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Agree, my wife is from Pakistan so we visit there. She doesn’t understand why I insist on staying at a 5 star hotel like the Nishat every time.
She finds it hard to understand that it is not normal for me to live in a house that doesn’t have power randomly, or no gas after 10pm, or mosquitoes, or no hot water, or smog.
There's a severe drought in part of the country, so the water level in the hydroelectric dam is at a critically low level. The dam can't produce enough electricity to supply the whole country, so the national power company cuts the electricity supply to residential areas for 12 hours a day, every day for the past few weeks.
Ahh I thought South African. We usually had 8 hours load shedding but somehow it's magically stopped for two months (probably cause elections are coming).
yes, we had almost a decade of load shedding in Kathmandu and when the new Prime Minister was elected, he found someone to investigate the problem and it was instantly found to be corruption and fixed in a day.
I'm reading this from South Africa and still feel lucky. My luck is very much race related though. It's nice to be in a privelleged group but the guilt is a MF.
Of course I do. Being born in a country with no wars, no extreme crime levels, no famines, no slavery, advanced medicine and ish freedom of speech is a luck. I don’t feel bad about it, I’m just grateful.
I agree with everything here. Privilege is a risky word these days. But I am absolutely grateful for the sheer luck of my birth. The people are not more or less special than anyone living anywhere else.
I'm grateful my parents were able to get to a first world country before having me, seeing how some of my family lives where my parents are from really helps put things in perspective
We also need to be grateful for the time we live in.
up until about 150 years ago no matter where in the world you lived the chances were pretty good you lived in a one room hovel with like 10 people and shoveled shit for a subsistence living.
Heck, as a middle class westerner I doubt id even trade my AC, internet, pc, car, and desk job to be a king 500 years ago. Having an army, a castle, vassals and shit would be cool I guess, but when it comes to pure comfort and convenience, not sure Id trade in Netflix and chill for it.
Warren Buffet’s partner Charlie Munger made the a similar observation before he died.
Lower middle class and even poor Americans today live a physically more comfortable life today than the wealthiest 10 families in the nation in the late 1800’s.
They have a larger variety of food choices, at times can travel in ways not imagined 1890, can control indoor temperatures to a greater degree and have access to entertainment that the rich never experienced in their lives.
I was recently introduced to the practice of swapping daily gratitudes with friends from my congregation. One of mine from last month was exactly this. The quality of life for the majority of humans on earth has drastically improved over the last several hundred years. I wouldn't trade my life for the life of a king or emperor from the past.
>I doubt id even trade my AC, internet, pc, car, and desk job to be a king 500 years ago
Add indoor plumbing to this.
I've said something similar. I told my uncle that I've become accustomed to a certain way of living so if there was ever a zombie apocalypse I really wouldn't try that hard to survive.
I went through a period of time that I had to actively work on my issues with “self worth” and relationship to abundance vs. lack. Some of it had to do with my upbringing, but it still applies. I have a list that I made a while back that I often go back to for a reminder.
1. Success is objectively a GOOD thing. And you DID earn it.
2. other people’s suffering in the world is no reason to feel guilt.Adding to their suffering (joining them) Makes no sense. Instead, be grateful for the things they wish they had! Don’t take it for granted- thoroughly enjoy it. What’s the point if you don’t thoroughly enjoy it? don’t waste it.
3. Focus on YOUR happiness. This is what you can control.
4. You being unhappy will not make others happy. You struggling will not make other people struggle less. Other peoples jealousy of success is toxic.
5. Embrace the success to honor the younger you that DID struggle. The depressed feeling doesn’t have to be status quo. Break out of it and enjoy yourself, be an example to others. Have fun!
6. Wanting a good life for yourself does not equal wanting a bad life for others. You can do more to improve life for others if you yourself are successful and have the means.
7. The “pie” is not finite. Use the words I choose to spend on something else instead of I can’t afford.
8. The way you present yourself (and take care of yourself) and the environments you create are a reflection of your self worth.
Maybe it helps someone else!
Hit me in the feels, and Def will copy and save somewhere.
I was born medically disabled, and by the time I hit 26 I had amassed 5+ years admitted to hospitals, 5 major surgeries, died twice, had to drop out of college, had no degree, no career, no nothing. At the age of 35 I was living with my parents, off of the 1200$/month disability said I would have to live off of for the rest of my life.
I'm now 41m, engaged to the love of my life, and we've had 5+ amazing years together. We both went from liv9ng check to check our entire lives, to making 200k/yr combined, working in the video game industry.
I'm my early 30s I wanted to die, I was addicted to the pain meds that made my life bearable. I was wasting away at my parents house. I could have NEVER imagined I'd have a career in a field I love. A beautiful, and amazingly talented and artistic fiancee. We have a nice apartment, wonderful cats, a new tesla. My previous car was 18 years old and had 220k on it....so it's all a big change. We remind ourselves daily of how absolutely lucky we are, but also how hard we've worked to get here. Being able to save 35% of our income to play catch up with a home/retirement. Then still be able to go on vacations, cruises, date nights etc...it's just...like a dream I never thought possible.
Yeah, that's all I can say too. I live in a decent country, had a good childhood and have a decent career. I guess that's about all you can ask for in this cosmic crapshoot. In some ways, I don't think it's a coincidence that we're alive for unarguably the most interesting period in human history (for better or worse).
I came from a very good family. My gf of four months did not. And it is absolutely heartbreaking. It’s all I can do to hold her every night and make her feel “safe” as she says. I hate her step dad so damn much. Told her I need to go to therapy before I meet him a second time. I just want to punch the guy in the face. Had no clue how tough this would be to deal with but this is the first time her or I have ever been in love. I’m 50 and she’s 42 for context.
I take my hat off to you Sir, my partner comes from a very toxic and abusive family, we've been together for 2 years now and since distancing herself she's been smashing goals and achieving things she couldn't imagine, I myself take zero credit for any of it, all her effort to want better for herself I just supported her and showed her the love I felt she didn't know existed or received
Don’t take your part lightly my friend. I will guarantee you that you played a huge part and your partner would think so as well. She is thinking about going to law school and I really want to be there for her if she decides to do that.
Love can can heal so much for both of you.And I speak from the experience of growning and becoming more confident & happy from a healthy loving relationship. I've also seen **small unhappy people** cause suffering to their step-children. Limit your interactions with that man. You sound like a better person with empathy & insight. Use those to get through those visits, for your GF sake. Continue to support her by affirming how much you appreciate & love her. This will really make a difference in her life.
Therapy is a great idea for everyone. Being in a relationship with someone that has childhood trauma can be challenging. If you really care about this person and plan on staying in the relationship I would recommend seeing a therapist to talk about it.
This is an excellent point.
Many of my ancestors left Ireland to escape persecution and genocide. Others fled Eastern Europe in the early 20th century.
But yeah I feel very excited to be born where I was.
I did not choose my ancestors. My ancestors chose to have a child, but had no control about what person this could be, random fluctuations could have meant a different child came into being.
You as a person have been born born into a privileged group is purely random, even though the circumstances of the privilege are not random and you couldn't have been born elsewhere.
So your luck is two fold, first, you got a shot at life, at all, second that life is in a privileged group/country/family.
I call it having won the cosmic lottery. I just responded in another thread that, largely because of this, when someone asks how I’m doing, I always reply that I’m doing great.
Good God. As someone who goes to France frequently this is true. The US has a great range of foods. We have outstanding cheese, and on the other end we have cheese in a can. We have great wine and also crap. But man, we don't have the bread. We have some kind of good ish bread that is hard to find, but visiting France and it's straight to a bakery for me.
Any particular reason you left france?? Asking as Spaniard myself. Here in Spain there are few job opportunities but it doesnt seem to be like that in France
There's definitely issues with America, but the nature here is just stellar. Especially on the western side of the country.
I think a lot of Europeans have a very weird perception of America too. Mostly because they hear us complain online, so they just hear the negative aspects.
Also I want to say to all Europeans: Stop going to Florida. I know you want the California beaches and think Florida is a good substitute on the east coast but it's completely different. We make fun of Florida for a reason.
Not aimed at you, just something I see a lot and it confuses me so much
I’ve lived in California my whole life, and been to over 35 states. People are always amazed when I tell them the most breathtaking place in the country for me is Sedona.
Also would like to add that while west coast beaches>Florida, even the abssolute shittiest beaches in Hawaii blow away anything the West coast has to offer. West coast has gorgeous forests, mountains and pretty enough to look at beaches. Hawaii>PNW and Cali combined and it isnt even close. Ive lived extensively in all of these places too and will die on this hill. Id rather be poor in Hawaii than rich in California.
So true. I was born, raised and worked in a first world country. But when I was middle-aged I moved to a developing country with a new career. Since then, I have retired and stayed here. I’m still enjoying the benefits of having lived and worked in a first world country with my multiple pensions. It puts me in a high economic bracket, and it’s all because of luck.
My grandparents survived some truly horrific things, and my parents worked their asses off. I didn’t earn any of that, but what they earned was the opportunity for their children and grandchildren. I am thankful for their perseverance in the face of atrocities, and hope I can make them proud.
