Essay talk:Special snowflake
Tokenism merge[edit]
I read the tokenism article before writing this one and I don't think they're the same thing. A special snowflake is a person who holds views that further their own oppression. Tokenism is when you claim that the presence of a special snowflake in your organization means you're not discriminatory or politically biased. They are similar but not the same thing (a special snowflake is a person, tokenism is an act performed by a group).
In other words:
- A black Republican = Special snowflake
- A Republican organization showing that they have some black members = Tokenism
ShadowUltra (talk) 02:39, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- Or, option 1:
- A black Republican = Token
- A Republican organization showing that they have some black members = Tokenism
- Option 2: Merge with false consciousness.
- Also, if the article is not merged, it needs to be renamed to something more relevant or identifiable. Nebuchadnezzar (talk) 02:53, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- Agree, title is shite. Special snowflake is what you call someone who thinks they're unique. CopperheadHisssssss 05:17, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
Delete[edit]
Uncited and largely uncitable neologism. Essay space at best - David Gerard (talk) 08:28, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- I mean, the concept this article describes is fairly common, but I don't think this is the best name for it. I'm sure these types of people can be called "special snowflakes", but that's not their defining quality. It's distinct from tokenism, though a lot of these people are definitely tokens in some form... it's hard to think of a good name. Blue (is useful) 09:37, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- Hence essay-ness. It's not article material as is - David Gerard (talk) 10:45, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- Move to essayspace then? (Sophie at the radio station, where's tilde on this effing Mac?) (ah, there) 109.157.53.135 (talk) 13:10, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- Anyone else concur? - David Gerard (talk) 13:44, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- The only way I can think of this article as relevant is if it was connected to racism or sexism: it's sort of an artifact of not only internalized social mores but a response to them: an attempt at differentiation in a society where being the 'same' is often emphasized. When someone feels the pressure to conform, but knows that not 100 percent of them fits a stereotype, the difference/'abnormality' can be framed as a special quirk or uniqueness rather than a fact of life that everybody is different and we all like different things. But this is only important if that pressure on them is relevant. Many adolescents display the 'special snowflake' behavior because at that period of their life they are CONSTANTLY told to be a certain way and they are constantly having to consume messages that they aren't good enough for whatever reason, thus making 'but I am special!' a defense against it. This kind of behavior creates a conflict between women who play video games, for instance: while women rile against a very sexist game industry, others try and use that sexism to make a little place in the sun, which immediately backfires by nature of the sexist environment. I have heard of versions of this behavior occurring concerning racism, but if that is a story to tell, it's not mine and I'd need to do more research on how it most commonly happens. But if this article can't connect itself to any already-established social forces, then it's essayspace for it.±
KnightOfTL;DRlavishly loquacious 13:48, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- At the risk of sounding like That Person, I'll disagree and say "keep it", as this is a very very common phenomenon. The article already quite clearly illustrates what it has to do with racism, so I'm not sure what the problem there is. Parts of the article might need to be rewritten or expanded (female MRAs are a thing and it's exactly as sad as it sounds), and perhaps the name really is a bit unfortunate, but on the overall, I'd say we need an article on the phenomenon. --Yukabacera (talk) 15:01, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- Then it needs a proper name, not a made-up one. At present it really is just an essay and shouldn't be in mainspace - David Gerard (talk) 15:56, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- I agree that it shouldn't have a made-up name. Also, "Black people who 'act white'?" Good God, how embarrassing. I'm deleting that terrible stereotype. Phiwum (talk) 15:57, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- Yeah, that sorta shit is definitely essay space time. Moved - David Gerard (talk) 17:20, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- I agree that it shouldn't have a made-up name. Also, "Black people who 'act white'?" Good God, how embarrassing. I'm deleting that terrible stereotype. Phiwum (talk) 15:57, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- Then it needs a proper name, not a made-up one. At present it really is just an essay and shouldn't be in mainspace - David Gerard (talk) 15:56, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- At the risk of sounding like That Person, I'll disagree and say "keep it", as this is a very very common phenomenon. The article already quite clearly illustrates what it has to do with racism, so I'm not sure what the problem there is. Parts of the article might need to be rewritten or expanded (female MRAs are a thing and it's exactly as sad as it sounds), and perhaps the name really is a bit unfortunate, but on the overall, I'd say we need an article on the phenomenon. --Yukabacera (talk) 15:01, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- The only way I can think of this article as relevant is if it was connected to racism or sexism: it's sort of an artifact of not only internalized social mores but a response to them: an attempt at differentiation in a society where being the 'same' is often emphasized. When someone feels the pressure to conform, but knows that not 100 percent of them fits a stereotype, the difference/'abnormality' can be framed as a special quirk or uniqueness rather than a fact of life that everybody is different and we all like different things. But this is only important if that pressure on them is relevant. Many adolescents display the 'special snowflake' behavior because at that period of their life they are CONSTANTLY told to be a certain way and they are constantly having to consume messages that they aren't good enough for whatever reason, thus making 'but I am special!' a defense against it. This kind of behavior creates a conflict between women who play video games, for instance: while women rile against a very sexist game industry, others try and use that sexism to make a little place in the sun, which immediately backfires by nature of the sexist environment. I have heard of versions of this behavior occurring concerning racism, but if that is a story to tell, it's not mine and I'd need to do more research on how it most commonly happens. But if this article can't connect itself to any already-established social forces, then it's essayspace for it.±
- Anyone else concur? - David Gerard (talk) 13:44, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- Move to essayspace then? (Sophie at the radio station, where's tilde on this effing Mac?) (ah, there) 109.157.53.135 (talk) 13:10, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
- Hence essay-ness. It's not article material as is - David Gerard (talk) 10:45, 31 January 2013 (UTC)
seems a bit harsh on the people you're labelling, unless I'm missing something.[edit]
Isn't this kind of suggesting one should always shift to another party / sect / church / whatever to better fit in, rather than try to help change what they're in to better it for others? Reminds me of that Catholic priest a while back, while the hierarchy is telling even lapsed members to piss off. Polite Timesplitter come shout at me for being thick 12:09, 5 February 2013 (UTC)
TEH INTERWBEZ haz a slightly different opinion on this matter[edit]
As touched upon in many places above most of the internet does not really concur with this definition. As according to the finest of sources on teh internetz such as urban dictionary:
- <http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Special+Snowflake+Syndrome>
- <http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=special+snowflake>
And Encylclopedia Dramatica:
And TVtropes:
Based on these sources the definition given in the essay is either an incorrect definition or a minority definition. Perhaps it is an older or a derived definition but it should be noted somewhere in this essay that it is not the definition that is used on the vast majority of the web and it should be acknowledged as being such. Furthermore the opposing definition given in the sources cited above give a far more satisfactory origin for the term whereas this essay does no such thing and should elaborate on that point further. Alsto003 (talk) 20:15, 15 February 2015 (UTC) Alex