The idea of advantage has taken on strange and somewhat dark connotations in recent times, as has the idea of feeling privileged. This strikes me as a little odd. As a coach I feel privileged to work with performers who are committed to their craft. I am quick to acknowledge that it is a privilege to coach these individuals and to have them place their faith in my expertise. I feel grateful for my good fortune. I also feel a profound sense of responsibility to hold such a privileged position and a duty to do great work in return. Perhaps we should foster a more healthy attitude towards advantage. By reframing how we think about these things we can perhaps respond in ways that better serve the performer and those supporting them.
A HAPPY ACCIDENT…
Certain advantages are a happy accident of birth and the circumstances we find ourselves in. Due to forces and factors that are beyond the control of the individual they might find themselves with privileged access to resources and opportunities. Of course this is pure luck; the performer themselves was largely incidental to the whole situation.
Humility should therefore be central to how we think about advantages and what feelings we have in response. It is important that we acknowledge our good fortune when we find ourselves in such situations. Both for myself and most people reading this we can be grateful to have been born in a prosperous part of the world and in an era of relative peace and ever-improving living standards. There are other facets to this good fortune and the happy accidents of birth and circumstances for young performers: they were born into a certain body; they were raised in a certain family and social circumstances.
Clearly we don’t have any choice over the circumstances of our birth. Our role in the situation we find ourselves in as kids and the manner in which we are raised is also minimal at best. Much of it we have no direct control over and little to no influence in proceedings. Whether we find ourselves a position of advantage or disadvantage, our power resides in how we appraise our situation and how we respond to it.
CREDIT AND BLAME…
Given the lack of control or influence over proceedings then naturally we should be delighted when it all works out in our favour. If we won the genetic lottery we should be especially stoked! Clearly we cannot claim any credit either - we didn’t choose our parents or the circumstances into which we were born. Once again, humility is the appropriate response - we should acknowledge our good fortune and be grateful for it.
Oddly, rather than humility and gratitude, the default response to any form of privilege in the present moment seems to have become scorn and shame. Aside from being irrational, this is also nonsensical. Just as we cannot claim any credit for our circumstances or privileged access to opportunity due to forces we had no influence over, then it follows that we cannot be blamed for these things!
Yes it is important to acknowledge and recognise all the ways we have been blessed by good fortune. But being made to feel shame for it is ridiculous. Feeling a sense of shame is entirely unjustified and also means that we fail to appreciate the gifts that have been bestowed upon us. Similarly, seeking to deny or even relinquish our privilege to somehow make up for this cosmic offence is also a bizarre and absurd response. It serves everybody better when we recognise these gifts and endeavour to do something useful with them.
Scorn, antipathy and resentment towards others on the basis of their perceived privilege or advantages is equally ridiculous and serves nobody. Hardship is also relative. When feeling aggrieved about our lot relative to those around us, it is worth considering the enormous number of people around the world who would happily switch places with us.
ADVANTAGES MUST BE MANAGED…
Advantageous circumstances and all the comforts these afford can pose their own problems. Paradoxically, privilege and being provided with advantages that are given rather than earned can reduce the impetus to strive. Ready access to the easy option can make us less inclined to do the hard yards that are required to achieve something meaningful in the long-term. Likewise, being untouched by adversity naturally makes us ill-prepared when unforeseen adverse events do occur and less equipped to struggle through hard times.
As we noted earlier, expressing pride for our gifts or displaying arrogance due to our privileged status are equally ridiculous. These things were given, not earned. Bu neither are they something performers should feel they need to apologise for. For the most part, we had very little to do with the advantages that were bestowed upon us or the circumstances we are raised in; these are not things that are within our sphere of influence to any meaningful extent. No apology is called for.
I can recall many instances of physically gifted young humans attempting to shrink themselves and stoop to placate those around them, especially with the Amazonian female performers I have been fortunate to work with. In each instance, my instructions to them were to stand at your full height and let the rest of us gaze up at you! So to those performers who have won the genetic lottery: stand tall and express your gifts to their fullest extent and without apology. Just acknowledge all the ways in which you have been blessed, be grateful for these gifts and your good fortune and recognise the responsibility to use your powers for good.
Coverphoto: Photo by Malik Skydsgaard on Unsplash
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