You will be happy to know that the Harvard Profession who inspired this story has since issued an apology. I think my New Year's Resolution should be not to recognize my problems as first world problems before I get all bent out of shape.
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4 comments:
do you mean "to recognize my problems as first world problems" rather than with the "not"?
Would a judge dismissing your problem as a first-world problem be a first-world problem?
I've had a thousand dollars stolen from me, but I shouldn't get upset because it's a first-world problem.
For some reason this "it's a first-world problem" business reminds me of "I was sad that I had no shoes until I met a man without feet."
Trouble is, do you have no shoes because your region is under supplied with shoes and they are therefore beyond your means to purchase, or were your shoes stolen in a region where shoes are cheap and plentiful? How long did you have to save to buy these shoes?
Did the man have no feet because he kicked one of the toe triggered mines littered about Afghanistan? Was this injury inflicted by an IED while he was traveling in a military convoy? Has he thought to avail himself of the wonderful prosthetics now available?
To me bitching about being overcharged $4 on your Chinese food take-out is a First World problem. It's right up there with having to ask for the Wi-Fi password at a coffeeshop, or comparing prices for getting your car detailed.
My problem with using the term First World problem is that some of these problems are real. They are real because this First World problem prevents you from fulfilling a responsibility presented by living in a First World country.
What people really mean most of the time when they say this is, "I believe I know your life circumstances and I consider your problem trivial."
It would probably be fair to say that the three situations you mention are trivial problems. You could also say number 1 is not a problem at all just about anywhere in the world, number 2 is not a problem but a suggestion to the coffee shop on how to handle things might be helpful, and number 3 is just how you do things everywhere you can shop around for the best price.
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