Perhaps one of the most overlooked privileges is not wealth itself, but having enough margin in your life to respond to reality. Over the last few years, we have become fluent in the language of privilege, speaking easily about financial privilege, pretty privilege, racial privilege, passport privilege, educational privilege and social privilege, and in doing so we have become increasingly aware that people do not all start from the same place and that some doors open more easily for some than for others. Yet there is one form of privilege that seems to receive far less attention, and that is the privilege of being able to do something with the information you have, not simply knowing, but acting, because the truth is that information alone changes very little. We like to imagine that if people only knew better, they would do better, and entire industries are built around this assumption, from self-help books and documentaries to podcasts, awareness campaigns, public health initiative...
There was a time when human life unfolded in quiet rhythms — milestones marked by intimacy, community, and modesty. A wedding was about two families uniting, a birthday meant cake and laughter, a funeral meant gathering to console and honor. Today, nearly every aspect of life has become commercialized, commodified , and packaged as a product. The question is: How did we get here, and what has this gradual shift done to us as individuals and as a society? A Brief History: From Simplicity to Spectacle The commercialization of life didn’t happen overnight. In the early 20th century, advertising was simple — selling soap, cigarettes, or clothes. But as marketing grew more sophisticated, it shifted from selling products to selling dreams . You weren’t just buying a ring — you were buying love. You weren’t just buying a car — you were buying status. By the 1980s and 90s, globalization and media pushed this even further. Imported images of “ideal weddings,” “dream homes,” and “perfect li...