It is not the responsibility those who have been harmed to create societal harmony. Until those with the most power and privilege stop knocking themselves out and stepping on others to stay at the top of the pyramid, and instead look for ways to listen and learn, actively seek out reconciliation and cooperation and commit to making more of a hierarchy of actualization where you have power to and power with, rather than power over as the central tenet, I don’t think much is going to improve.
Elle, I agree with you on this but it portends badly for outcome. The incentives for this top down change are weak. Those that seek to be at the top are not against using privilege or advantage or even unfair practice to achieve the top. Gunners will gladly gun you down, to them empathy is a weakness.
At best with that paradigm you will get tiny incremental changes that will never lead to true equality only gradually less unfairness.
The antidote to victim fatigue is not to tell those who have been harmed to settle down and stop bumming us out with their pain. It’s to actively take on what they are pointing to as serious and make it an issue that we seek as a society to rectify.
As one of the privileged I can be expected to take action to right some wrongs. Some, I have to prioritize, I know I can’t fix the world. I have some obligation and capacity but don’t I get to decided where to make a difference. The privilege and burden of being privileged is I get to/have to decide what I will sacrifice to serve the greater good and to know that I will always be told I am not doing enough. As long as I am not one of the disadvantaged, I am still the problem.
If I apply of a job or accept a promotion that qualified women or people of color would want, have I done wrong? If I have a job that if I quit or retire I might be replaced with a woman or a person of color, should I quit?
I could always do more…….
Must I do more????
I don’t think I have victim fatigue, I think we should keep pointing out what is wrong. I am to the point where I don’t let calls for me to do more bother me.
I am willing to listen to why you think your issue is more important than the planet and nation’s other issues. You might even convince my you are right but I still might put my efforts someplace else. I might decide I cannot be effective fighting for you use and act someplace else less important where I feel I can make a real difference.
I want to think that the world is a better place because I was here and to do that I have to put my efforts where I think they will do the most good.
Another thought and it maybe flawed so I would entertain discussion of its merits. I don’t think we need to eliminate the “Dominance Hierarchy” we instead need to reform it so that is Meritocratic and Benevolent instead of being Prejudicial and Malevolent. We want to give more power to the best of us, now we let the worst of us grab power.
Where are the White Knights and Angels. Are there not rich and powerful good guys. (I know I said White and Guys but the White Knight can be a brown woman and Carly Fiorina could be (maybe is) one of the good guys if she back the right causes.)
To circle back to the beginning, you are right those at the top of the pyramid don’t give me confidence that their priorities match mine.
TEK
