A brief history of ‘lived experience’

All experiences are lived, of course, but it seems some experiences are more ‘lived’ than others. Truth has become a moveable feast. This may seem like a contradiction. But this is where we find ourselves.

How you define the notion of truthfulness is yet another signifier of where you stand in the increasingly wearisome culture war. Whether you see the subjectivity of lived experience as a progressive force for good or just another postmodern mash-up will depend on your age and political persuasion.

Those who view experience through the lens of victimhood – mostly the activist young – tend to see objectivity as a tool of oppression.  In an article on the Everyday Feminism website entitled 4 Reasons Demanding ‘Objectivity’ in Social Justice Debates Can Be Oppressive, the author even goes so far as to assert that: ‘Objectivity is often a sign of privilege and distance, not expertise.’ Those interested in the facts are simply trying to undermine the voice of the victim and their right to be heard.