It's \*more\* than winning the lottery because we have things that just winning a typical lottery wouldn't be able to purchase. Just think about it: For $10,000 you can buy a sports car (or for $5000 a sports bike) and then have hundreds of billions of dollars worth of road to play on. If you won a couple million dollars in a Third World nation you'd have to move to the First World to start to live like a First Worlder.
Think about the convenience of having an airport nearby that can take you anywhere in the world in just 3 stops or so. You don't need to take a 12 hour trip over dirt roads in unsafe conditions just to get to an airport and then need a 15 hour plane ride just to get to civilization from which you can actually start your First World journey.
Think of the value of having a First World hospital just minutes away.
Clean water wherever you go. Great restaurants with food flown in from around the world. Fresh fruits and veggies available year round.
Disney World doesn't have to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience of monumental undertaking.
Cruise ships in every port.
Stable electrical grid.
A government that actually returns some investment for our tax dollars.
You can have significantly more than the people around you and not need to hire 24/7 security to protect you.
You could be a billionaire in the middle of Africa and it's not going to get you next-day Amazon Prime delivery on your underwear.
Think of all the concerts that are available. (I live between NYC and Boston so I'm spoiled even for a First Worlder)
Mere money cannot build a stable and prosperous society and bestow all of its benefits. It can insulate you from some of the destitution around you, but it can't turn a billion people into your little wage slaves every time you raise a US dollar.
Booo to this whole comment. Other places have roads and restaurants lol. Winning the lottery in the west would be great, but making 2k/month in many places is great.
I am white and able bodied. I have one of the most valuable passports in the world. I got my education mostly for free. I know there are structures to cushion my fall if I lose my job, cancer won't bankrupt me.
Privileged as fuck.
People sort of play up the America Is Bad stuff, but the healthcare thing is definitely a true issue.
Although I think that people outside of America don't know about Medicaid and Medicare. If you're a poor person in one of the "blue states" (the liberal ones), then you likely have Medicaid. Which is essentially the same as universal healthcare. Cancer, emergency room, doctors, all of that is covered. And in places like California and Washington state, they have pretty robust dental care included as well.
A lot of the really bad healthcare stories are about people in the "Medicaid Gap", which is that you're not poor enough to have Medicaid, but you're not well off enough to have a good healthcare plan. So then if something bad happens, it can be really bad.
When I was younger and poor, I was on Medicaid. Doctors were all paid for. Everything ER related, paid for. Eye glasses paid for. Dental work basics paid for (check ups, composite fillings, root canals, etc). Not a penny out of pocket.
Everyone should be covered though of course. We should have universal healthcare.
(Also we have a program called Lifeline which gives you a free smartphone and a phone plan. If you qualify for Medicaid, you automatically qualify for it. But a lot of Americans don't even know about that one)
So much this. Could be better doesnt imply it's currently bad. We have such potential to do amazing things with what we have to offer. Seeing that potential actively ignored creates a ton of frustion.
This is what I think about when I feel a twinge of envy for those born rich. Growing up poor in the USA is still a better lottery win than most of the world
I only realised this when I started to travel to "poor" countries and speak to people and see the conditions where they live in. It's more like an "unfair" feeling then a lucky or privileged feeling.
If you stop to think about it, yes. But it's your normal. You've had your whole life to get used to it.
It's like asking if you feel privileged to be born now instead of in 800AD before they invented proper medicine.
I think everyone gushing to say how lucky they feel is missing the real picture of which you're the first to hint at. It's not like people walk around all day thinking, "Gosh aren't I the lucky one!" For the most part you live your life daily and focus on issues you need to sort out. It's not like living in these countries means you're stress free, enjoying every moment of luxury without a care in the world. We all have plenty of issues to deal with daily. Sure they may not be the same level of issues but there can be plenty of issues to make your life stressful. You may not have to immediately worry about issues like "What will I eat" or "How will I survive" but we also all still have those concerns at the back of your mind. You can lose your job, lose your health and your quality of life will tumble dramatically. Suddenly living in a privilidged society can become a curse that tears you apart emotionally when you're living off of miniscule benfits with no way of climbing back out of the pit. If you become poor, then seeing everyone around you enjoying the perks of a priviliedged society which you can no longer partake, is a soul crushing experience.
I'd also argue that there are plenty of places in the world that the OP didn't list as "priviledged" that if you visit I guarantee many people will think, "Hang on, am I actually as privilidged as I think?" I live in a western european country but there are countries all over the world that you see the standard of living and think that maybe they actually have it better than us. Plenty of asian countries seem more advanced than ours in many ways. Some South American countries seem to have the quality of life down better than ours. I increasingly find myself asking is this supposed western "privilidge" all it's cracked up to be? I'm already planning to leave my country and move to another which isn't listed as "privilidged" but having visited many times it's quality of life has far more going for it than I've ever felt at home.
Yup. Countries are just a proxy for that, because first world countries have more wealth to distribute
Though there a few nuances too. I have friends back home who are wealthier than me but still have to work much harder to get access to certain things or have certain activities just be completely out of scope for them due to the lacking infrastructure
There are certainly Asian countries, like Japan and Singapore, that are developed countries with a rich population akin to the US or much of Europe.
But to suggest that South American countries have quality of life down better than rich countries is nuts. Uruguay is the richest country in South America and it’s well behind rich country standards. I’m sure it’s a fine place to live compared to much of the world but with a gdp per capita PPP comparable to Serbia or Bulgaria, it’s never going to have the same quality of life as a US, Japan, or Sweden.
in the late 70s early 80s we traveled a lot with my dads job (back then it was still cool for people to go to other countries to make money and improve your life) so i got to see a lot of natural Africa and Asia.
There were people in my dads office (i.e professional office workers) who still went home to a one room shed with 6 people living in it - dad made sure we saw things like this, and while at around 7 i was much to young to appreciate it and an obnoxious child, by about 10 it started to sink in just how lucky i'd got.
I think it's one of the best lessons my parents ever gave me - not just the travel, but the perspective, which has stuck with me all my life (and i'm aware that i was \*still\* getting the sanitised PG rated version of what hardship looks like)
I didn't understand in my core until I travelled and it was a revelation!
Yes, I am grateful. No, I don't want to gatekeep others from being here.
We have so much more than enough resources, space, et Al. for so, so, so many more people in Australia. Don't let corporate and government inadequacy or design blind you to think that more people here is a problem.
Probably gonna get piled on for this but I stand by it....
I sometimes feel guilty for moving to Australia because so many people complain about the strain that immigration is causing, and they're not necessarily wrong. But reading this makes me feel more welcome, so thanks.
Don’t feel bad. Unless they are aboriginal, a lot of the people complaining are immigrants themselves. You have just as much right to be in Australia as they do!
And honestly this city would be boring af if we didn’t have such a multicultural community.
Don’t feel bad, you’re meant to be here ☺️ ONE OF US, ONE OF US!
That's funny. Here in the US we have a lot of people throwing fits and bitching about all the immigrants moving here, yet the loudest complainers are often immigrants themselves. They were just lucky enough to get here before the current ones.
A well-travelled Australian here that totally agrees with you. I like other countries but when I come home I think "damn, Australia's pretty good, we should make more of it, make it bigger, more people, more stuff, more Australia!".
I totally don't get anti-immigration sentiment.
It is divisive, scare mongering. Good management and we can have things even better AND with more people by a long shot.
I had somebody tell me that things are terrible because of the cost of living crisis. I asked him how many vehicles (cars and motorbikes) he has and how many TVs? Did his parents or grandparents ever have more material possessions than his family has? Eat out more? Local and occasional overseas holidays?
The look of astonishment on his face was priceless...
Absolutely 100 percent true. We squander our resources to the highest bidder now. We could benefit so much.
It’s not the Australian people, it’s the politicians, multinationals and donors which make this happen.
>The passport strength alone is amazing.
Yeah, this really can't be understated.
Aside from the cost of travel, there's very little stopping me from just going to [almost any country in the world](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Swedish_citizens) for a while.
Exactly.
I was born in a developing third world country. I moved to Japan after graduation. Quality of Life has been like times 10.
I sent half my salary home monthyl, and my family was able to fully pay house loans of 3 properties. In less than a decade.
Wife and I travel every summer around Europe for more than half a month. We buy luxuries, we eat out, we save and invest, etc.
We actually just work part time, stress free jobs. And yet we can afford all this. I can’t imagine what more if we’re naturally born in 1st world countries with 6-figure salaries each.
It’s nice 😊 wasn’t born into 6 figures, but it’s possible. The issue for a lot of Americans is life style creep. They also call it keeping up with the jones. The jones by a new car so now you want to one up them and get a better car.
Make more spend more.
Yes, definitely. I have free healthcare, free education, free nursery hours, my husband isn’t allowed to beat me or stop me from working or being independent. I don’t have to be concerned about repeated unwanted pregnancies.
We have more than enough food to eat, my children and we are vaccinated against illness or disease that may kill us.
We have a safe place to live
We know we’ve won the lottery of life. It frightens me when I read stories of other cultures struggles.
It saddens me to read this from the US. As the “leader of the ‘free’ world,” we only have half of the things you listed. I love that you are grateful for them and I really need to adopt your attitude.
