The Privilege of Being Heard

One of Sor Juana's most bitter realizations was that even her brilliance could not guarantee her voice would be heard or valued. Yet she also recognized that some people's words travel further, reach more ears, and carry more institutional weight—not because they speak better but because of who they are. This is the privilege of being heard. When you acknowledge this privilege, you recognize that your platform, your audience's willingness to listen, and your words' ability to circulate may depend on factors beyond merit. Sor Juana teaches that those with this privilege have a specific responsibility: to use their hearing-privilege to amplify voices systematically excluded from attention. This isn't guilt but recognition. The framework asks: who listens to you, why, and what will you do with that privilege of audibility?