--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be white, or straight, or male, or…" description: "\"“To be white, or straight, or male, or middle class is to be simultaneously ubiquitious and invisible. You’re everywhere you look, you’re the standard ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/michael-s-kimmel-58334_angry-white-males_to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middl_1153923.jpg" --- # To be white, or straight, or male, or middle class is to… ![“To be white, or straight, or male, or middle class is to be simultaneously ubiquitious and invisible. You’re everywhere you look, you’re the standard against which everyone else is measured. You’re like water, like air. People will tell you they went to see a “woman doctor” or they will say they…” quote by Michael S. Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/michael-s-kimmel-58334_angry-white-males_to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middl_1153923.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/michael-s-kimmel-58334_angry-white-males_to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middl_1153923.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/michael-s-kimmel-58334_angry-white-males_to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middl_1153923.jpg) > ““To be white, or straight, or male, or middle class is to be simultaneously ubiquitious and invisible. You’re everywhere you look, you’re the standard against which everyone else is measured. You’re like water, like air. People will tell you they went to see a “woman doctor” or they will say they went to see “the doctor.” People will tell you they have a “gay colleague” or they’ll tell you about a colleague. A white person will be happy to tell you about a “Black friend,” but when that same person simply mentions a “friend,” everyone will assume the person is white. Any college course that doesn’t have the word “woman” or “gay” or “minority” in its title is a course about men, heterosexuals, and white people. But we call those courses “literature,” “history” or “political science.” This invisibility is political.”” [Michael S. Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-kimmel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dominant social groups become invisible because they are seen as the default, making their privilege unnoticed and unexamined. **In simple terms:** Privilege is invisible when it’s the norm. Key Takeaway Recognize and name hidden privileges. Themes privilege invisibility social norms Mood critical analytical reflective Type sociological political When to use this quote - workplace training - education curriculum - media analysis - policy development Key Concepts sociology critical theory intersectionality Questions to Reflect On - How does invisibility affect your daily interactions? - What steps can make dominant norms visible? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on invisibility may ignore other forms of oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angry-white-males](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry-white-males-8616/) [Angry-young-man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry-young-man-8620/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Heterosexuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heterosexuals/) [Heterosexuals White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heterosexuals-white-3274243/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Political science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-science/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [The-red-pill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-red-pill-188338/) [Ubiquitious Invisible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ubiquitious-invisible-3274244/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) [White Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-person/) [White privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-privilege/) ## Related quotes > [“Take a little thought experiment. Imagine all the rampage school shooters in Littleton, Colorado; Pearl, Mississippi; Paducah, Kentucky; Springfield, Oregon; and Jonesboro, Arkansas; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-kimmel/take-a-little-thought-experiment-imagine-all-the-rampage-school/) [Michael S. Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-kimmel/) > [“Failure is our greatest teacher Blame blinds us to her lessons”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-julian/failure-is-our-greatest-teacher-blame-blinds-us-to-her-lessons/) [Rick Julian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-julian/) > [“Love melts the hardest hearts Enters between the cracks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-julian/love-melts-the-hardest-hearts-enters-between-the-cracks/) [Rick Julian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-julian/) > [“Leading people is like cooking Don’t stir too much It annoys the ingredients And spoils the food”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-julian/leading-people-is-like-cooking-don-t-stir-too-much-it-annoys-the/) [Rick Julian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-julian/) > [“When you are angry try your best to go to sleep, it keeps you away from speaking, writing and thinking while you are angry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/when-you-are-angry-try-your-best-to-go-to-sleep-it-keeps-you-away/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“If you cannot stop yourself from getting angry, then at least get angry about things that matters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/if-you-cannot-stop-yourself-from-getting-angry-then-at-least-get/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“When a man is at peace he is a man, when angry he is an animal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/when-a-man-is-at-peace-he-is-a-man-when-angry-he-is-an-animal/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“An angry artist tells people what (he thinks) they need to hear. A hungry artist tells people what (he thinks) they want to hear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/an-angry-artist-tells-people-what-he-thinks-they-need-to-hear-a/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [“The right word at the right time helps you make sense of the world. It helps, but sometimes not a lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lynch/the-right-word-at-the-right-time-helps-you-make-sense-of-the-world-it/) [Chris Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lynch/) > [“An angry enemy is a conquered enemy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-angry-enemy-is-a-conquered-enemy/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“Never be too angry beyond repairs. Anger is nothing good to be part of your tributes. Are you angry with someone? The sun is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/never-be-too-angry-beyond-repairs-anger-is-nothing-good-to-be-part-of/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Men continue to misinterpret the second-rate status of women as implying a privileged status for themselves; heterosexuals think the same way about homosexuals; gentiles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-hansberry/men-continue-to-misinterpret-the-second-rate-status-of-women-as/) [Lorraine Hansberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-hansberry/) > [I want the same standard applied to homosexuals as is applied to heterosexuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/i-want-the-same-standard-applied-to-homosexuals-as-is-applied-to/) [Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/) > [I suspect that some apparently homosexual people are really heterosexuals who deeply phobic about the opposite sex or have other emotional problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-vos-savant/i-suspect-that-some-apparently-homosexual-people-are-really/) [Marilyn vos Savant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-vos-savant/) > [“In the new style, homosexuals and heterosexuals could be equally unhappy, equally happy, and equally screwed up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bram/in-the-new-style-homosexuals-and-heterosexuals-could-be-equally/) [Christopher Bram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bram/) ## More by Michael S. Kimmel > [“So, who are they really, these hundred thousand white supremacists? They're every white guy who believed that this land was his land, made for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-kimmel/so-who-are-they-really-these-hundred-thousand-white-supremacists-they/) [Michael S. Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-kimmel/) > [“Angry white men are on the losing side of history, which is poised to roll over them like a demographic steamroller. Theirs is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-kimmel/angry-white-men-are-on-the-losing-side-of-history-which-is-poised-to/) [Michael S. Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-kimmel/) > [“Take a little thought experiment. Imagine all the rampage school shooters in Littleton, Colorado; Pearl, Mississippi; Paducah, Kentucky; Springfield, Oregon; and Jonesboro, Arkansas; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-kimmel/take-a-little-thought-experiment-imagine-all-the-rampage-school/) [Michael S. Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-kimmel/) > [ “\[G\]reater social equality can accompany, or parallel, shifts in economic distribution. In our case, they run at cross-purposes; in other countries, notably in the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-kimmel/g-reater-social-equality-can-accompany-or-parallel-shifts-in-economic/) [Michael S. Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-kimmel/) [Explore all 5 Michael S. Kimmel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-kimmel/) ## More Angry-white-males quotes > [“Take a little thought experiment. Imagine all the rampage school shooters in Littleton, Colorado; Pearl, Mississippi; Paducah, Kentucky; Springfield, Oregon; and Jonesboro, Arkansas; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-kimmel/take-a-little-thought-experiment-imagine-all-the-rampage-school/) [Michael S. Kimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-kimmel/) [Browse all 2 Angry-white-males quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry-white-males-8616/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To be white, or straight, or male, or middle class is to be simultaneously ubiquitious and invisible. You’re everywhere you look, you’re the standard against which everyone else is measured. You’re like water, like air. People will tell you they went to see a “woman doctor” or they will say they went to see “the doctor.” People will tell you they have a “gay colleague” or they’ll tell you about a colleague. A white person will be happy to tell you about a “Black friend,” but when that same person simply mentions a “friend,” everyone will assume the person is white. Any college course that doesn’t have the word “woman” or “gay” or “minority” in its title is a course about men, heterosexuals, and white people. But we call those courses “literature,” “history” or “political science.” This invisibility is political.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael S. Kimmel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-kimmel/to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middle-class-is-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Angry-white-males" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-kimmel/to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middle-class-is-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/michael-s-kimmel-58334_angry-white-males_to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middl_1153923.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/michael-s-kimmel-58334_angry-white-males_to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middl_1153923.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae8/michael-s-kimmel-58334_angry-white-males_to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middl_1153923.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be white, or straight, or male, or middle class is to be simultaneously ubiquitious and invisible. You’re…” — Michael S. Kimmel", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael S. Kimmel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-kimmel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To be white, or straight, or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-kimmel/to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middle-class-is-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-kimmel/to-be-white-or-straight-or-male-or-middle-class-is-to-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```