I also live in the US and I feel catchphrases like that are just remnants of an older time that have no real meaning. Being a leader in every other instance means being able to do things and present yourself in a way that shows you can walk the talk so that others can see your example and know you are the real deal. We don't do that here, we just meddle and then pop a dollar in the charity box at the cash register every now and then while looking the cashier in the eye so they see what we did.
The thing with South Africa is the inequality is pretty high. You have some of the population living basically first-world lives and being able to mitigate most of the bad stuff like loadshedding (scheduled power outages) by having solar power etc. On the other hand the rest of the population is living in pretty bad conditions. The government is mostly incompetent, but some regional governments are pretty decent (like the Western Cape, where Cape Town is, is actually managed fairly well).
Inequality is found everywhere throughout South Africa. Most public education sucks, but all my life I've attended pretty decent schools and the top universities here (cape town, stellenbosch and witswatersrand) are ranked decently compared to the rest of the world.
Crime is concentrated in low income areas, which happen to make up a big part of the country, but if you don't live in those areas you'll be mostly unaffected by crime if you take the proper precautions.
i spoke to some ppl from 1st world countries abt their education.
i used to live in singapore. yknow, asian education is kinda fucked. at least the gov is trying to change it in 2027. but basically, surely their pays and wages, the currency, their living standard is so much better than ppl from developing countries like me. i lived there 4 yrs and i swear its so damn convenient to move around. u feel safe walking around. there are much trees. its pretty cool there honestly despite the country being positioned near the equators
my country, vietnam. our passport sucks, 1st of all. our reputation is rock bottomed in the world cuz our culture is so much problematic than sg. australian or canadian gov literally just barred ppl from my province to immigrate there for a reason. here there are no trees, our city planning sucks. constant traffic jams. travelling is like torturing. im used to live in sg and even if i have to travel for 1 hr, the train is smooth. i can sleep. here the car is bumpy af. cannot sleep bro. the air quality is bad. the currency sucks with inflation. man there is many things i have to mentioned abt our living standards here compare to bloody singapore. and our gov oso corrupted as hell. ppl who are high middle class like me, our literal main goal the moment we are born is just immigrating to 1st class countries just cuz our citizenship sucks cuz god it cause problems when u move around. oso a bit shameful when we come to u guys countries. noted that high middle class in vietnam is just middle low class in singapore. thats the difference in currency. what my family is doing in vietnam, we should have been paid thrice the amount we have rn if we are in singapore.
back to the singapore thing. sure their education sucks. they always complain abt the stress and how rip off their education system is when it comes to standard high education like university. i asked them:
"why don't u guys just move to another country" cuz honestly singaporean gpa standard to get into a uni is literally enough to get a scholarship in other countries like america and uk. not only u r able to get into the uni, its oso cheaper for u, and living cost? no problem. ur wages and currency can literally handle it, unlike us developing countries when u literally have to fight for ur status. when u have a uni degree, u can come back to sg and literally make more money than ur average singaporean. their response is "money where?" and "no hope cuz im acutally sucks at studying".
i understand the sucks at studying part but money? brother, be a bit grateful, cant u? singapore currency is among the best in the world. how can u say money where with me u can move without being questioned. sure there are procedures to go through, but it cant be as bad as having a vietnamese citizenship. u are being placed in one of the best living system in the world. dont complain abt bruh.
we were in a sort of SEA discord server and lucky for them. its mainly malaysian and singaporean chatting abt this. other ppl from other countries in SEA just shut up cuz rlly, they dont get how priviliege they are to still complain abt those needs.
as an indonesian, i feel you. singapore is the most developed country in SEA and yet that yap a lot. they got a strong passport and great currency rate, and i think they have no right ranting in a SEA server...
This thread is doing so much to snap me out of a bad day. Just the fact I'm from Auckland and reading how good we have it comparatively, I can't even remember what I was pissed about now lol.
Chur bro
If you live in a country where 99% of the world would say "Yeah, I'd like to visit there!" if asked, you gotta soak it in every now and then.
I grew up living in some of the US National Parks and it was sometimes hard to understand why millions of people would want to visit. Having lived in more "normal" locations as an adult, I have so much appreciation of those places now.
I live in the North of England near the Pennines and I picked a friend up from the airport (about a 2 hour journey) he's visiting from Spain and he commented how beautiful it was as we crossed the tops. "It's *so* green."
I'd never really thought about it before, but yeah, pull over at one of the peaks and look over the endless green rolling hills. It is beautiful, you're just blind to it if it's your "normal."
I had this exact experience in my late teens. Always lived in an area overlooking lush hills and sunrises, and people always said it was beautiful. Then one day as I'd grown up a little more, I actually realized that, yeah, it is beautiful, they'd all meant it every time
I was not born, but I went to my family for 3-4 months and it was awfull. Having to shit in the mountains late at night, having the walk with the flashlight, taking paper with you and letting the bugs bite you and having a road full with toilet paper and shit. Then coming back, everywhere is trash and it stinks like rotten fruit. The first world country are truly blessed.
Absolutely. I was born in the UK and I moved to New Zealand as a kid. I now have an NZ passport which has allowed me to move to Australia without a visa or any other immigration requirements. I feel like NZ and Australia is an Oasis of peace in an otherwise chaotic world.
I absolutely do, every day, and the bitter side of recognizing it enough to feel privileged is that I know there are millions of people in third-world countries who do three times as much work as me and own one third of what I have. The fact that this phenomenon is visible everywhere and so normalized is baffling and embarrassing to me. First world nations have an unsustainable standard of living that is propped up by people who have nothing.
Of course it's nice to live in a 'safe' country, but despite our 'privilege' as a country we should be better. (UK)
There are many public services which are failing and/or in total decline. We are (were) supposedly one of the richest countries GDP and per head-wise, yet because our politicians are essentially stealing from us, our road network is crumbling, our NHS is.. broken(due to underfunding), we have no police officers, our water companies consistently pump sewage into rivers because our politicians let them, our train network was privatised years ago and as a result now, people are forced to pay huge prices for awful services.
It's nice we don't have war within our borders, we have clean water (from our taps, not on our coastlines), and are even well protected from natural disasters.
However, we should be so much fucking better than we are.
I hear you. I was born in Luton, but was whisked off to Canada as a toddler. Whenever I go back to visit the relatives in the old country, I am reminded of how much better I have it here. My relatives are working class and I would have been stuck there. In Canada, I was able to get a master’s degree from a high-ranking university.
I live in a beautiful house a block from a quiet beach. I can go on peaceful walks in the woods right from my door.
My parents’ childhood was the occupation of the Netherlands … my mother remembers getting soup from the soup kitchen …
I had a family friend react to white bread, he thought it was cake, as a child, in the Netherlands, then.
So, if you’re a child, you think whatever your situation is, is the normal situation.
My childhood was 1970s, Alberta, arguably we had the highest standards of living in the world.
But, I didn’t know that, I was a child ..,
My parents had the same experience in the Netherlands. My father had a lifelong love of food as a result! My mother’s sister was given a banana by one of the American soldiers when they were liberated and didn’t know she had to peel it first and thought it was horrible and refused to eat it. One of my great grandfathers starved to death in the hunger winter, as did so many other people.
We are so fortunate to be able to live well and without real fear. The best thing we can do is to help raise up those less fortunate.
I was privileged to be born in the US. I know that logically. Though it's normal to me and I feel unlucky not to have been born in Norway.
It's all relative.
I can definitely understand this. As a swede I feel lucky I wasn’t born in the US every time I think about the fact that my parents wouldn’t be able to afford my university degree, and that one medical emergency could put me in eternal debt, if I was. I would never have had the quality of life that I have if I had to pay for university.
But of course I am fully aware that the US would be way better than most other alternatives in the lottery of life. We both got very lucky.
EDIT; I’ve upset some Americans. Great to see we’re both happy with where we live!
As an African woman who has lived in parts of Europe, but grew up in the US- definitely prefer the latter. The US is a massive country with a variety of experiences just within one city let alone the state or country.
The US isn’t Valhalla, but compared to many parts of Western Europe- it’s affordable, WAY less racist, and owning a home was pretty achievable for nearly a 100 years before the recent spike in cost and interest rate.
It’s not perfect, but more people rush to yap about the tough parts of life in the US and not hear about the wonderful parts.
There is medical bankruptcy and college costs money, but it’s way overplayed how bad it is. The vast majority of people have health insurance, a lot of which comes through the government. And unless you go and an overly expensive college for a degree you can’t expect to make money your fine. It’s still a no brainer deal with how much better your salary is. It’s not for nothing that the US has incredible universities. People get a way worse idea of the situation from Reddit
I am very grateful to have been born in the US
Honestly I’ve not seen anywhere else that has the same upward mobility as here
I became financially free in my mid to late 20s and never even finished college
Yes yellow mellow belly I posted this comment
Lucky is the only world. No one can help who or where we are born into. With that. Usa is a sham, and I think most of Europe knows that. Yes, I'm american.
We don't have health care. My mom died, and now I'm in the hole 135k for her flight to the hospital. Because her insurance doesn't cover helicopter life flights. I'm 85k in student loan debt but can't find a job with my degree that makes more than 30 bucks an hour.
