Feminists

I think that if a marginalized member of a group was telling me repeatedly that I wasn't getting something, even if I thought that I was, I would listen harder.

If who I consider myself to be doesn't match up with someone else's assessment of me, who's responsibility is it to reflect harder on the exchange? I might think I'm understanding and listening, but someone says "No, you're not understanding" and they are speaking from a perspective that I will never experience. It *isn't* balanced, and it won't be, because I have more privilege than the person telling me that I'm messing up. How can it be even when I have more power?

The more "isms" a person has doesn't give them cart blanche, of course not. But I think it gives we who don't share the "isms" a greater load or responsibility to try to take a step back and look at the situation, even if we feel offended at first. That's all I'm trying to say.