LibraryScenariosHow to process guilt about historical privilege
Scenario

How to process guilt about historical privilege

I volunteer at a refugee resettlement agency and meet people fleeing wars and persecution and I go home to my comfortable life and feel guilty and confused about random suffering.

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More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

Direct contact with others' trauma can trigger identification with either guilt or gratitude, both of which can distance one from genuine presence and appropriate response.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Philosophy of history?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.