"Everything is meaningless.The world is a joke; there is no justice. Everything is random. There is no grand purpose in the universe. It just is." -Unknown

What is oppression? Ethnicism, sexism, classism, ageism, heterosexism, antisemitism. These persons may experience oppression through maltreatment, persecution, and by being deprived of the same opportunities, benefits, or freedom as others.

The oppressor: An oppressor (surprisingly, is still considered a human being) is a person (s) who mistreats an already oppressed person. They may harass a person (s) by subjecting them through annoying or offensive behavior (e.g., calling the person names, i.e., crazy, paranoid, delusional), screaming at the person (e.g., to provoke a reaction), making fun of the person (s) physical appearance (e.g., hair, height, weight, skin color). If the person tries to defend themselves, they are called hostile (another form of oppression). They may also recruit other person (s) to exploit or systematically harass an already oppressed person (s).

Oppression cooperation:Sometimes, oppressed persons join forces with the oppressor to further perpetrate oppression on a person (s) already oppressed. This could be a joint effort between a low-income white person (oppressed) and the oppressor (rich white person), between a low-income African American woman (oppressed) and a rich white woman (oppressor), or vice versa. These people may come together as a group to accuse the already oppressed person (s) of wrongdoing so that the perception or actions of the oppressor could be justified.

Why do some oppressed persons engage in oppressing others? Some may engage in such behavior due to poor self-esteem (wanting to belong), financial gains (being paid), or ignorance (we are not the same). Other times, the oppressed person engaging in the oppression may not identify as an oppressed person for the following reasons:

• I belong to a different race or ethnicity group

• My skin tone is lighter

• I think better

• I am in a better position

• I work harder

• I make more money

Overcoming Oppression: It is important to remind yourself during these experiences that one is not responsible for the perceptions or actions of others. What a person (s) says or does is not one's concern—practice self-care. Read empowering books, write about your experience, listen to music and exercise. Do things that you enjoy and find ways to ignore the noises. There will be times when one will be provoked, and the way to address this is to disengage. They will try to deny your reality. Know who you are and remind yourself of it every day. Do not let them define you.

Observe those persons' behavior and pity them. Be proud of yourself for not being like them (the oppressor or the oppressed collaborating with the oppressor). Being honest and having strong morals is most admirable (e.g., not compromising yourself for money or titles).

- Proteawell