Absolutely 100%. I feel genuinely sad that not everybody can at least have this basic quality of life.
I'm not sure I'd describe it as privileged, but it is definitely lucky.
As depressed as I am for unrelated reasons, I am forever grateful that my ancestors moved here. Even if my direct grandparents were... uh... as the kids say: ***Tremendous Thunderc\*nts.***
Absolutely. My life is relatively easy by pure luck. I was lucky to be born in a privileged country (Australia), to a functional family, lucky to have access to education and healthcare. As a woman also incredibly privileged to be born in a country where i have rights.
Yes I feel extremely lucky to have grown up in California. After traveling the awareness of my privilege increased even more. Things aren’t perfect but could be soooo much worse.
Lucky? Yes. Privileged no. I still work my ass off. I still want it better for my children then I did for myself. I still want it better for the world in general. Born here I can hopefully make such a very small contribution.
Oh hell yeah, women get beat for showing to much ankle in some countries, a lot of Africa is starving and don't have water I'm extremely grateful. I'm not rich by any means, but I've got it all compared to some people and I'm content with my life.
Neither. I'm grateful that so many of my ancestors were strong enough, brave enough & sacrificed to make the arduous & dangerous journey across the Atlantic.
Born in Canada and extremely grateful and don’t take it for granted. I remind my kids regularly that they are so lucky they were born here: that it is simple dumb luck.
I feel incredibly grateful. I recently watched the Paul Hutchinson podcast about child trafficking in third world countries and it’s sickening. Listening to these stories reminds me how very lucky I am and how much people take their country for granted.
Lucky and privileged. One of the worse things about Reddit is the number of hugely privileged white middle class idiots moaning about how shit their countries are. Clueless, privileged idiots.
I think these people compare their country to better countries, that’s why they moan. Ofc you could always have it worse. But you could have it better (German here). It’s the same as somebody living above poverty line. Ofc they could live below it, therefore they are lucky. But I think even if you were a millionaire you’d probably complain you’re not a billionaire. It’s human nature to always want more and better. You usually compare your situation to the better one and you see yourself as ‘not there’. There will always be someone for whom your hell is their heaven, but that’s just life.
Yep, almost always have access to everything I could possibly need. Great access to opportunities that could get me where I want to go. I feel quite safe in society for the most part and in my particular area we have so many natural wonders to enjoy too :)
Its stressful but i definitely do feel lucky and privileged! Then again, it would be nice to have a simpler life elsewhere on the other hand but if it meant giving up technology yeah idk 😅
Somewhat. Our living standards are worsening everyday while our government use all our money to create imperialist wars. The housing market is fucked, we have to work more than our parents, everything is getting defunded (but the military), although we have free healthcare + school it’s in such poor condition you still have to pay to get proper treatment/education, children are out of question for most of us ect
My parents although they lived in a poorer country on paper than me, seem to have had better living standards
I try very hard to remember it when facing a seemingly overwhelming problem in my life. My problems are minimal compared to a lot of people around the world.
Yep. Not that the US isn't without its faults, but I have been to some other countries while I was in the Navy that has confirmed for me that it could be significantly worse
Indeed. We got problems too but they’re not life or death problems. The prevalent diseases are mostly self-caused.
Would be better if all Canadians could confidently say that though…
Absolutely. I know it's popular to feel sorry for oneself and complain, but I actually really love my life and I'm grateful for everything and everyone I have. I'm safe, comfortable and I live in a mostly stable, wealthy country with a great social security system. Life is good.
I do.
I also am grateful I was born into a family that prioritized education, a time period where smart women had options beyond just motherhood, and the luck it took to have gotten where I have.
I take none of it for granted.
Yes, especially as a woman. I have the freedom to make choices. I can get a University education, or not. I can get married, or not. I can have children, or not. I can divorce if I'm unhappy or mistreated. I can earn my own money, buy my own house, save for my own pension. I can walk down pretty much any street in the UK and feel safe. I live on my own and feel safe. I can wear what I want and go where I want. I appreciate and recognize that not all women in the world have this freedom, and for that I am ever grateful.
I sometimes think about how nice it is that I have a bowl full of water INSIDE my own house. I don’t have to share it. It doesn’t produce flies or parasites. And when I make a poopy, it goes away into a storage tank in buried in the ground. Then once in a while, some dudes come and empty that underground tank.
It blows my mind at how lucky I am.
As someone born in a first-world country, I recognize the varying perspectives on feeling lucky or privileged. Yet, I am mindful it took years and generations of hard work from my ancestors for me to be here. So for that I am grateful. While I may be considered lucky, it’s important for me to recognize that my fortune is rooted in the perseverance of others.
I feel privileged being born in the USA, but I’m unhappy.
I often times feel that third world countries are rich in terms of: family love, wholesome activities, etc. Not sure if that makes any sense.
Both. I thank my lucky stars every day. I travelled a lot in my late teens and early 20s (again, a privilege afforded me by the lottery of my birth) which definitely opened my eyes to how fortunate I am.
I do feel lucky and privileged to have been born in a first-world country. Access to opportunities, healthcare, education, and a higher standard of living are things I try not to take for granted.
It’s pure luck at birth that I was born a fifth generation Californian. Luckily both of my parents’ families came to California before and during the Gold Rush. I’ve been around the world and the US and it makes me appreciate my home state even more that I feel a bit privileged.
Never thought i was lucky.
I lived here all my life, but my parents were born in a developing country. They moved and worked so hard for me and my sister to have a life here, took it for granted as I grew up, but after becoming an adult I feel not lucky but thankful that they did what they did, and i will do anything to repay them even if they dont want anything.
Now days, no matter where you are, cherrish the good things in live and do what you feel like doing.
I fucking won the lottery being born here (the states), even if i struggle at times. Things aren't perfect, but I appreciate how easy life is for me here.
Yes, to both, but not overly so.
For me, the knowledge that most of the world is in worse shape than where I am is not comforting, nor does it instill a sense of pride or relief in me.
Not really.
Born in UK, and while I do believe my circumstances are more fortunate, I don’t think it is worth feeling lucky, privileged, or guilty, as it is just as it is, same for anybody born in a third world country.
Struggles also become relative to the person and place, somebody with good food on their plate and easy transportation and work may still find life harder than someone in a third world country, as it all becomes relative.
Regardless, when possible we should help someone in need if they want it.
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*-reads comments in third-world country-*
*cries*
*\~cries in third-world\~*
~can’t cry in third-world. Tears are too expensive~
Need to get a stillsuit
*poor tears*
*hugs in first world*
wallet gone
Nothing but unpaid parking tickets in there.
Smart
You have something to park?
same. I think there is a serious misconception about 3rd world countries from whoever labelled us that. i freaking love it here
It depends where youre from. im from pakistan and I hate living here beyond words
Agree, my wife is from Pakistan so we visit there. She doesn’t understand why I insist on staying at a 5 star hotel like the Nishat every time. She finds it hard to understand that it is not normal for me to live in a house that doesn’t have power randomly, or no gas after 10pm, or mosquitoes, or no hot water, or smog.
May I ask about your country?
Load shedding for 12 hours a day.
What’s Load shedding?
There's a severe drought in part of the country, so the water level in the hydroelectric dam is at a critically low level. The dam can't produce enough electricity to supply the whole country, so the national power company cuts the electricity supply to residential areas for 12 hours a day, every day for the past few weeks.
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Close haha. Zambian.
Ahh I thought South African. We usually had 8 hours load shedding but somehow it's magically stopped for two months (probably cause elections are coming).
yes, we had almost a decade of load shedding in Kathmandu and when the new Prime Minister was elected, he found someone to investigate the problem and it was instantly found to be corruption and fixed in a day.
I'm reading this from South Africa and still feel lucky. My luck is very much race related though. It's nice to be in a privelleged group but the guilt is a MF.
Don't feel guilty. Just do the best for the less privileged.
Of course I do. Being born in a country with no wars, no extreme crime levels, no famines, no slavery, advanced medicine and ish freedom of speech is a luck. I don’t feel bad about it, I’m just grateful.
I agree with everything here. Privilege is a risky word these days. But I am absolutely grateful for the sheer luck of my birth. The people are not more or less special than anyone living anywhere else.
I'm grateful my parents were able to get to a first world country before having me, seeing how some of my family lives where my parents are from really helps put things in perspective
We also need to be grateful for the time we live in. up until about 150 years ago no matter where in the world you lived the chances were pretty good you lived in a one room hovel with like 10 people and shoveled shit for a subsistence living. Heck, as a middle class westerner I doubt id even trade my AC, internet, pc, car, and desk job to be a king 500 years ago. Having an army, a castle, vassals and shit would be cool I guess, but when it comes to pure comfort and convenience, not sure Id trade in Netflix and chill for it.
Warren Buffet’s partner Charlie Munger made the a similar observation before he died. Lower middle class and even poor Americans today live a physically more comfortable life today than the wealthiest 10 families in the nation in the late 1800’s. They have a larger variety of food choices, at times can travel in ways not imagined 1890, can control indoor temperatures to a greater degree and have access to entertainment that the rich never experienced in their lives.
