The Definition of a Snowflake

[MrWonka]

The word snowflake has been getting thrown around a lot over the last few years. Typically towards liberals, but what is it really? What is the difference between someone who has a legitimate reason to be angry or offended versus someone who is a snowflake?

The answer is that it depends on whether someone is trying to take you down a notch or stomp you into the ground. Its the difference between knocking you off your high horse and kicking you when you're already down.

A snowflake is someone who believes that they are special. That they are better than other people and as a result gets offended when you point out that they are no better than anybody else. Let's use a grading system to make things simpler.
In the mind of the snowflake, they believe that they are an A+, and you're pointing out that they're actually a B or a C. You're telling them that what they consider to be some kind of special achievement is nothing more than par for the course.
But when you try to tell someone they are a Failure despite the fact that they've done nothing wrong and are not better or worse than anyone else, that person has a right to be bothered by that. In that case, you are the one denigrating them
by acting as if you are superior to them. In the initial situation, you were not denigrating them, you were simply refusing to acknowledge their superiority or their achievement.

Take parents with children who get bothered when people say they don't want kids or aren't having them. In the mind of the parents, they see their family as some kind of achievement that everyone should be trying to achieve and you should be jealous of them.
When you say you don't want kids and aren't having them they're insulted that you're not impressed by what they consider their greatest achievement. It's like they told you they won the super bowl and you're acting like they got third place in a sack race.
The couple without kids is simply making a different choice. They're not looking down on the couple with kids they're just not validating their achievement.

So let's look at some political situations and try to see who is the snowflake:

Straight White Christians vs Everybody else: Who in this situation do you think generally considers themselves to be superior versus who just wants to be treated like everyone else?
Do the straight white Christians think they're the top of the food chain, or does everyone else think they are better than they are?

Does a gay couple believe they are better than a straight couple or the same?
Does the straight white Christian couple think they're better than a gay one or the same?

Is it men who tend to think being a man is better or is it women who want you to think their womanhood makes them superior in some way?

 

[Casper]

 

[Chomsky]

The word snowflake has been getting thrown around a lot over the last few years. Typically towards liberals, but what is it really? What is the difference between someone who has a legitimate reason to be angry or offended versus someone who is a snowflake?

The answer is that it depends on whether someone is trying to take you down a notch or stomp you into the ground. Its the difference between knocking you off your high horse and kicking you when you're already down.

A snowflake is someone who believes that they are special. That they are better than other people and as a result gets offended when you point out that they are no better than anybody else. Let's use a grading system to make things simpler.
In the mind of the snowflake, they believe that they are an A+, and you're pointing out that they're actually a B or a C. You're telling them that what they consider to be some kind of special achievement is nothing more than par for the course.
But when you try to tell someone they are a Failure despite the fact that they've done nothing wrong and are not better or worse than anyone else, that person has a right to be bothered by that. In that case, you are the one denigrating them
by acting as if you are superior to them. In the initial situation, you were not denigrating them, you were simply refusing to acknowledge their superiority or their achievement.

Take parents with children who get bothered when people say they don't want kids or aren't having them. In the mind of the parents, they see their family as some kind of achievement that everyone should be trying to achieve and you should be jealous of them.
When you say you don't want kids and aren't having them they're insulted that you're not impressed by what they consider their greatest achievement. It's like they told you they won the super bowl and you're acting like they got third place in a sack race.
The couple without kids is simply making a different choice. They're not looking down on the couple with kids they're just not validating their achievement.

So let's look at some political situations and try to see who is the snowflake:

Straight White Christians vs Everybody else: Who in this situation do you think generally considers themselves to be superior versus who just wants to be treated like everyone else?
Do the straight white Christians think they're the top of the food chain, or does everyone else think they are better than they are?

Does a gay couple believe they are better than a straight couple or the same?
Does the straight white Christian couple think they're better than a gay one or the same?

Is it men who tend to think being a man is better or is it women who want you to think their womanhood makes them superior in some way?

'Snowflake' is a term used in projection upon others, by those that are devoid of substantive argument in the given subject matter.

 

[MrWonka]

'Snowflake' is a term used in projection upon others, by those that are devoid of substantive argument in the given subject matter.

But clearly there is a line where and inability to accept legitimate criticism or an elevation of non-criticism to an offense does dinge the character of the person being offended. There is also a line between legitimate criticism and just being a bully. The goal here is to establish objective measures to determine which side of those lines you are on.

In comedy, the saying goes that you should always punch up, never down. That comedy is a way of holding the powerful accountable and preventing them from getting too full of themselves. Whereas if you're making fun of someone who is already marginalized or weak you are just a bully who is tearing down an easy target in order to promote yourself.

 

[Chomsky]

But clearly there is a line where and inability to accept legitimate criticism or an elevation of non-criticism to an offense does dinge the character of the person being offended. There is also a line between legitimate criticism and just being a bully. The goal here is to establish objective measures to determine which side of those lines you are on.

Then you're attempting to objectively quantify a subjective quality. Good luck with that - though I admire your effort.

In comedy, the saying goes that you should always punch up, never down. That comedy is a way of holding the powerful accountable and preventing them from getting too full of themselves. Whereas if you're making fun of someone who is already marginalized or weak you are just a bully who is tearing down an easy target in order to promote yourself.

Maybe. But in terms of debate, when you resort to ad hominems or derogatory speech it generally signifies a losing position.

 

[MrWonka]

Then you're attempting to objectively quantify a subjective quality.

False. The amount of relative power that a person or group has can be quantified in an objective way. Criticisms can be rated as legitimate or not. That's what Fallacies are all about. Bigotry for example is a fallacious line of reasoning. It is a hasty generalization that can be proven invalid by counterexample.

Maybe. But in terms of debate, when you resort to ad hominems or derogatory speech it generally signifies a losing position.

The fact that you can even classify something as a "losing" position indicates that it is possible to legitimately rate positions in terms of their value and therefore establish who is right and wrong in an objective way.

Or in one of the examples above like gay marriage. Clearly a gay couple is not forming a negative judgement about a straight couple as if there is something wrong with them for being straight. But a straight Christian couple who objects to gay marriage is in fact forming a negative judgment about gay couples.
Clearly gay people are an extreme minority, and clearly there is nothing about a gay couple marrying that injures a straight couple in any way.

We can therefore objectively say that people who take issue with gay marriage are getting very worked up over something that has no impact on their lives. They are elevating a non-offense to an offense because they consider their union to be some type of ideal achievement that everyone should be striving for.
They are complaining that their life choice or achievement is being put on par with one they don't like. That is an objective fact.

 

[Crosscheck]

View attachment 67295410

Or as Melania used to say "If I only had a nickel every time I seen that face in my bed".

 

[Grandpappy]

The whole "snowflake" thing really triggers liberals. I don't completely understand why. Just because you see a red cap with writing on it is no reason to hide under the stairs...

 

[Casper]

Or as Melania used to say "If I only had a nickel every time I seen that face in my bed".

Melania is going to get a whole lot of nickels when she files for divorce from the fat man, a good lawyer can deal with any prenup she may have signed, any husband that messes around on their pregnant wife is not going to do good in a court of law. Plus think about what she can make if she writes a Book.:mrgreen:

 

[Casper]

The whole "snowflake" thing really triggers liberals. I don't completely understand why. Just because you see a red cap with writing on it is no reason to hide under the stairs...

Never triggered me, and since now we all know who the real snowflakes are, cons, the term has lost most of it's meaning. Put on your masks snowflakes.....:lamo