I don’t like this expression ‘First World problems.’ It is false and it is condescending. Yes, Nigerians struggle with floods or infant mortality. But these same Nigerians also deal with mundane and seemingly luxurious hassles.
Connectivity issues on your BlackBerry, cost of car repair, how to sync your iPad, what brand of noodles to buy: Third World problems. All the silly stuff of life doesn’t disappear just because you’re black and live in a poorer country.
People in the richer nations need a more robust sense of the lives being lived in the darker nations. Here’s a First World problem: the inability to see that others are as fully complex and as keen on technology and pleasure as you are.
Teju Cole
8,103 notes
-
goofnightmoon reblogged this from marissavoir
-
thrumaryseyes reblogged this from hello-existence
-
hello-existence reblogged this from pseudomaladroit
-
kelquistyna reblogged this from chroniclesofaphony
-
strangesortofmelancholy likes this
-
lauren-evenstar reblogged this from chroniclesofaphony
-
bravegirl-eating likes this
-
chroniclesofaphony reblogged this from everythingisacasestudy
-
bijoux-arisu likes this
-
thecaudronofmorning reblogged this from everythingisacasestudy
-
astrostockbroker likes this
-
seguun likes this
-
sleepywanderlust likes this
-
everythingisacasestudy reblogged this from wordsthatididntsay
-
perennialeunoia reblogged this from pugsnpuns
-
just-j-by-j reblogged this from ragstoreverie
-
ragstoreverie reblogged this from blackinasia
-
lezliebe likes this
-
dlwendel likes this
-
kindness330 reblogged this from zingara84
-
exactlythesamebutdifferent likes this
-
sunshineturds reblogged this from marissavoir
-
onlycompletely reblogged this from tearyourcurtainsdown
-
megankrara likes this
-
kryptoncat reblogged this from blackinasia
-
justphotograph reblogged this from marissavoir
-
queerfatty likes this
-
toes-in-the--water reblogged this from akupitiyo
-
grrrltalks reblogged this from dirtgoblin
-
grrrltalks likes this
-
jennaymichelle reblogged this from dirtgoblin
-
adaptivity likes this
-
dirtgoblin reblogged this from theteethbehindkisses
-
zingara84 reblogged this from theteethbehindkisses
-
zingara84 likes this
-
theteethbehindkisses reblogged this from sarahlowe
-
theteethbehindkisses likes this
-
houseparagade reblogged this from ididntchoosethebeardlife
-
alliseeis-up reblogged this from blackinasia
-
byronicbibliophile reblogged this from npr
-
meatrabbit reblogged this from blackinasia
-
culturallyinclined likes this
-
inperpetualbloom reblogged this from madkao
-
cestblitz likes this
-
alexash likes this
-
this-end-up likes this
-
ossifragus reblogged this from slipstreamborne
-
brittanystrained reblogged this from madkao
-
cassandy likes this
-
sanchinto reblogged this from madkao
- Show more notes
