Privilege and the right to complain

[StriderShinryu]

A recent thread in the Gaming Forum has got me wondering about something that seems to be popping up all over the place these days. There seems to be a consistent argument around those who are in privileged positions not being able to complain about things that impact or interest them simply because there are others who have it worse.

For example, as someone living a relatively comfortable life in a first world country you're not allowed to complain about something in pop media because you're not a civilian caught in the middle of a civil war in the Middle East. Or, perhaps, because your issues don't revolve around solving the Ebola outbreak in Africa they are simply invalid and not worth even speaking aloud.

This is a perspective that I personally have a lot of issue with. Now, I'm certainly not saying that my issues with DLC in videogames are on par with the Gaza crisis, but they are still issues I have and find interest in discussing.

What do you all think about the question of privilege and the right to complain?

 

[Zontar]

I have no problem with people arguing about pointless things (so long as they actually bother to back up their arguments and actually accept criticism instead of shrugging it off), but one thing that really, really gets me is when someone says "check your privilege" unironically about anything. Some people seem to think that's an argument, when really all it is is a conversation stopper that is, in most cases, due to the unwillingness or inability of the person uttering it to actually make an argument defending or clarifying their position.

 

[Frission]

That's limiting. Everyone has problems with different levels of severity. It doesn't mean that grave issues are the only thing worth talking about and quite frankly someone rambling about the problems in the world gets tiring very quickly.

It depends on who you're talking with though. If they think that the issue is not important then I drop it. If they're attacking you for complaining about a problem then I would say they're somewhat unpleasant and if they're dismissing any problems you have, then find someone slightly more understanding to talk with. That's me though. You do your own thing when this issue pops up.

It's a case by case thing really. Too many people are obsessed by "rules" of conversation as if there is not a time and place for everything and even worse are those who try to dictate what should or should not be talked about.

 

[gargantual]

That's limiting. Everyone has problems with different levels of severity. It doesn't mean that grave issues are the only thing worth talking about and quite frankly someone rambling about the problems in the world gets tiring very quickly.

It depends on who you're talking with though. If they think that the issue is not important then I drop it. If they're attacking you for complaining about a problem be then I would say they're somewhat unpleasant and if they're dismissing any problems you have then find someone slightly more understanding to talk with. That's me though. You do your own thing when this issue pops up.

It's a case by case thing really. Too many people are obsessed by "rules" of conversation as if there is not a time and place for everything and even worse are those who try to dictate what should or should not be talked about.

Yesssss *evil laughter*

Burn the 'morally superior' generalizers!! For the grey area SHALL be recognized!!

LOL.

 

[Frission]

Yesssss *evil laughter*

Burn the 'morally superior' generalizers!! For the grey area SHALL be recognized!!

LOL.

Yesss. While they're busy talking about propriety the greys shall strike and then EVERYTHING will be subjective.

 

[Lieju]

Well, context matters.

Where are you complaining first of all.
We are on a video-game forum here, discussion about video-games and other pop-culture is expected.
That's the main reason people come here, even if they are here complaining about how the Kinect sucks doesn't mean that's their biggest problem in life.

But if you go to an abuse-victim-support group or something to complain about kinect because you feel it's so bad it's basically abusing you, then you're someone with no actual problems pushing your issues where other more important things should be discussed.

 

[Ten Foot Bunny]

The people who present that non-argument work under the misapprehension that caring concern is a finite resource. It's a stupid retort because people have the ability to care about many issues at once, even issues of differing severity and/or importance.

Besides, as has been pointed out above, this is a video game forum. Why would we come on here to drum up support for global problems outside of the site's Religion and Politics board?

 

[Vault101]

I think people tend to misunderatand the idea of "privalige"

for example if a guy says to me "why are you so obessed with female charachters? the only thing that matters is its good" which....well thats pretty rich considering majority of entertainment features men, now that doesn't automatically invalidate his argument.....[i/]however[/i] I can make a strong case in that he might not understand what it means to be constantly relegated to....bad roles

just like if I say to a poor person "why can't you just buy BOTH consoles" or "well you shouldn't be gaming if you can't afford it"

or if I say to a black person "why do you need your own spaces? isn't that like...reverse racism or something?"

 

[nomotog_v1legacy]

It's not an argument. It's more of a fallacy used to silenced debate. You can call people on it, or just ignore it.

 

[LetalisK]

It's not an argument. It's more of a fallacy used to silenced debate. You can call people on it, or just ignore it.

