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You weren't talking about thwarted career aspirations. You were talking about not being able to behave as you wish solely because of society's judgment.
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Society includes economic reality. Society also judges the homeless quite harshly.
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That you never even have to consider how violence from others, most especially the police and other men, might also influence how you behave is very much a privilege.
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I've seen the justice system grind people to shreds. I've also been physically chased by cops.
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Why do you need to deny that?
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Because it's silly. Endless numbers of people are privileged above, or underprivileged in relation to, endless other numbers of people when you account for the near endless ways in which privilege can be measured. And who gets to determine what measures we use: Someone pretty privileged. Because deciding the criteria of measurement imparts a hell of a lot of power, which = A hell of a lot of privilege.
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I do not believe that you bite your lip over this (in part because I wouldn't, while still seeking to be respectful). Yes, being safe to say that is a privilege.
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Read Twain's
The Privilege of the Grave. Speak your mind on religion and politics = Lose business. But you're right... In personal conversations, where I don't need to get something from the person, I'll say what I think.
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Btw, where the heck are you spending your time that you can't politely say that? The more we talk, the more I get the sense that you're stuck in a suburban hell hole. Get thee to the city, man. Or at least a better suburb.
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Atheism is a third rail in the most surprising of places.
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No, you should do what works for you. Jesus, you think I'm going to scold anyone for the use of mind-altering substances?
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Not you, but many people would call that "immature."
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But maturity is not doing what you want to do because (1) you realize that your words and actions affect other people and (2) you don't want to harm others. Notice how "being held down by societal pressures" isn't in there. Also notice that when that's the case, you don't really want to do those things.
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Most people refrain from those things based on a cost/benefit analysis. Sorry, but that's humanity. And what you've described is not maturity. What you've described is being empathetic. Those are two very different things. Naivete and empathy run together a lot.
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Everyone, except you, apparently, is constrained by empathy and consequences for self and others, which can include opprobrium. You said you're only constrained by opprobrium.
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No. I paraphrased you saying that men are only constrained by opprobrium. I am strongly repulsed by actions which hurt others. But people generally, including me, can and frequently do decide to hurt others anyway, because the desire to do something you like is greater than the concern for hurting others (or they think they can get away with it).
