Author here. I’ve only had a handful of negative reactions to this article, but pretty much all of them have been from white men. I guess I should have expected

Author here. I’ve only had a handful of negative reactions to this article, but pretty much all of them have been from white men. I guess I should have expected that. There is a current of guilt that many feel when contemplating privilege. It makes them uncomfortable and they’d rather lash out or argue it away than deal with it. If you find yourself feeling offended reading the article, here is some context: 1. Please don't read this as an attempt to speak for all White people. Or all men. No one can do that. We all have unique stories that trace their roots back through history. If I don't know you personally there is a good chance I don’t know anything about your story either. I don't presume to speak for anyone but myself. 2. I am in no way trying to say that my privilege comes purely from being White or that all White people have the same privilege as me. Many aspects of my personal privilege have nothing to do with my skin color. I absolutely benefit from the hard work and smart decisions of people in my family that came before me. 3. It is hard to argue that statistically a disproportionate number of non-White people get the short end of the stick when it comes to generational wealth and privilege in America, but again, everyone’s story is unique. There are plenty of people who are born with way more privilege than me. Not all of them are White. 4. I think guilt is the wrong response to privilege. Gratefulness is a much better response. Privilege is something given to you, that you did not deserve, and that not everyone gets. You don’t feel guilty when someone gives you a beautiful gift, you feel thankful. Maybe even loved. In an ideal world, those with privilege would have such a strong response of gratefulness that it would move them to kindness toward others. It certainly motivates me to work to make the world a better place—not out of guilt, but out of thankfulness for the undeserved blessings in my life.