Paul Graham: The Privilege of Orthodoxy

There has been a lot of talk about privileges lately. Although this concept is overwhelmed, there is something in it. In particular, the idea that privilege is blinding - with privilege, you cannot see what is visible to those whose lives are significantly different from yours.



There is one of the most common examples of such blindness, which I have not mentioned before. I'll call it the privilege of orthodoxy: The more traditional and accepted a person's views are, the more they feel that everyone can safely express their opinions.



Such people can truly express their opinions safely because their opinions are based on ideas that are acceptable to everyone. It seems to them that this security applies to everyone. They simply cannot imagine a truthful statement that could get them into trouble.



And yet, at every stage of history, there were truths that could lead to dire trouble if uttered. Maybe this does not apply to our truth? It would be an amazing coincidence.



Of course, the strangeness of our times and the existence of ideas dangerous for expression fit into an absolutely standard assumption. Who would have thought. But most people will ignore all the historical facts and will argue with this statement with saliva at the mouth.



The hidden slogan of the privilege of orthodoxy is "Why don't you just say it?" If you think there is some truth that people are afraid to voice, why don't you have the courage to be the first? More radical interlocutors will also imagine that a terrible heresy has settled in your head, and they will blame you for it. Moreover, if in your era there are different variants of heresy, then the accusations will be vague: you will be called either one “-ist” or another.



Dealing with such people is upsetting, but it is important to understand that they are sincere. They do believe that an idea cannot be both unorthodox and true. This is how the world looks to them.



How to respond to the privilege of orthodoxy? Assigning a stable term to it can only partially benefit - if you encounter a similar problem, then remember why a conversation with some interlocutors seems so strange and unreasonable. We're talking about an extremely durable form of privilege. People can overcome the blindness caused by most forms of privilege by gaining knowledge of the real state of affairs. But they cannot overcome the privilege of orthodoxy simply by learning more. For this, people must become more independent. If at all possible, then one conversation will not be enough for this.



It may be possible to convince some people that the privilege of orthodoxy exists, even if they don’t feel it. It's the same with dark matter. There may be people who believe that this is the first time we’re at a historical point where there are no truths that are difficult to articulate - even if these people cannot provide examples.



However, even if we move away from such people, it is unlikely that in the case of our problem it will be enough to say “think about your privileges”. The fact is that the owners of this privilege do not even know about it. People with accepted opinions do not think their opinions are generally accepted. They just think they are right. And they are sure of it.



It might be worth trying to appeal to courtesy. If someone says they hear high frequency noise and you don't hear it, then it's polite to take their word for it. There is no need to demand evidence that cannot be presented, or simply to deny everything. Imagine how rough it will be. Likewise, if someone claims that there are truthful ideas that cannot be expressed, it is polite to just take their word for it - even if they could not think of such a thing.



Once you understand that the privilege of orthodoxy exists, much will become clear. For example, will you understand how it can be that a large number of sane, intelligent people are worried about what they call a "culture of cancellation", while other (also sane and smart) people deny that this problem exists? Once you understand the concept of the privilege of orthodoxy, you will see the source of this contradiction. If you believe there are no truths that cannot be spoken, then anyone who gets into trouble for their words must deserve it.