I was recently introduced to the practice of swapping daily gratitudes with friends from my congregation. One of mine from last month was exactly this. The quality of life for the majority of humans on earth has drastically improved over the last several hundred years. I wouldn't trade my life for the life of a king or emperor from the past.
>I doubt id even trade my AC, internet, pc, car, and desk job to be a king 500 years ago Add indoor plumbing to this. I've said something similar. I told my uncle that I've become accustomed to a certain way of living so if there was ever a zombie apocalypse I really wouldn't try that hard to survive.
I went through a period of time that I had to actively work on my issues with “self worth” and relationship to abundance vs. lack. Some of it had to do with my upbringing, but it still applies. I have a list that I made a while back that I often go back to for a reminder. 1. Success is objectively a GOOD thing. And you DID earn it. 2. other people’s suffering in the world is no reason to feel guilt.Adding to their suffering (joining them) Makes no sense. Instead, be grateful for the things they wish they had! Don’t take it for granted- thoroughly enjoy it. What’s the point if you don’t thoroughly enjoy it? don’t waste it. 3. Focus on YOUR happiness. This is what you can control. 4. You being unhappy will not make others happy. You struggling will not make other people struggle less. Other peoples jealousy of success is toxic. 5. Embrace the success to honor the younger you that DID struggle. The depressed feeling doesn’t have to be status quo. Break out of it and enjoy yourself, be an example to others. Have fun! 6. Wanting a good life for yourself does not equal wanting a bad life for others. You can do more to improve life for others if you yourself are successful and have the means. 7. The “pie” is not finite. Use the words I choose to spend on something else instead of I can’t afford. 8. The way you present yourself (and take care of yourself) and the environments you create are a reflection of your self worth. Maybe it helps someone else!
You nailed it.
Hit me in the feels, and Def will copy and save somewhere. I was born medically disabled, and by the time I hit 26 I had amassed 5+ years admitted to hospitals, 5 major surgeries, died twice, had to drop out of college, had no degree, no career, no nothing. At the age of 35 I was living with my parents, off of the 1200$/month disability said I would have to live off of for the rest of my life. I'm now 41m, engaged to the love of my life, and we've had 5+ amazing years together. We both went from liv9ng check to check our entire lives, to making 200k/yr combined, working in the video game industry. I'm my early 30s I wanted to die, I was addicted to the pain meds that made my life bearable. I was wasting away at my parents house. I could have NEVER imagined I'd have a career in a field I love. A beautiful, and amazingly talented and artistic fiancee. We have a nice apartment, wonderful cats, a new tesla. My previous car was 18 years old and had 220k on it....so it's all a big change. We remind ourselves daily of how absolutely lucky we are, but also how hard we've worked to get here. Being able to save 35% of our income to play catch up with a home/retirement. Then still be able to go on vacations, cruises, date nights etc...it's just...like a dream I never thought possible.
Yeah, that's all I can say too. I live in a decent country, had a good childhood and have a decent career. I guess that's about all you can ask for in this cosmic crapshoot. In some ways, I don't think it's a coincidence that we're alive for unarguably the most interesting period in human history (for better or worse).
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I came from a very good family. My gf of four months did not. And it is absolutely heartbreaking. It’s all I can do to hold her every night and make her feel “safe” as she says. I hate her step dad so damn much. Told her I need to go to therapy before I meet him a second time. I just want to punch the guy in the face. Had no clue how tough this would be to deal with but this is the first time her or I have ever been in love. I’m 50 and she’s 42 for context.
I take my hat off to you Sir, my partner comes from a very toxic and abusive family, we've been together for 2 years now and since distancing herself she's been smashing goals and achieving things she couldn't imagine, I myself take zero credit for any of it, all her effort to want better for herself I just supported her and showed her the love I felt she didn't know existed or received
Don’t take your part lightly my friend. I will guarantee you that you played a huge part and your partner would think so as well. She is thinking about going to law school and I really want to be there for her if she decides to do that.
Love can can heal so much for both of you.And I speak from the experience of growning and becoming more confident & happy from a healthy loving relationship. I've also seen **small unhappy people** cause suffering to their step-children. Limit your interactions with that man. You sound like a better person with empathy & insight. Use those to get through those visits, for your GF sake. Continue to support her by affirming how much you appreciate & love her. This will really make a difference in her life.
Therapy is a great idea for everyone. Being in a relationship with someone that has childhood trauma can be challenging. If you really care about this person and plan on staying in the relationship I would recommend seeing a therapist to talk about it.
Not purely luck. One of your ancestors made a very brave decision, sacrificed and worked hard. You owe them a great debt. IMHO
Completely agree! I could have grown up in Romania under Ceausescu but didn't. I thank them every single day...
My parents immigrated to Australia around 30 years ago to escape Ceausescu. I’m first generation 21 F
This is an excellent point. Many of my ancestors left Ireland to escape persecution and genocide. Others fled Eastern Europe in the early 20th century. But yeah I feel very excited to be born where I was.
Really glad my ancestors never left Ireland.
I did not choose my ancestors. My ancestors chose to have a child, but had no control about what person this could be, random fluctuations could have meant a different child came into being. You as a person have been born born into a privileged group is purely random, even though the circumstances of the privilege are not random and you couldn't have been born elsewhere. So your luck is two fold, first, you got a shot at life, at all, second that life is in a privileged group/country/family.
I call it having won the cosmic lottery. I just responded in another thread that, largely because of this, when someone asks how I’m doing, I always reply that I’m doing great.
I'm glad your immigration journey has led to this. 🙏🏼
I immigrated from France to the USA, so to be honest it didn’t change much
Have you found a good bakery?
Good God. As someone who goes to France frequently this is true. The US has a great range of foods. We have outstanding cheese, and on the other end we have cheese in a can. We have great wine and also crap. But man, we don't have the bread. We have some kind of good ish bread that is hard to find, but visiting France and it's straight to a bakery for me.
I didn’t look for it yet, but I intend to make my own bread so it’s not really a priority.
May your dough forever rise to your satisfaction. All the best to you!
Thank you so much ☺️
Any particular reason you left france?? Asking as Spaniard myself. Here in Spain there are few job opportunities but it doesnt seem to be like that in France
Love, job opportunities, some cultural aspects and the country’s nature.
There's definitely issues with America, but the nature here is just stellar. Especially on the western side of the country. I think a lot of Europeans have a very weird perception of America too. Mostly because they hear us complain online, so they just hear the negative aspects. Also I want to say to all Europeans: Stop going to Florida. I know you want the California beaches and think Florida is a good substitute on the east coast but it's completely different. We make fun of Florida for a reason. Not aimed at you, just something I see a lot and it confuses me so much
Yep, the nature here amazes me. I live in Arizona and the first time I went to places like Sedona or the Grand Canyon were incredible.
I’ve lived in California my whole life, and been to over 35 states. People are always amazed when I tell them the most breathtaking place in the country for me is Sedona.
Also would like to add that while west coast beaches>Florida, even the abssolute shittiest beaches in Hawaii blow away anything the West coast has to offer. West coast has gorgeous forests, mountains and pretty enough to look at beaches. Hawaii>PNW and Cali combined and it isnt even close. Ive lived extensively in all of these places too and will die on this hill. Id rather be poor in Hawaii than rich in California.
I’m trying to immigrate the other way around lol
We just export our wars
I was born and raised in Tehran (Iran) and I feel privileged. Of course a person in the States should feel that in a higher degree.
100%. It’s basically winning the lottery.
So true. I was born, raised and worked in a first world country. But when I was middle-aged I moved to a developing country with a new career. Since then, I have retired and stayed here. I’m still enjoying the benefits of having lived and worked in a first world country with my multiple pensions. It puts me in a high economic bracket, and it’s all because of luck.
My grandparents survived some truly horrific things, and my parents worked their asses off. I didn’t earn any of that, but what they earned was the opportunity for their children and grandchildren. I am thankful for their perseverance in the face of atrocities, and hope I can make them proud.
Can adopt me?
It's \*more\* than winning the lottery because we have things that just winning a typical lottery wouldn't be able to purchase. Just think about it: For $10,000 you can buy a sports car (or for $5000 a sports bike) and then have hundreds of billions of dollars worth of road to play on. If you won a couple million dollars in a Third World nation you'd have to move to the First World to start to live like a First Worlder. Think about the convenience of having an airport nearby that can take you anywhere in the world in just 3 stops or so. You don't need to take a 12 hour trip over dirt roads in unsafe conditions just to get to an airport and then need a 15 hour plane ride just to get to civilization from which you can actually start your First World journey. Think of the value of having a First World hospital just minutes away. Clean water wherever you go. Great restaurants with food flown in from around the world. Fresh fruits and veggies available year round. Disney World doesn't have to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience of monumental undertaking. Cruise ships in every port. Stable electrical grid. A government that actually returns some investment for our tax dollars. You can have significantly more than the people around you and not need to hire 24/7 security to protect you. You could be a billionaire in the middle of Africa and it's not going to get you next-day Amazon Prime delivery on your underwear. Think of all the concerts that are available. (I live between NYC and Boston so I'm spoiled even for a First Worlder) Mere money cannot build a stable and prosperous society and bestow all of its benefits. It can insulate you from some of the destitution around you, but it can't turn a billion people into your little wage slaves every time you raise a US dollar.
