Oluo argues that one way to work through the discomfort of facing one’s own prejudice is to recognize that privilege is unfair, but it’s also power. The most ethical thing that a person can do with that power is to use it to seek change—they can call out problems and try to change the system so that power is more equally distributed in the future. It’s thus important for
everyone to check their privilege—not to punish themselves or feel guilty for having an unfair advantage, but to help identify areas where they are in a position of power and are therefore able to recognize future power imbalances and fight oppression. Oluo’s advice to make a list also stresses that people are privileged for many different reasons, which all need to be addressed to fully eliminate power imbalances in society.