<p>I’ve never heard this phrase, ever, but the concept is not unfamiliar to me. It was a common thing at Umich for students to not realize that they had access to things growing up that the “average” person did not, they would take certain life experiences and advantages for granted as if everyone had access to those things… you could sit and talk about this all day for four years if you wanted to, the student body would give you enough material. I’ve never really heard it discussed much from a purely racial or gender oriented standpoint, though… I guess it was more economic, and it was never meant to imply that people didn’t earn what they had. If I’d heard this phrase I would have assumed it meant, “you need to remember your perspective might be different from someone elses,” not, “you haven’t earned anything you’ve had.” But, perhaps I have it all wrong since I’ve NEVER heard this phrase.</p>
<p>Dude, check your priviledge.lol.</p>
<p>I heard that phrase on occasion back in the '90s when I was an undergrad. However, it was limited to the extreme radical fringe even on a campus where most students were radically left-leaning politically and active and vocal about it. </p>
<p>I find it ironic this article is coming from a Princeton student considering just 2 decades ago, he wouldn’t have had that issue as people who are inclined to use “Check your privilege” would have been as wary of applying to Princeton as young conservatives/right leaning-libertarians and religious fundamentalists would have been about applying to schools like Oberlin, Antioch, Vassar, or Brown. </p>
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<p>In some cases, dress may have an effect in triggering a stereotypical profile by the viewer. For example, there was a study where people of various races, genders, ages, and dress asked random passerby for directions to some place. All of the aspects appeared to be associated with how helpful the responses were (though not necessarily independently of other aspects, and dress that triggers stereotype profiling is not necessarily the same for each combination of race, gender, and age).</p>
<p>Bay - fwiw my D hears that expression, on her all-women’s campus. You know, her life must have been a bed of roses from day one because she’s white and upper middle class.</p>
<p>We all have our burdens to carry in life, and being white / UMC doesn’t save one from that. It’s an obnoxious saying, second only to “I’m triggered by that” as the new “I’m offended.” </p>
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It means, “You just said something that indicates you don’t realize that everyone else is not in your fortunate situation.” [\quote]</p>
<p>Like, if you said, “A healthy diet consists of whole fruits and vegetables,” I could respond with “Check your privilege!” because there are people who have no teeth and are too poor to afford a blender. </p>
<p>This expression is simply a version of “That’s easy for YOU to say.” It also reminds me of, “He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.”</p>
<p>I think you’re all missing the (to me) obvious clue in this article. This guy is a conservative at a mostly liberal college, and he’s the kind of person who likes to say things that get other people going. That’s why he referred to Obama-sanctioned drones in the beginning of his piece. He knew that would annoy liberals (and, incidentally, get conservatives to come to his defense).</p>
<p>Edited to add: I didn’t even notice that this was published in the “Princeton Tory.”</p>
<p>Actually, the meaning is a little more subtle and complex. It’s insulting and dismissive. Basically, it means, “There’s an aspect of his situation that you are incapable of understanding because of who you are. Shut up.” </p>
<p>And, it says - my experience is indeed more valuable than yours. Because it’s somehow more “real” / authentic to be poor than rich, black than white, female than male, etc.</p>
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<p>Why would they when many of them have used “Check your privilege” to criticize those who feel GBLTQ folks should be socially and/or legally barred from living/acting in ways heterosexual individuals/couples take for granted…such as holding hands or PDA?</p>
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<p>My understanding is that the comment is really a variant of “You don’t have a clue because you haven’t lived the day-to-day life experience of someone less privileged” while commenting on something or behaving in a dismissive/insulting manner towards persons/groups with less privilege. </p>
<p>And it isn’t meant to be polite as that response is usually made when the responder perceives another’s comment is being made in gross ignorance of the lived realities of those who are less privileged and is meant to put him/her on notice that he/she needs to remedy that ignorance. </p>
<p>^Right, the speaker of the phrase <em>presumes</em> that the target is ignorant without first asking what he knows. </p>
<p>C’mon. This guy is in college–at Princeton–and people know who he is. He’s “that guy.” And he loves it. Dollars to donuts he’s hearing this phrase when he says things like, “URMs shouldn’t get any advantage in admissions; they should just work hard like I did.”</p>
<p>But, hey, apparently he got to be on Fox! So mission accomplished!</p>
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<p>If a given comment is perceived as clueless to the point of offensiveness, the one listening may reasonably feel the comment/behavior is a legitimate demonstration of what he/she knows. </p>
<p>As a lawyer, you’ve probably seen or even used such comments yourself to ascertain the credibility of hostile witnesses during cross-examination. </p>
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<p>He’s also probably getting plenty of support from older Princeton alums who pine for the “Old Princeton” when it was a conservative bastion in the Ivy League just a couple of decades ago and one which they were really proud to be a part of… </p>
<p>Unless the statement is patently offensive (and even then maybe not), the hearer ought to ask for clarification before judging the speaker as clueless or ignorant and effectively telling him to shut up. We are talking about a university setting here, not a low-life shouting match. </p>
<p>So what if the author is conservative? The phrase apparently exists and is used against people other than him. </p>
<p>In my Twitter feed today: “The very notion of “privilege” is inherently context-sensitive, and nearly every time I see it used, someone’s trying to do so context-free.”</p>
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<p>In that context, perhaps it really bothers forum posters who are “middle class” but “won’t get financial aid anywhere” and have trouble finding money for their kids’ college costs while complaining that kids from poorer families get free rides on need-based financial aid wherever they go.</p>
<p>“He’s also probably getting plenty of support from older Princeton alums who pine for the “Old Princeton” when it was a conservative bastion in the Ivy League just a couple of decades ago and one which they were really proud to be a part of.”</p>
<p>You really perseverate / fixate on this, don’t you? Check your obsession. </p>
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That’s the privilege that the author cares about.</p>
<p>From the NYT piece, it was the author’s views on welfare and the national debt that triggered the phrase. </p>