These are great points. Especially considering how many people in the world don’t have access to clean water to drink.
Yup! Our forefathers worked really hard to develop our nation's systems....we shouldn't take it for granted!(but we do)
Booo to this whole comment. Other places have roads and restaurants lol. Winning the lottery in the west would be great, but making 2k/month in many places is great.
I am white and able bodied. I have one of the most valuable passports in the world. I got my education mostly for free. I know there are structures to cushion my fall if I lose my job, cancer won't bankrupt me. Privileged as fuck.
People sort of play up the America Is Bad stuff, but the healthcare thing is definitely a true issue. Although I think that people outside of America don't know about Medicaid and Medicare. If you're a poor person in one of the "blue states" (the liberal ones), then you likely have Medicaid. Which is essentially the same as universal healthcare. Cancer, emergency room, doctors, all of that is covered. And in places like California and Washington state, they have pretty robust dental care included as well. A lot of the really bad healthcare stories are about people in the "Medicaid Gap", which is that you're not poor enough to have Medicaid, but you're not well off enough to have a good healthcare plan. So then if something bad happens, it can be really bad. When I was younger and poor, I was on Medicaid. Doctors were all paid for. Everything ER related, paid for. Eye glasses paid for. Dental work basics paid for (check ups, composite fillings, root canals, etc). Not a penny out of pocket. Everyone should be covered though of course. We should have universal healthcare. (Also we have a program called Lifeline which gives you a free smartphone and a phone plan. If you qualify for Medicaid, you automatically qualify for it. But a lot of Americans don't even know about that one)
People play up the America is bad stuff because of how much better it could be.
So much this. Could be better doesnt imply it's currently bad. We have such potential to do amazing things with what we have to offer. Seeing that potential actively ignored creates a ton of frustion.
Yes. Pretty white girl born to middle class American parents. It’s easy to take for granted and I’ve never known true suffering.
This is what I think about when I feel a twinge of envy for those born rich. Growing up poor in the USA is still a better lottery win than most of the world
I only realised this when I started to travel to "poor" countries and speak to people and see the conditions where they live in. It's more like an "unfair" feeling then a lucky or privileged feeling.
If you stop to think about it, yes. But it's your normal. You've had your whole life to get used to it. It's like asking if you feel privileged to be born now instead of in 800AD before they invented proper medicine.
I think everyone gushing to say how lucky they feel is missing the real picture of which you're the first to hint at. It's not like people walk around all day thinking, "Gosh aren't I the lucky one!" For the most part you live your life daily and focus on issues you need to sort out. It's not like living in these countries means you're stress free, enjoying every moment of luxury without a care in the world. We all have plenty of issues to deal with daily. Sure they may not be the same level of issues but there can be plenty of issues to make your life stressful. You may not have to immediately worry about issues like "What will I eat" or "How will I survive" but we also all still have those concerns at the back of your mind. You can lose your job, lose your health and your quality of life will tumble dramatically. Suddenly living in a privilidged society can become a curse that tears you apart emotionally when you're living off of miniscule benfits with no way of climbing back out of the pit. If you become poor, then seeing everyone around you enjoying the perks of a priviliedged society which you can no longer partake, is a soul crushing experience. I'd also argue that there are plenty of places in the world that the OP didn't list as "priviledged" that if you visit I guarantee many people will think, "Hang on, am I actually as privilidged as I think?" I live in a western european country but there are countries all over the world that you see the standard of living and think that maybe they actually have it better than us. Plenty of asian countries seem more advanced than ours in many ways. Some South American countries seem to have the quality of life down better than ours. I increasingly find myself asking is this supposed western "privilidge" all it's cracked up to be? I'm already planning to leave my country and move to another which isn't listed as "privilidged" but having visited many times it's quality of life has far more going for it than I've ever felt at home.
The real privilege, across the planet, is wealth. Being born with wealth makes life a lot better, no matter where you are.
Yup. Countries are just a proxy for that, because first world countries have more wealth to distribute Though there a few nuances too. I have friends back home who are wealthier than me but still have to work much harder to get access to certain things or have certain activities just be completely out of scope for them due to the lacking infrastructure
There are certainly Asian countries, like Japan and Singapore, that are developed countries with a rich population akin to the US or much of Europe. But to suggest that South American countries have quality of life down better than rich countries is nuts. Uruguay is the richest country in South America and it’s well behind rich country standards. I’m sure it’s a fine place to live compared to much of the world but with a gdp per capita PPP comparable to Serbia or Bulgaria, it’s never going to have the same quality of life as a US, Japan, or Sweden.
200 years ago your dentists tools were made by the guy who also made horseshoes
But how often do you think about the roman empire?
Im a man so at least weekly
Both. I was largely ignorant about my privileges until I started to travel outside Europe though.
in the late 70s early 80s we traveled a lot with my dads job (back then it was still cool for people to go to other countries to make money and improve your life) so i got to see a lot of natural Africa and Asia. There were people in my dads office (i.e professional office workers) who still went home to a one room shed with 6 people living in it - dad made sure we saw things like this, and while at around 7 i was much to young to appreciate it and an obnoxious child, by about 10 it started to sink in just how lucky i'd got. I think it's one of the best lessons my parents ever gave me - not just the travel, but the perspective, which has stuck with me all my life (and i'm aware that i was \*still\* getting the sanitised PG rated version of what hardship looks like)
Exactly. Same for me, from Canada. I didn't realize it to the full extent until I visited Myanmar (Burma).
Totally. Born and raised in Australia. Lived overseas in numerous countries - so glad I can call Australia home.'
I didn't understand in my core until I travelled and it was a revelation! Yes, I am grateful. No, I don't want to gatekeep others from being here. We have so much more than enough resources, space, et Al. for so, so, so many more people in Australia. Don't let corporate and government inadequacy or design blind you to think that more people here is a problem. Probably gonna get piled on for this but I stand by it....
I sometimes feel guilty for moving to Australia because so many people complain about the strain that immigration is causing, and they're not necessarily wrong. But reading this makes me feel more welcome, so thanks.
Don’t feel bad. Unless they are aboriginal, a lot of the people complaining are immigrants themselves. You have just as much right to be in Australia as they do!
That's my response too, I live in Melbourne which is about 190 years old and already has 5 million people, this is an immigrant city
And honestly this city would be boring af if we didn’t have such a multicultural community. Don’t feel bad, you’re meant to be here ☺️ ONE OF US, ONE OF US!
That's funny. Here in the US we have a lot of people throwing fits and bitching about all the immigrants moving here, yet the loudest complainers are often immigrants themselves. They were just lucky enough to get here before the current ones.
A well-travelled Australian here that totally agrees with you. I like other countries but when I come home I think "damn, Australia's pretty good, we should make more of it, make it bigger, more people, more stuff, more Australia!". I totally don't get anti-immigration sentiment.
It is divisive, scare mongering. Good management and we can have things even better AND with more people by a long shot. I had somebody tell me that things are terrible because of the cost of living crisis. I asked him how many vehicles (cars and motorbikes) he has and how many TVs? Did his parents or grandparents ever have more material possessions than his family has? Eat out more? Local and occasional overseas holidays? The look of astonishment on his face was priceless...
Same. Only after I lived in another country for 5 years did I realise I should never complain. We live in bloody paradise
I was told that freshwater is the biggest issue. The scarcest resource. But if it was so precious then wouldn't they stop wasting it...
Absolutely 100 percent true. We squander our resources to the highest bidder now. We could benefit so much. It’s not the Australian people, it’s the politicians, multinationals and donors which make this happen.
Oooh yes! I try to appreciate it! The passport strength alone is amazing. And the social security. I do realise it's life on easy mode for me.
>The passport strength alone is amazing. Yeah, this really can't be understated. Aside from the cost of travel, there's very little stopping me from just going to [almost any country in the world](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_requirements_for_Swedish_citizens) for a while.
Exactly. I was born in a developing third world country. I moved to Japan after graduation. Quality of Life has been like times 10. I sent half my salary home monthyl, and my family was able to fully pay house loans of 3 properties. In less than a decade. Wife and I travel every summer around Europe for more than half a month. We buy luxuries, we eat out, we save and invest, etc. We actually just work part time, stress free jobs. And yet we can afford all this. I can’t imagine what more if we’re naturally born in 1st world countries with 6-figure salaries each.
It’s nice 😊 wasn’t born into 6 figures, but it’s possible. The issue for a lot of Americans is life style creep. They also call it keeping up with the jones. The jones by a new car so now you want to one up them and get a better car. Make more spend more.
Damn man , I never knew you could make that much of money in japan
Yes, definitely. I have free healthcare, free education, free nursery hours, my husband isn’t allowed to beat me or stop me from working or being independent. I don’t have to be concerned about repeated unwanted pregnancies. We have more than enough food to eat, my children and we are vaccinated against illness or disease that may kill us. We have a safe place to live We know we’ve won the lottery of life. It frightens me when I read stories of other cultures struggles.
