I am a voracious reader. I love learning new things. I value making life more equitable for as many people as possible. As I was scrolling through LinkedIn, I learned a new thing about equity in this article.
I learned a term I had never heard of – “Higher-Income Solipsism Syndrome (HISS)” – a “pervasive phenomenon” in the nonprofit world. The author goes on to say “this is when people who are more financial secure, through a lack of awareness brought on by their privilege, create and endorse philosophies and actions that negatively affect people who are less financially secure.”
As I work as a consultant for various nonprofits, here are four tips from the article I’ll share with the leaders:
- Assess how your privileges are affecting your positions
- Notice if people who agree with you are in similar economic situations as you.
- Scan to see what voices are missing and why
- Take the perspective of someone who doesn’t have your privileges
I appreciate that I work with clients who are as open to learning as I.
And to you gentle reader, I hope you appreciate learning something new as well.