"Snowflake" rage

[hter]

As in, "delicate little snowflake".

... I think this is one of the most loathsomely trite putdowns with no compassion behind it. It instantly makes me think the speaker is a sneery, nasty person.

Anyone else feel the fury when they see someone writing this?!

YABU. It's no better or worse than any word that used pejoratively. Unless you actually think we should to suppress our feelings and describe everyone as "nice", even on an anonymous forum...

Is it meant to convey an overall disdain for compassion, analysis, humanity and - god forbid - anything feminine?

As I understand it, it is mocking people who think they are special - you know, because every snowflake is different - and are much invested in their identity.

But that's unfair to snowflakes, I mean, real snowflakes know that they can only be strong together. Or, well, at least they do take action as a class, like causing avalanches, even though they might have no class analysis.

Is it really used the way you describe? Never read it that way ... but then, I only hang out on feminist blogs, so I could have missed quite a lot of shit said by English speaking politicians.

Oh it has multiple purposes MsAmerica.
Don't like a kind of food? Snowflake
Don't like a type of activity? Snowflake
Don't like something I do? Snowflake.
Disagree with me in any way? Snowflake

Don't suppress your feelings coconutella. Describe them better, with better words! (It's Mumsnet. Call a cunt a cunt and all that.)

And thank you kindly Vestal, on behalf of all snowflake lovers everywhere

Some people do just need to stop being so self absorbed and delicate and just get the fuck on with things though. I do occasionally worry about how 'sensitive' society seems to have become. So many things are other people's fault or unfair, and there is so much whinging and not enough just getting the fuck on with things and taking action to make things better.

I am guilty of all of the above and get just as pissed off with myself when I'm like this, so it's only fair that I get just as annoyed with others when they display these qualities

If the cap fits, wear it. Snowflake perfectly describes some people and I doubt someone using it has compassion in mind when doing so.

As I understand it, it is mocking people who think they are special - you know, because every snowflake is different - and are much invested in their identity.

I think it's to do with feeling special leading to being delicate and unable to deal with any criticism or things that don't go your way.

It's from Fight Club. "You are not a unique and beautiful snowflake."

It's the consequence of the tell every child they are special and unique mantra that's been on the go for the last twenty years. Sure we all have our good points, but at the end of the day a functioning society needs us to be cogs on a wheel, we can't all be the ballerinas on top of the music box.

'You are not special. You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.'

It originated from Chuck Paluhniak's Fight Club.

I think in some cases, the term is justified. However, I also agree that it's become overused.

I'd never heard the term until I came on MN, I thought it was specific to here.

http://m.washingtontimes.com/

Here you go. In CP's own words.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/news/fight-club-writer-takes-credit-snowflake-term-968267

Don't think the other one worked properly. Try this one.

Sometimes people ARE snowflakes though.

I hate it too. It's become such a horrible putdown. I find its typically used by baby boomer Brexiteers of silencing younger people when they raise legitimate concerns about the housing crisis, being saddled with eye-watering university fees or how exactly leaving the EU is going to work.
As in - The younger generation are such snowflakes, whinging about having to rent a one bedroom flat in their late 30s, they don't know the meaning or hard work and saving like we did. We didn't leave the house/have mobile phones/go abroad (delete as appropriate) and that's why we deserve to make a staggering profit for the enormous house we bought with the wages of one earner and the help of government tax breaks back in 1982..

It's a lazy way to try and put down someone instead of engaging in any kind of logical argument.

On much of social media it's used by 'SJW haters' who don't have the slightest understanding of the nuances of any of the issues they deem to be 'social justice'.

to silence not of silencing!

It does annoy me how every kid now is so special and unique and should follow their dreams.

It gives totally unrealistic expectations of reality. Have an admin assistant who this term aptly describes. She has an excuse for EVERYTHING. Its as if just getting on with something would be boring.

As I understand it, it is mocking people who think they are special - you know, because every snowflake is different - and are much invested in their identity.

This is interesting. I've seen it quite a bit on here as a parenting-related criticism (your kid is not a special snowflake, etc), but I've mostly seen it used by right-wingers as an insult to people who are offended by something they've deemed a non-issue, usually racism or misogyny related. Taken from the same sort of vocab pool as the terms 'professionally offended', 'PC brigade' and 'throwing their dummies out the pram'.

YANBU. My dd is my snowflake. I'd stand up and fight a 10 ft beast to keep her safe. Its an animal instinct.
I have no problems with saying that at all.

I think it's overused but in some cases it is certainly an appropriate term.

Agreed. Sometimes it is deserved and accurate.

Meh, I think it pretty much sums up a whole group of people to be honest

I think it's a reasonable word for somebody who thinks thinks the rules don't apply to them and who thinks that they deserve special treatment for no good reason. Like any insult, it's not always going to be used in a fair or justifiable way, and people will disagree about who (if anyone) merits it.

Google the 1970s, Guinea. I was there then, and it wasn't as cushy and feather-bedded as you have convinced yourself think. It has taken 50 years and massive inflation for those people to find themselves "wealthy". Very very soon many of them will be using the equity they have built up through a life's work to pay strangers to wipe their bottoms. Money is always easier to spend than to accumulate.

I think it's a reasonable word for somebody who thinks thinks the rules don't apply to them and who thinks that they deserve special treatment for no good reason

This^^ is exactly what I think of when I hear the term. Thank you for articulating it so well for me!

A bit off the point, I concede, but as one of the tail end of the baby boom generation, I am regularly angered by the venom of the millennials towards their grandparents and parents. You want Jeremy Corbyn: take him, and welcome. You will regret the day you heard his snake song. Just one word. Venezuela.