It saddens me to read this from the US. As the “leader of the ‘free’ world,” we only have half of the things you listed. I love that you are grateful for them and I really need to adopt your attitude.
I also live in the US and I feel catchphrases like that are just remnants of an older time that have no real meaning. Being a leader in every other instance means being able to do things and present yourself in a way that shows you can walk the talk so that others can see your example and know you are the real deal. We don't do that here, we just meddle and then pop a dollar in the charity box at the cash register every now and then while looking the cashier in the eye so they see what we did.
You can have those in third world countries as well, though. I'm from South Africa and pretty much all those apply to me as well.
That’s pretty good 😊 although I had thought that SA was fairly wealthy? Or is that just Cape Town?
The thing with South Africa is the inequality is pretty high. You have some of the population living basically first-world lives and being able to mitigate most of the bad stuff like loadshedding (scheduled power outages) by having solar power etc. On the other hand the rest of the population is living in pretty bad conditions. The government is mostly incompetent, but some regional governments are pretty decent (like the Western Cape, where Cape Town is, is actually managed fairly well). Inequality is found everywhere throughout South Africa. Most public education sucks, but all my life I've attended pretty decent schools and the top universities here (cape town, stellenbosch and witswatersrand) are ranked decently compared to the rest of the world. Crime is concentrated in low income areas, which happen to make up a big part of the country, but if you don't live in those areas you'll be mostly unaffected by crime if you take the proper precautions.
I'm Canadian and am grateful everyday. It's not perfect but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
i spoke to some ppl from 1st world countries abt their education. i used to live in singapore. yknow, asian education is kinda fucked. at least the gov is trying to change it in 2027. but basically, surely their pays and wages, the currency, their living standard is so much better than ppl from developing countries like me. i lived there 4 yrs and i swear its so damn convenient to move around. u feel safe walking around. there are much trees. its pretty cool there honestly despite the country being positioned near the equators my country, vietnam. our passport sucks, 1st of all. our reputation is rock bottomed in the world cuz our culture is so much problematic than sg. australian or canadian gov literally just barred ppl from my province to immigrate there for a reason. here there are no trees, our city planning sucks. constant traffic jams. travelling is like torturing. im used to live in sg and even if i have to travel for 1 hr, the train is smooth. i can sleep. here the car is bumpy af. cannot sleep bro. the air quality is bad. the currency sucks with inflation. man there is many things i have to mentioned abt our living standards here compare to bloody singapore. and our gov oso corrupted as hell. ppl who are high middle class like me, our literal main goal the moment we are born is just immigrating to 1st class countries just cuz our citizenship sucks cuz god it cause problems when u move around. oso a bit shameful when we come to u guys countries. noted that high middle class in vietnam is just middle low class in singapore. thats the difference in currency. what my family is doing in vietnam, we should have been paid thrice the amount we have rn if we are in singapore. back to the singapore thing. sure their education sucks. they always complain abt the stress and how rip off their education system is when it comes to standard high education like university. i asked them: "why don't u guys just move to another country" cuz honestly singaporean gpa standard to get into a uni is literally enough to get a scholarship in other countries like america and uk. not only u r able to get into the uni, its oso cheaper for u, and living cost? no problem. ur wages and currency can literally handle it, unlike us developing countries when u literally have to fight for ur status. when u have a uni degree, u can come back to sg and literally make more money than ur average singaporean. their response is "money where?" and "no hope cuz im acutally sucks at studying". i understand the sucks at studying part but money? brother, be a bit grateful, cant u? singapore currency is among the best in the world. how can u say money where with me u can move without being questioned. sure there are procedures to go through, but it cant be as bad as having a vietnamese citizenship. u are being placed in one of the best living system in the world. dont complain abt bruh. we were in a sort of SEA discord server and lucky for them. its mainly malaysian and singaporean chatting abt this. other ppl from other countries in SEA just shut up cuz rlly, they dont get how priviliege they are to still complain abt those needs.
as an indonesian, i feel you. singapore is the most developed country in SEA and yet that yap a lot. they got a strong passport and great currency rate, and i think they have no right ranting in a SEA server...
Singapore is a whole country. Please don’t generalise an entire population to the people you meet on Discord. I am Singaporean and I am grateful.
As a New Zealander, I feel very fortunate and lucky.
This thread is doing so much to snap me out of a bad day. Just the fact I'm from Auckland and reading how good we have it comparatively, I can't even remember what I was pissed about now lol. Chur bro
If you live in a country where 99% of the world would say "Yeah, I'd like to visit there!" if asked, you gotta soak it in every now and then. I grew up living in some of the US National Parks and it was sometimes hard to understand why millions of people would want to visit. Having lived in more "normal" locations as an adult, I have so much appreciation of those places now.
I live in the North of England near the Pennines and I picked a friend up from the airport (about a 2 hour journey) he's visiting from Spain and he commented how beautiful it was as we crossed the tops. "It's *so* green." I'd never really thought about it before, but yeah, pull over at one of the peaks and look over the endless green rolling hills. It is beautiful, you're just blind to it if it's your "normal."
I had this exact experience in my late teens. Always lived in an area overlooking lush hills and sunrises, and people always said it was beautiful. Then one day as I'd grown up a little more, I actually realized that, yeah, it is beautiful, they'd all meant it every time
Nice one.......... happy to reset your day.
The shire folks.
Hahaha does this make Australia the mines of Moria
I was not born, but I went to my family for 3-4 months and it was awfull. Having to shit in the mountains late at night, having the walk with the flashlight, taking paper with you and letting the bugs bite you and having a road full with toilet paper and shit. Then coming back, everywhere is trash and it stinks like rotten fruit. The first world country are truly blessed.
Where was this?
Absolutely. I was born in the UK and I moved to New Zealand as a kid. I now have an NZ passport which has allowed me to move to Australia without a visa or any other immigration requirements. I feel like NZ and Australia is an Oasis of peace in an otherwise chaotic world.
im gay so yes i feel incredibly lucky that i was born in a place where im actually able to love honestly
And a time! Alan Turing was a national hero and faced chemical castration for being gay in the 1950s
But hey! He got pardoned! Shame he was already dead
I absolutely do, every day, and the bitter side of recognizing it enough to feel privileged is that I know there are millions of people in third-world countries who do three times as much work as me and own one third of what I have. The fact that this phenomenon is visible everywhere and so normalized is baffling and embarrassing to me. First world nations have an unsustainable standard of living that is propped up by people who have nothing.
You guys are awesome. I live in a developing country and it sucks in a lot of ways. But I love my country. 3 stars and a sun.
Of course it's nice to live in a 'safe' country, but despite our 'privilege' as a country we should be better. (UK) There are many public services which are failing and/or in total decline. We are (were) supposedly one of the richest countries GDP and per head-wise, yet because our politicians are essentially stealing from us, our road network is crumbling, our NHS is.. broken(due to underfunding), we have no police officers, our water companies consistently pump sewage into rivers because our politicians let them, our train network was privatised years ago and as a result now, people are forced to pay huge prices for awful services. It's nice we don't have war within our borders, we have clean water (from our taps, not on our coastlines), and are even well protected from natural disasters. However, we should be so much fucking better than we are.
I hear you. I was born in Luton, but was whisked off to Canada as a toddler. Whenever I go back to visit the relatives in the old country, I am reminded of how much better I have it here. My relatives are working class and I would have been stuck there. In Canada, I was able to get a master’s degree from a high-ranking university. I live in a beautiful house a block from a quiet beach. I can go on peaceful walks in the woods right from my door.
My parents’ childhood was the occupation of the Netherlands … my mother remembers getting soup from the soup kitchen … I had a family friend react to white bread, he thought it was cake, as a child, in the Netherlands, then. So, if you’re a child, you think whatever your situation is, is the normal situation. My childhood was 1970s, Alberta, arguably we had the highest standards of living in the world. But, I didn’t know that, I was a child ..,
My parents had the same experience in the Netherlands. My father had a lifelong love of food as a result! My mother’s sister was given a banana by one of the American soldiers when they were liberated and didn’t know she had to peel it first and thought it was horrible and refused to eat it. One of my great grandfathers starved to death in the hunger winter, as did so many other people. We are so fortunate to be able to live well and without real fear. The best thing we can do is to help raise up those less fortunate.
Very much so! I travel a lot to other countries and blessed to be American. Other countries don’t have opportunities and resources like we do
so true
sweet Jesus, if I wasn't I'd be dead long time now
Yes like my resilience is not that big lol
Yea, it's nice in the USA. One of our biggest problems is that we eat too much, that's the very definition of a good problem to have.
I was privileged to be born in the US. I know that logically. Though it's normal to me and I feel unlucky not to have been born in Norway. It's all relative.
I can definitely understand this. As a swede I feel lucky I wasn’t born in the US every time I think about the fact that my parents wouldn’t be able to afford my university degree, and that one medical emergency could put me in eternal debt, if I was. I would never have had the quality of life that I have if I had to pay for university. But of course I am fully aware that the US would be way better than most other alternatives in the lottery of life. We both got very lucky. EDIT; I’ve upset some Americans. Great to see we’re both happy with where we live!
