Check My Privilege!
This exercise will help you get an idea of the level of privilege that you enjoy. Own your privilege, be aware of it–or it can produce blind-spots for you (since not knowing our privilege may make us think that we already live in a fair society for everyone).
Download this check list and check all the statements that apply to your experience.
Make a note of your score, out of 50 statements. If you double it, this will give you a percentage as an approximation of just how privileged you are in comparison to minorities (visible and invisible). But remember that this is just an approximation and that we can come up with different privileged circumstances, depending on social context.
A low level of privilege puts people in situations where they may endure prejudice and/or harsh circumstances due to their race, ethnicity, religion, sex, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental health, perceived beauty, body type, income level…
Knowing our privilege is a good place to start becoming aware of unfair social situations and that we can get involved in this “labour of love” towards building an inclusive and supportive community around us! Remember to drop the guilt!
After completing this exercise, click here or proceed to exercise 1 Mindfulness Inventory from the Workshop Exercises drop-down menu.