8, 2023 at 3:10 am

    Technology? Nope. Entertainment? Nope. Design? Nope.

  27. samoht larpak

    February 8, 2023 at 3:27 am

    Ted talks is a privilege.

  28. Jason TheWatchmansSon

    February 8, 2023 at 3:56 am

    If one of these self-righteous clowns lectures you on “privilege,” listen very carefully to what they instruct you to do, and then do the opposite.

    • HotKey Success

      February 8, 2023 at 4:41 am

      she ticks all the boxes

  29. Wesley Marshall

    February 8, 2023 at 3:59 am

    “I dont mean to make anyone uncomfortable, but compare yourselves to the strangers around you and reflect on how they had it better than you.” What a wonderful, constructive message. I noticed that she didn’t really explain the diversity dividend besides showing the numbers and quoting a single study she didn’t mention by name in the corner of the screen.

  30. Thomas Williams

    February 8, 2023 at 6:40 am

    Veteran here. I fought for your right to work and make your own happiness, no matter your race, gender, whatever…

  31. Анатолий Олейник

    February 8, 2023 at 6:47 am

    Regular disparity whining

  32. Shinobu Koiomi

    February 8, 2023 at 6:49 am

    writing here from frosty soviet russia – this woman says cringe

  33. evgeniydragondog

    February 8, 2023 at 10:02 am

    Pootin and his friends has own country. This is the privilege.

  34. DeJulius Caesar

    February 8, 2023 at 10:27 am

    How about you don’t focus on other people’s race for a change? Cuz this idea of a “privilege” is a myth

  35. βiαnɡkαlα

    February 8, 2023 at 2:52 pm

    _Great coverage._ 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

  36. Cinnamon

    February 8, 2023 at 3:43 pm

    In her own words, “Those who have the most amounts of privilege, they probably not entirely conscious of it”.
    The irony is that she is one of them.

  37. Nguyen Cuong

    February 8, 2023 at 3:59 pm

    great idea

  38. C K

    February 8, 2023 at 7:20 pm

    Or, pay me for doing the dangerous work since you aren’t risking your life.

  39. C K

    February 8, 2023 at 7:21 pm

    The only privilege we have is to die.

  40. C K

    February 8, 2023 at 7:21 pm

    America isn’t free.

  41. C K

    February 8, 2023 at 7:21 pm

    Get it.

  42. C K

    February 8, 2023 at 7:22 pm

    There are no routes to communicate.

  43. C K

    February 8, 2023 at 7:24 pm

    I’m crippled and enslaved.

  44. C K

    February 8, 2023 at 7:25 pm

    Housing isn’t provided nor for sale for my blood.

  45. tj 1911

    February 8, 2023 at 8:32 pm

    I am sorry your self esteem is so low. I will do my part and try to send some pity your way.

  46. matt moore

    February 8, 2023 at 9:35 pm

    “client base”

  47. Tyler Chamberlain

    February 8, 2023 at 10:40 pm

    I thought this was great and informative and a little ironic that one of her last quotes on the definition of insantiy was from a white male.

  48. Ybañez Blessy May

    February 9, 2023 at 8:46 am

    Very mature and well rounded it is loud and clear

  49. The Big Dawg

    February 9, 2023 at 5:44 pm

    What hard science backs that up?

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