Question

Describe how the context of our lives (our social location, time of birth, gender, race, social status, and other personal factors) might influence the way we approach a spiritual quest. In other words, discuss how the particularities of our lives make it impossible for us to speak for ALL PEOPLE. How does our own biographical history limit our abilities to represent all of humanity?

Answer 1

We all relate to the things that are known to us and we all represent things that we have gone through. However, in this large world with diverse races, beliefs, statuses, etc. no one person belonging from one particular strata can represent another person belonging to a different strata. For example: Consider a person born in a poor country, who is a black woman, poor and born in 1960s. Consider another person- rich white male, elite, born in a developed nation in 1990s. The fundamental changes in the particulars of a person decide the quality of life they lead. The first woman mentioned, would have had to undergo suppression by males, domestic violence, abuse in the society, while the latter man mentioned would have had all the riches, pampered, revered in the society. He might not even consider the sufferings of the former woman if he were to represent humanity. The difference also depends on orthodoxy. It is pretty much impossible for us to speak for all people as we are not even aware of the real problems in others' lives.