The System Is Rigged Against You
For most of my life, the systems around me have worked in my favor. I’m a white dude in Europe working in tech — what a huge amount of privilege. I’m aware of it, and I try to help others, but that’s out of moral duty, not because it truly impacts me. Even things like being an immigrant, or still working on speaking the primary language, are made easier by my intersectional privilege.
But in the last year, for the first time, I’ve really understood through lived experience what it means to navigate a system rigged against you. It’s not just exhausting—it’s relentless. The challenges don’t pause for you to catch your breath. Even when you do everything “right,” it can feel like you’re always on the back foot, always needing to defend yourself, always waiting for the next thing. It’s a constant, grinding pressure that wears you down.
What I’ve also observed, working through a number of issues, is that these challenges show up in two ways: in formal (sometimes legal) contexts, and in informal spaces where people make assumptions or don’t validate what they’re told, even when it would be natural to do so. Maybe the point of this post is simply to recognize that before this last year, I tried to build inclusive systems without really, truly understanding why. Now I do. And if it’s this hard for me, with so many cards stacked in my favor, I cannot even begin to imagine what it’s like when you don’t.
Through all of this, I’m deeply grateful for the friends, family, and professionals who have shown up for me—whether with practical help, a listening ear, or just a reminder that I’m not alone. Your support has made a real difference, and I don’t take it for granted.
I’ll continue to do what I did, but now with a renewed sense of humility, empathy, and solidarity. If you’re fighting your own battle and the odds feel stacked against you, I see you. I hope I can show up better for others, and for myself, as I keep moving forward.