𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦?

We are all deeply aware of the injustices we have faced. Maybe you’ve been overlooked for a promotion because of office politics. Maybe your ideas were dismissed because someone else had a louder voice. Perhaps you’ve been unfairly judged based on your gender, caste, or background. Or look at even more mundane events: waiting in a never-ending queue at the RTO, dealing with unfair bosses, or even that one time your chai was overpriced at a tourist spot. We 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 those injustices deeply. These experiences sting, and they shape how we see the world.

But here’s a tough question: Have we ever paused to reflect on the injustices that have 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 us? The ones from which we have 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝?

Let’s take a few everyday examples:

 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 – If you're reading this post in English, chances are you have had access to opportunities that many others haven’t. In India, fluency in English can mean the difference between securing a high-paying job and struggling to make ends meet. But should access to a good life be determined by something as arbitrary as the opportunity to learn a language? For a person who has not had the privilege of learning in English, we are the beneficiaries of the injustice. We as beneficiaries don’t give it a thought.

 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 & 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 – Even if we do not discriminate personally, we may have unknowingly benefitted from a system where our surname, family connections, or school alumni network opened doors for us that remained closed for others. A small advantage in the beginning snowballs into a lifetime of opportunities. For the person who did not have the above, we are the beneficiaries of injustice. But we are blissfully unaware of it.

 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 & 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 – Men in our society often take for granted the ability to walk down a street at night, travel alone without fear, or have their career ambitions supported by family. Many women, on the other hand, must navigate a world filled with restrictions and silent dangers. The benefits of the injustice hardly cross the mind of the beneficiaries.

 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 – All of us living in cities and urban areas generate mounds of garbage every day and these are transported to landfills outside our area of living and dumped around other villages. We have benefitted from what those villages would perceive as an injustice. We on the other hand assume our privilege.

This is not about guilt. It is about awareness. When we only see the injustices we have suffered, we risk falling into a victim mindset that makes us bitter and defensive. But when we also recognize the injustices from which we have benefitted, we cultivate humility, empathy, and a more balanced perspective. So, here’s an invitation: Instead of only fighting against the unfairness we face, let’s also acknowledge where we have had an unfair 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆. It makes us feel less bitter and keeps us grounded.