← Quora archive  ·  2011 Dec 14, 2011 11:41 PM PST

Question

How should a white person deal with 'white guilt'?

Answer

I have no idea why I was asked to answer this. But I'll give it a shot.

  1. If you aren't directly complicit in oppression, drop the guilt. Not your fault.
  2. If you enjoy some inherited privilege, it's in your own best interest to recognize it. Should you make reparations? That's a practical issue depending on the recency and clarity of the descent of both the effects of privilege and oppression. Some of the benefits of many generations of privilege aren't possible to give away. Don't beat yourself up over it. We're a violent species with 100,000 years of murder and mayhem. All of us have blood on our hands to an extent.

If you genuinely have a talent for social work, go ahead. If you inherited billions of misbegotten wealth, sure, give it to suitable causes. But in general, drop the guilt. The world is a big, complex, messy place with more moral ambiguity than anyone can handle. Figure out how to live in it first as an individual. You can save the world later, after you figure out your own life.