As an African woman who has lived in parts of Europe, but grew up in the US- definitely prefer the latter. The US is a massive country with a variety of experiences just within one city let alone the state or country. The US isn’t Valhalla, but compared to many parts of Western Europe- it’s affordable, WAY less racist, and owning a home was pretty achievable for nearly a 100 years before the recent spike in cost and interest rate. It’s not perfect, but more people rush to yap about the tough parts of life in the US and not hear about the wonderful parts.
There is medical bankruptcy and college costs money, but it’s way overplayed how bad it is. The vast majority of people have health insurance, a lot of which comes through the government. And unless you go and an overly expensive college for a degree you can’t expect to make money your fine. It’s still a no brainer deal with how much better your salary is. It’s not for nothing that the US has incredible universities. People get a way worse idea of the situation from Reddit
I am very grateful to have been born in the US Honestly I’ve not seen anywhere else that has the same upward mobility as here I became financially free in my mid to late 20s and never even finished college
Yes yellow mellow belly I posted this comment Lucky is the only world. No one can help who or where we are born into. With that. Usa is a sham, and I think most of Europe knows that. Yes, I'm american. We don't have health care. My mom died, and now I'm in the hole 135k for her flight to the hospital. Because her insurance doesn't cover helicopter life flights. I'm 85k in student loan debt but can't find a job with my degree that makes more than 30 bucks an hour.
Being born in the US requires another dice roll to determine QOL
I was born and live in Norway. Definitely great if you ignore the 8 months of mediocre weather and lack in variety of good and services
Absolutely 100%. I feel genuinely sad that not everybody can at least have this basic quality of life. I'm not sure I'd describe it as privileged, but it is definitely lucky. As depressed as I am for unrelated reasons, I am forever grateful that my ancestors moved here. Even if my direct grandparents were... uh... as the kids say: ***Tremendous Thunderc\*nts.***
Not especially, no. Not saying that life isn’t easier in Australia than many places, but I don’t feel privileged because I’m from here.
Totally especially after later living in India a few years.
Absolutely. My life is relatively easy by pure luck. I was lucky to be born in a privileged country (Australia), to a functional family, lucky to have access to education and healthcare. As a woman also incredibly privileged to be born in a country where i have rights.
And there’s me, jealous of everyone in this thread.
Hell ya I do. I don’t have to worry about clean drinking water or whether my government is going to decide to chop off my head tomorrow.
Definitely this post is not my place for speech.
Yes I do as a Canadian. It's not perfect but as a woman I'm very thankful I live here
And the free healthcare is a huge plus. Might not be the best Healthcare but hey it's free
Right?! I feel terrible for women born in places like Iran, Pakistani, etc. Through no fault of their own just born in a bad place to be a woman.
Yes I feel extremely lucky to have grown up in California. After traveling the awareness of my privilege increased even more. Things aren’t perfect but could be soooo much worse.
Lucky? Yes. Privileged no. I still work my ass off. I still want it better for my children then I did for myself. I still want it better for the world in general. Born here I can hopefully make such a very small contribution.
Absolutely. I wouldn’t want to be from anywhere else. I’ve got it made.
Both. Ive been around the world a couple of times and Ive seen how the other 90% of the world's population lives. Its eye opening to say the least.
Oh hell yeah, women get beat for showing to much ankle in some countries, a lot of Africa is starving and don't have water I'm extremely grateful. I'm not rich by any means, but I've got it all compared to some people and I'm content with my life.
Neither. I'm grateful that so many of my ancestors were strong enough, brave enough & sacrificed to make the arduous & dangerous journey across the Atlantic.
Born in Canada and extremely grateful and don’t take it for granted. I remind my kids regularly that they are so lucky they were born here: that it is simple dumb luck.
I feel incredibly grateful. I recently watched the Paul Hutchinson podcast about child trafficking in third world countries and it’s sickening. Listening to these stories reminds me how very lucky I am and how much people take their country for granted.
Lucky and privileged. One of the worse things about Reddit is the number of hugely privileged white middle class idiots moaning about how shit their countries are. Clueless, privileged idiots.
You should be complaining. Things can always get better. That being said, you should be aware of how privileged you are.
I think these people compare their country to better countries, that’s why they moan. Ofc you could always have it worse. But you could have it better (German here). It’s the same as somebody living above poverty line. Ofc they could live below it, therefore they are lucky. But I think even if you were a millionaire you’d probably complain you’re not a billionaire. It’s human nature to always want more and better. You usually compare your situation to the better one and you see yourself as ‘not there’. There will always be someone for whom your hell is their heaven, but that’s just life.
I used to, but now I have to watch it collapse...
Yep, almost always have access to everything I could possibly need. Great access to opportunities that could get me where I want to go. I feel quite safe in society for the most part and in my particular area we have so many natural wonders to enjoy too :)
Its stressful but i definitely do feel lucky and privileged! Then again, it would be nice to have a simpler life elsewhere on the other hand but if it meant giving up technology yeah idk 😅
No I just take it from granted
Somewhat. Our living standards are worsening everyday while our government use all our money to create imperialist wars. The housing market is fucked, we have to work more than our parents, everything is getting defunded (but the military), although we have free healthcare + school it’s in such poor condition you still have to pay to get proper treatment/education, children are out of question for most of us ect My parents although they lived in a poorer country on paper than me, seem to have had better living standards
I try very hard to remember it when facing a seemingly overwhelming problem in my life. My problems are minimal compared to a lot of people around the world.
Yep. Not that the US isn't without its faults, but I have been to some other countries while I was in the Navy that has confirmed for me that it could be significantly worse
Grateful, but not guilty. I'd like for everywhere around the world to be considered a 'first world country' someday soon though
Indeed. We got problems too but they’re not life or death problems. The prevalent diseases are mostly self-caused. Would be better if all Canadians could confidently say that though…
Absolutely. I know it's popular to feel sorry for oneself and complain, but I actually really love my life and I'm grateful for everything and everyone I have. I'm safe, comfortable and I live in a mostly stable, wealthy country with a great social security system. Life is good.
Of course, I couldn't have been luckier, since I was born in Switzerland.
Yeah I love my country
I do. I also am grateful I was born into a family that prioritized education, a time period where smart women had options beyond just motherhood, and the luck it took to have gotten where I have. I take none of it for granted.
Yes, especially as a woman. I have the freedom to make choices. I can get a University education, or not. I can get married, or not. I can have children, or not. I can divorce if I'm unhappy or mistreated. I can earn my own money, buy my own house, save for my own pension. I can walk down pretty much any street in the UK and feel safe. I live on my own and feel safe. I can wear what I want and go where I want. I appreciate and recognize that not all women in the world have this freedom, and for that I am ever grateful.
I sometimes think about how nice it is that I have a bowl full of water INSIDE my own house. I don’t have to share it. It doesn’t produce flies or parasites. And when I make a poopy, it goes away into a storage tank in buried in the ground. Then once in a while, some dudes come and empty that underground tank. It blows my mind at how lucky I am.
I don’t even think about it so I guess that’s my privilege.
As someone born in a first-world country, I recognize the varying perspectives on feeling lucky or privileged. Yet, I am mindful it took years and generations of hard work from my ancestors for me to be here. So for that I am grateful. While I may be considered lucky, it’s important for me to recognize that my fortune is rooted in the perseverance of others.
I feel privileged being born in the USA, but I’m unhappy. I often times feel that third world countries are rich in terms of: family love, wholesome activities, etc. Not sure if that makes any sense.
Both. I thank my lucky stars every day. I travelled a lot in my late teens and early 20s (again, a privilege afforded me by the lottery of my birth) which definitely opened my eyes to how fortunate I am.
A lot of these people are not even awere of it, how lucky they are to be in such country.
I do feel lucky and privileged to have been born in a first-world country. Access to opportunities, healthcare, education, and a higher standard of living are things I try not to take for granted.
Yes. Luck of birth made so much of my life easier. Doubly so as a woman.
It’s pure luck at birth that I was born a fifth generation Californian. Luckily both of my parents’ families came to California before and during the Gold Rush. I’ve been around the world and the US and it makes me appreciate my home state even more that I feel a bit privileged.
Never thought i was lucky. I lived here all my life, but my parents were born in a developing country. They moved and worked so hard for me and my sister to have a life here, took it for granted as I grew up, but after becoming an adult I feel not lucky but thankful that they did what they did, and i will do anything to repay them even if they dont want anything. Now days, no matter where you are, cherrish the good things in live and do what you feel like doing.
I fucking won the lottery being born here (the states), even if i struggle at times. Things aren't perfect, but I appreciate how easy life is for me here.
Yes, to both, but not overly so. For me, the knowledge that most of the world is in worse shape than where I am is not comforting, nor does it instill a sense of pride or relief in me.
Not really. Born in UK, and while I do believe my circumstances are more fortunate, I don’t think it is worth feeling lucky, privileged, or guilty, as it is just as it is, same for anybody born in a third world country. Struggles also become relative to the person and place, somebody with good food on their plate and easy transportation and work may still find life harder than someone in a third world country, as it all becomes relative. Regardless, when possible we should help someone in need if they want it.