{"id":367,"date":"2024-05-14T17:17:45","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T17:17:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silviamanduchi.com\/groups-belonging-privilege\/"},"modified":"2025-02-22T11:06:44","modified_gmt":"2025-02-22T11:06:44","slug":"groups-belonging-privilege","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silviamanduchi.com\/en\/groups-belonging-privilege\/","title":{"rendered":"Groups, Belonging, Privilege"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last time in my newsletter, I mentioned that I would talk about privilege. It\u2019s a complicated topic, but I\u2019ll try. <\/span><\/p>\n

Privilege is invisible, yet tangible and deeply rooted. It is also open to interpretation. <\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the negative of the film roll: all it takes to belong to a <\/span>cultural elite<\/b> is to define oneself as an intellectual and despise money (at least outwardly). To be part of an <\/span>entrepreneurial elite<\/b>, all it takes is to be a founder who has raised capital. Sometimes, it is simply about <\/span>being born in a certain family, in a certain place<\/b>. At the same time, not belonging to something is enough to feel excluded from it.<\/span><\/p>\n

While studying populist movements, I realized that <\/span>resentment toward groups we don\u2019t belong to often distorts the concept of privilege<\/b>. Instead of recognizing privilege as a form of <\/span>responsibility within one\u2019s group<\/b>, it becomes a target for frustration. This is not to say that elites don\u2019t exist, or that they don\u2019t systematically exclude certain groups\u2014of course they do, and in some cases, the consequences are severe. But if we go to the <\/span>root of the issue<\/b>, the real trigger is not classism\u2014because classism is a form of <\/span>prejudice<\/b>. The real issue is <\/span>unawareness and the lack of communication between groups<\/b>, which is simply the other side of classism.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those who lash out against privilege are often unaware of their own. The very idea of privilege is <\/span>intertwined with group dynamics and belonging<\/b>, and once you start seeing and acknowledging it, you can <\/span>expand its meaning<\/b>. If we allow space for this awareness, we begin to uncover fascinating insights\u2014but it requires <\/span>dialogue and attention<\/b> (which, as Simone Weil said, is the rarest form of generosity).<\/span><\/p>\n

Often, when privilege is framed as inherently negative, it stems from <\/span>a lack of recognition of advantages others may have<\/b>\u2014which is <\/span>closely tied to envy<\/b>. The feeling that others should not have what we don\u2019t. Envy is a complex social phenomenon, and for those interested, I highly recommend the book <\/span>Cinderella and Her Sisters<\/span><\/i>, which challenges many simplistic perceptions. Scratching beneath the surface of our biases, our views on privilege, and even envy itself, is a valuable exercise. And the good news is\u2014there is something worth discovering down there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Humans are constantly redefining <\/span>rules and languages<\/b> to incorporate outsiders into existing groups, or to <\/span>form new groups altogether<\/b>. Every group, in doing so, creates its own <\/span>rules of engagement<\/b>, determining who can participate and under what conditions. These rules, in turn, serve to justify <\/span>the group\u2019s ambitions and interests<\/b>, while simultaneously exposing it to the ambitions and interests of others\u2014sometimes in opposition (competition), sometimes in alignment (alliance), and often somewhere in between.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take meritocracy, for example. It is one of these \u201crules of the game\u201d used to determine membership in an <\/span>educational elite<\/b>. But as <\/span>Michael Sandel<\/b> points out in <\/span>The Tyranny of Merit<\/span><\/i>, we should be cautious about assuming meritocracy is inherently good.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, returning to the initial question\u2014if privilege is so obvious, why is it also so invisible? What is the <\/span>brighter side<\/b> of the negative of the film roll that we are still not seeing?<\/span><\/p>\n

I believe the other side of privilege is <\/span>belonging<\/b>\u2014and this is particularly relevant in <\/span>venture capital<\/b>, which, given its nature, has immense <\/span>cultural potential<\/b> for expansion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Belonging helps us understand <\/span>how complex human groups function<\/b>\u2014but we must be willing to engage with it. To grasp <\/span>what belonging means<\/b>, try looking at one of your own groups and identifying <\/span>what deeply connects you to it<\/b>. Sometimes, <\/span>explicitly recognizing your own sense of belonging<\/b> allows you to evolve it. These constellations of relationships <\/span>shape us and determine how we move through the world<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a simple exercise:<\/span><\/p>\n