The Privilege of Capability

Throughout my life, I have woken up every morning with endless privilege, and I still am incapable of completely understanding or appreciating it. What the privilege boils down to, I have come to realize, is capability. We are not all capable in every way, but all of us are capable in many ways. This blog post will explore my thoughts on the privilege of capability.

In December of 2023, just a couple weeks before I was set to move to Australia, I tore my ACL, MCL and meniscus while skiing. I once thought of my body as indestructible, and it had now exploded on me. In an instant my purpose in life was to heal. During that time, I spent 5 weeks unable to put my leg down. With this, I was unable to carry anything larger than a water bottle, I was unable to move more than a few hundred feet on crutches without needing a break, I was unable to retrieve groceries for myself (thank god for my mom). I felt helpless. But beneath all of this incapability, I was missing the fact that I had the capability to heal. 

Since this experience, I have come to the realization that capability is my greatest privilege. I don’t mean privilege in the usual sense - not money or status - but in the simple privilege of being able to move, speak, connect and create. Utilizing the privilege of capability, I began to work hard to heal myself. If I was capable of coming back, why would I not work my hardest to be the strongest version of myself that I had the possibility to be? Less than a year later, I ran my first half marathon. What a privilege, I had finally realized, to be able to run on two legs. What a privilege it was to be able to move.

We tend to recognize our privilege of capability only in moments of comparison. When we see an individual who doesn’t have what we have. But what if we recognized our capabilities and appreciated them without comparison? Where we recognize what we are capable of doing and take advantage of them. Because if we are capable of doing something, then why not do it? That’s the type of life I would like to live. 

Something that amazes me is the limitations that the greater human population put upon themselves. Every individual is given their own capabilities from birth. And unfortunately, some people are physically incapable of achieving parts of life. But throughout our short time on this planet, people decide that they ‘can’t’ do things, when in reality, there is nothing stopping them. There are always going to be excuses. Admitting to yourself that you actually can do something is the first step of taking advantage of your capability. 

Whether it is the capability to heal, to book a flight, to speak to a stranger, to learn a new hobby or sport, or to climb a mountain, acknowledge your potential. There is certainly no time to waste!

The next time you tell yourself that you can’t do something, I challenge you to ask yourself, “why not?” In the minuscule chance that you really are unable to do something, then fine. But if you are capable of moving, connecting, speaking, creating, thinking, then I will bet that you can.  

October 22, 2025 - Written by Maddy Dunn