It's said that each snowflake is unique. In fact my research says the same thing:
" Are all snowflakes unique? The short answer is, yes, because each ice crystal has a unique path to the ground. They will float through different clouds of different temperatures and different levels of moisture, which means the ice crystal will grow in a unique way." --------------Article by Dickerson County Conservation Board
In today's culture the term "snowflake" is being given an very derogatory slang terminology to mean that someone believes they are special or unique and often sensitive to counter-arguments.
I hate culture.
Well...hate is a strong term. I despise that people refuse to acknowledge the uniqueness in each and everyone one of the people you encounter on a daily basis. Does this mean that they deserve unwarranted special treatment? Of course not, but many times I see and hear about people having unresolved problems with family members and peers because they lack the ability to see them as unique. Any one in the military can attest that two men can have the same exact military experiences but come out of it two radically different ways.
For example: Sandy works in a small company building with twelve other individuals. The people in her building often goes to lunch together on Fridays. Sandy doesn't enjoy going with the group because she is vegan and finds that the group as a whole doesn't accommodate her food preferences. She's heard rumors that she's being called a "snowflake" and not a team player. She loves her job and the company but fears she may lose opportunities to grow in the company because of the lack of comrade. What's a girl to do?
One of many possible solutions is for Sandy to recognize that her vegan status is special. According to Forbes.com less than 3% of U.S. populations in 2018 were strict vegans. Having this eating preference isn't going to allow her to feel comfortable at steak restaurants with her coworkers. But if comrade is what she is after she will need to make a more strategic method of building rapport with her teammates. This may mean being the lead on team building activities like coordinating "Secret Santa" or "Biggest Loser" games in the office. This can also be Sandy making efforts to join projects with team members she's not close to in order to gain relationship.
Sandy is a simple problem but one that is so often a hindrance to us in various areas of our lives. Replace vegan and coworkers with:
* religious preferences and family members
* alcohol consumption and hostile co-parents
* blue collar worker and rent housing managers
Now you can began to see how special circumstances and who we are can change how we are perceived and those prejudices can have harmful affects on our lives.
I cannot give you a band-aid solution for all issues that affect our culture, environment and economy but I do want is for people to start embracing our special sense of who we are without demoralizing others for having their own brand of specials.
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