Resistance to Emotionality and Taking Risk
The following are some ways that we resist feeling emotion and taking risk
when talking about identity, power, privilege, oppression and discrimination
 MINIMIZE EXTENT OR EFFECT THAT OUR IDENTITY HAS ON HOW
WE ARE PERCEIVED BY OTHERS
 AVOID TALKING ABOUT OUR IDENTITIES OR THE IDENTITIES OF
OTHERS
 OVER CAUTIOUS WHEN TALKING ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCES
 HIDING THE EMOTIONS THAT WE ARE FEELING IN RESPONSE TO
OUR EXPERIENCES, WHETHER THAT IS HURT, ANGER, PAIN,
SADNESS, NAIVETE.
 CALL IT SOMETHING ELSE…OR RATIONALIZE OUR EXPERIENCES….
 I’M SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT IT, SO I DO NOT DEAL WITH
THE EMOTION THAT IT BRINGS UP.
 I DO NOT SAY WHAT I AM REALLY FEELING BECAUSE I DO NOT
WANT TO OFFEND SOMEONE OR SEEM IGNORANT.
 IT HURTS TOO MUCH TO DEAL WITH IDENTITY AND SYSTEMS OF
OPPRESSIONS; THEREFORE I WILL IGNORE MY EXPERIENCES OR THE
EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS.
 I AM CAREFUL OF WHAT I SAY BECAUSE I WANT WHAT I SAY TO BE
RIGHT, OR TO SOUND IMPRESSIVE
 I AM AFRAID OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I TALK HONESTLY, I DO NOT
FEEL THAT THIS ENVIRONMENT IS SAFE
Adapted from: Johnson, Allan G. (2006). Privilege, Power and Difference 2nd Edition .
New York, NY: The mcgraw-Hill Companies, Inc. And provided by The Program on
Intergroup Relations, The University of Michigan