I'll echo this. They don't actually believe what they're saying, because I can guarantee they went on to ***** about whatever it was that was annoying them. This argument is code for "I disagree with you, but I do not have a decent argument/don't want to invest time in making a decent argument, but I still want to try to win this argument."

 

[Something Amyss]

The people who present that non-argument work under the misapprehension that caring concern is a finite resource. It's a stupid retort because people have the ability to care about many issues at once, even issues of differing severity and/or importance.

I'd also note that the people who likely spawned this thread complain a lot.

And since they do complain about video games, a first world luxury resource, their issues are inherently trivial. If "group X has it worse than you do in country Y" is a defense, then it also applies when you complain that your toy doesn't properly display in 4K on a monitor that cost someone's yearly salary.

 

[Something Amyss]

or if I say to a black person "why do you need your own spaces? isn't that like...reverse racism or something?"

Considering this is said often enough with a straight face....

 

[Vault101]

Considering this is said often enough with a straight face....

there was an Australian Muslim comedian (who is of some ethnicity I do not know) who made a joke in response to being accused of "reverse racism" which was basically

[i/]if we went back in time and shifted the geographical and technological progress of white people in favor of non whites and took their land and sold them into slavery...so white people...why can't they dance?...that would be reverse racism[/i]

 

[Aurion]

It's sort of like how if you complain about Problem A, the person you complained to will basically go "Oh yeah? Well MY problems are so bad...".

Only instead of problem-dick-measuring with their own issues, they're using children in Sierra Leone's problems (for example) as a surrogate problem-dick.

 

[SuperSuperSuperGuy]

Problems are problems. It's not fair to devalue one person's problems, no matter how small they may seem in comparison to another's.

I live in a developed country, and while I am going through some financial issues, I'm not living in poverty. I don't know how it feels to live in poverty. However, that doesn't mean that my problems aren't legitimate. If one of my appliances broke and I couldn't afford a new one, that is most certainly a problem. Is it as severe as the threat of starvation that affects many people in third-world countries? No, of course not. It's still a legitimate problem, though, and it's not right to try and make someone feel bad about it.

Of course, that doesn't mean that a more privileged person can thus ignore the problems of others. Doing so would be as bad as people who are less privileged person trying to make them feel guilty about their problems. No one is allowed to be dismissive of other people's problems, regardless of their their "privilege". It's all a matter of perspective, and people need to be somewhat sensitive to the problems of others.

 

[Vegosiux]

Problems are problems. It's not fair to devalue one person's problems, no matter how small they may seem in comparison to another's.

And this is it. This is all that has to be said. It saddens me that people don't realize that.

Yeah I stubbed my toe this morning. Yeah I know that's nowhere near the fear of being killed if I was in Gaza, or the fear of being persecuted for my funky sexuality if I was in Russia.

BUT IT STILL BLOODY HURTS.

 

[Tsun Tzu]

Problems are problems. It's not fair to devalue one person's problems, no matter how small they may seem in comparison to another's.

And this is it. This is all that has to be said. It saddens me that people don't realize that.

Yeah I stubbed my toe this morning. Yeah I know that's nowhere near the fear of being killed if I was in Gaza, or the fear of being persecuted for my funky sexuality if I was in Russia.

BUT IT STILL BLOODY HURTS.

Bingo.

Two nails being hit on the head. There really isn't any more to be said here...so...

*slowly and quietly backs out of the thread*

 

[Thaluikhain]

As mentioned, yeah, one problem doesn't cause another not to exist.

The argument of "well, if they really cared about X, they'd be in the Middle East"...that gets very old.

OTOH, there can be legitimate reasons to point out that certain problems are prioritised more than others.

 

[Redd the Sock]

Hmm, one the one hand I think the idea crops up too often to shut down dissent. On the other, a lot of the complaints I see online make me think some people have no real concept of hardship and need to get a fucking lesson. I take a breath when something comes up if it's trivial, but still there's not a reasonable alternative, or it does seem you're actively being screwed over, but so much online is rooted in life not being perfect, with elements ranging from no desire to take any action yourself to improve things, or complaints based in pure narcissism and selfishness.

I mean, I do respect people's right to complain, and I do my share, but the old saying is "count your blessings" and if you're online, you're probably blessed with more than a lot of the world, and probably at the very least, possessed of the autonomy and opportunity to improve your situation.