--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Privilege is when you can afford to sit…" description: "\"“Privilege is when you can afford to sit back and watch as others' rights are trampled upon.”\" — DaShanne Stokes" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/dashanne-stokes-11664_bias_privilege-is-when-you-can-afford-to-sit_654743.jpg" --- # Privilege is when you can afford to sit back and watch as… ![“Privilege is when you can afford to sit back and watch as others' rights are trampled upon.” quote by DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/dashanne-stokes-11664_bias_privilege-is-when-you-can-afford-to-sit_654743.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/dashanne-stokes-11664_bias_privilege-is-when-you-can-afford-to-sit_654743.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/dashanne-stokes-11664_bias_privilege-is-when-you-can-afford-to-sit_654743.jpg) > ““Privilege is when you can afford to sit back and watch as others' rights are trampled upon.”” [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Privilege is the ability to remain passive while others' rights are violated, highlighting moral responsibility to act. **In simple terms:** Being privileged means you can watch oppression without intervening. Key Takeaway Use your advantage to defend others. Themes ethics social justice responsibility Mood concerned determined Type ethical activist When to use this quote - activism - community leadership - policy advocacy Key Concepts moral agency power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does your comfort enable injustice? - What actions can you take to protect rights? A Different Perspective Privilege can be invisible to those who benefit, making it hard to recognize. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bias/) [Biases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biases/) [Bigotry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigotry/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Discrimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination/) [Discrimination-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrimination-quotes/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Human rights day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights-day/) [Human-rights-violations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights-violations/) [Lgbt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lgbt/) [Lgbt-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lgbt-quotes/) [Lgbt-rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lgbt-rights/) [Lgbtq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lgbtq/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Prejudices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudices/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Privileges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privileges/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Race-and-racism-in-america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-and-racism-in-america/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Racism-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism-quotes/) [Sexism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexism/) [Trampled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trampled/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-quotes/) ## Related quotes > [“Privilege is when you can afford to sit back and criticize others who have to fight for the things you take for granted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/privilege-is-when-you-can-afford-to-sit-back-and-criticize-others-who/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Privilege is when you contribute to the oppression of others and then claim that you are the one being discriminated against.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/privilege-is-when-you-contribute-to-the-oppression-of-others-and-then/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“If you won't stand up against those who tear us apart with their lies, hate, and bigotry, expect to do a lot of sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/if-you-won-t-stand-up-against-those-who-tear-us-apart-with-their-lies/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Bigotry and sexism destroy the unity needed for a nation to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/bigotry-and-sexism-destroy-the-unity-needed-for-a-nation-to-live/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Adoptee rights are everyone's rights, and they deserve to be protected.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/adoptee-rights-are-everyone-s-rights-and-they-deserve-to-be-protected/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [People who do really dangerous tasks can't afford to sit around and discuss the merits of what they're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/people-who-do-really-dangerous-tasks-can-t-afford-to-sit-around-and/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“It speaks volumes when people who are discriminated against go on to discriminate against others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/it-speaks-volumes-when-people-who-are-discriminated-against-go-on-to/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Standing against discrimination for some while supporting discrimination against others hurts us all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/standing-against-discrimination-for-some-while-supporting/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Freedom means equality. If you don't believe in equality for all, you don't believe in freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/freedom-means-equality-if-you-don-t-believe-in-equality-for-all-you/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“When you've grown up mis-educated, surrounded by fear and hate, unaware of your privilege, lies can sound like the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/when-you-ve-grown-up-mis-educated-surrounded-by-fear-and-hate-unaware/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Political correctness' as 'over-sensitivity' is code for saying the privileged shouldn't have their unearned privileges questioned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/political-correctness-as-over-sensitivity-is-code-for-saying-the/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Saying it's hard being straight is like complaining to the poor that it's difficult being wealthy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/saying-it-s-hard-being-straight-is-like-complaining-to-the-poor-that/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Bigotry that is known and visible is bigotry that can be challenged.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/bigotry-that-is-known-and-visible-is-bigotry-that-can-be-challenged/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Bigots often like to say they're the ones being hurt as they oppress and hurt others. Never fall for the 'pity the privileged' routine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/bigots-often-like-to-say-they-re-the-ones-being-hurt-as-they-oppress/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Privilege is presuming to speak for others you know nothing about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/privilege-is-presuming-to-speak-for-others-you-know-nothing-about/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) ## More by DaShanne Stokes > [“Violence isn't a Democrat or Republican problem. 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Never fall for the 'pity the privileged' routine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/bigots-often-like-to-say-they-re-the-ones-being-hurt-as-they-oppress/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“The messages of racism, the lies, the fraud, the sexism--he’s sending a lot of really horrible messages to our children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/the-messages-of-racism-the-lies-the-fraud-the-sexism-he-s-sending-a/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Persecution complexes are reaffirming to those who benefit from unearned privileges.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/persecution-complexes-are-reaffirming-to-those-who-benefit-from/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Talk without the support of action means nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/talk-without-the-support-of-action-means-nothing/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“It speaks volumes when people who are discriminated against go on to discriminate against others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/it-speaks-volumes-when-people-who-are-discriminated-against-go-on-to/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Adoption isn't just a childhood experience, it's a life-long experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/adoption-isn-t-just-a-childhood-experience-it-s-a-life-long-experience/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Adoptee rights are everyone's rights, and they deserve to be protected.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/adoptee-rights-are-everyone-s-rights-and-they-deserve-to-be-protected/) [DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/) > [“Discrimination does not 'make America great.' 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