If You Aren't a Snowflake, What are You?
The term "Snowflake" appears to be used to describe anyone who advocates care and mercy for those unlike themselves, especially the disadvantaged and minorities. I've been looking around for a term for those on the other side of the fence, who dish out this term willy-nilly, and I think "Hailstone" is appropriate.
Hailstones are ugly, cause pain and are generally useless. Why can't they behave like rain, which isn't half as bad. The contrast between Snowflakes and Hailstones is like that between bees and wasps.
What does the team think?
Hailstones are ugly, cause pain and are generally useless. Why can't they behave like rain, which isn't half as bad. The contrast between Snowflakes and Hailstones is like that between bees and wasps.
What does the team think?
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Comments
Though, often those on the other side might be more appropriately called "heilstones".
OK then, what does it mean? Bleedin' heart librul is another, similar term, but it is sprayed around pretty widely.
1) Someone who sees themselves as special and unique (reference to no two snowflakes being the same)
2) Someone who refuses to let their opinions be challenged, or who seeks protected status for themselves or others (reference to snowflakes melting). I suppose if applied to those who seek to ban far-right speech to protect others then there might be an overlap with those advocating mercy and care for others.
I'm not troubled by it, and I think Hailstone is not a bad term for an aggressive and argumentative person with the capacity to cause a small pain, but who melts into nothingness quickly, but is dangerous in a large group.
I don't want to appropriate snowflake, and I think I would simply ignore the person who used it against me or unleash a torrent of aggressive abuse, depending upon my state of mind. Usually the former I am happy to say.
I really like the term Social Justice Warrior. I like it when people call me that and I use it sometimes to describe myself. I picture myself as a Maori warrior with my warpaint on and my mates with me, doing a Hakka at a Japanese Whaling Boat unlawfully killing whales in the Southern Ocean. We are on the deck of the Steve Irwin and we have to do something like a Hakka to stop the blood from freezing in our veins.
SO YOU RECKON WE'RE FUCKING SNOWFLAKES DO YOU?
I’ve never heard it used here with the other meanings given above.
I was first introduced to the term ("special snowflakes") by a high school teacher who used it to refer to those of her students who (as she saw it) expected their every idiosyncrasy to be indulged and their manifest academic inadequacies to be overlooked in the name of respecting their individuality (every snowflake is unique...), self-esteem, or whatever. Not to be confused with those students who were trying their best and just needed extra help.
The term has become debased in some political contexts to refer to anyone of generally liberal views. Not really the same thing, but I can see how the shift happened.
[massive text dump deleted]
Snowflake
[fixed your damn link, too - DT]
You snowflake!
But is more applicable to those on the right who use it.
"Children isolated and separated from their parent because they are migrants is bad"
"Gah, you bloody snowflake. Why are you such a wuss, grow a pair.."
"?!"
I agree. And that leaves me wondering why we’d want to dignify it by having a come-back insult. I mean, it may feel good to return insult for insult, but does it adance the ball at all, or does it just have everyone rolling in the mud?
I think if a comeback is needed, “wrong” works just fine.
Meanwhile, social justice warrior is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. It sounds way too self-righteous or something.
Yeah, well very few people identify as it; like "politically correct" or "do gooder" it's mostly a way the right have of trying to make giving a shit about marginalised groups seem like a Bad Thing. Not entirely unlike "Social Progressive Mindset".
Added to which, that usage is so radically different from the more general usage, indeed totally inconsistent, it has everyone confused as to why it's an offensive slang in that context at all. That is those of us who aren't thinking "are you guys such complete morons that you can't even think up an offensive term that actually seems to be offensive?"
I melt before your withering bombastic rebuke! "I'm Melting! I'm Melting"! And Ding, Dong the wicked witch is dead.
And thank you for fixing the link, even though so ungraciously.
It is rude, boring and tedious, of course.
I suggest you read up on Ship's policy regarding posting copyrighted material. Because your lack of contrition has been noted.
And for the avoidance of doubt, futher comments regarding hostly intervention need to be made in Styx.
Doc Tor
Hell host
You might remember that the cousin who stood to inherit Longbourn on the death of Mr Bennet and make his wife and children beggars in the streets was called Mr William Collins. Upon inquiry, Mr Collins confirmed that he was in the habit of practicing stories and little turns of phrase that might please his patron Lady Catherine De Burgh, a lady of the highest virtue.
I like to do that with insults.
But I’ll take your word for it.
And I’m totally on board with laughing at myself and those around me. As often as not, it’s what gets me through the day.
I've mostly heard it on American TV shows, and mostly referring to other people's kids, the sorry state of education and the world, etc.
E.g. "they're all taught that they're precious, little snowflakes who can do no wrong, and no one can ever lose at anything--they all get award ribbons".
I suppose the idea is that the opponent is a poor, fragile flower who went to a hippy school where everyone was awarded prizes for participating and as a result is beautiful but unable to stand the strain of room-temperature political discussion for very long.
Which still doesn't work on me. This doesn't resemble me or anyone I've ever met.
If someone was to tell me I'm a snowflake - implying that a life-affirming opinion I hold is due to my cotton-wool lifestyle and hippy education - that still isn't insulting. It'd be like claiming my views were due to me being an astronaut.
Meh. I'm not an have never been an astronaut.
It's more or less putting the burden of any problem on the targeted groups (and by implication on the supporters).
So wrt #metoo it's the pathetic women snowflakes who are too fragile to take perfectly reasonable (male) behaviour. Or at the least too fragile to be willing to defend themselves. And as for those men who clearly get upset at stuff that's not even their business.
Especially when compared with the terribly persecution they (real men) get so, which is totally different and needing protection. Sometimes people even say they are wrong, in public!
Which is of course utter bilge
Price.Too.High
It's something to do with some of the social media forums I participate in. They aren't all Daily Mail readers, but they do read that rather than The Grauniad.
That's cultural appropriation!
People of colour don't just exist to provide an exotic background for your progressive fantasies, you know. I think you should check your privilege.
I’m a strong woman who is also kind and caring. Sadly these days, kind and caring is often seen as undesirable.
[throws up in mouth a bit]
Maybe it's an unfair caricature. But it certainly feels like the self-assigned image that many loudly profess. #fucktrump
Yes, it is.
But I'm going to argue that its not, because I don't picture myself as a fat white guy done up in Maori tattoos and gear, but an actual Maori who is an actual warrior.
Also, I'm not sure what checking your privilege means. Sometimes, I imagine going to a theatre where everybody is in the nude because they have all checked their privilege.
Snowflakes - that's a daft name anyway. Snowflakes are complex structures so maybe not a
insult. When they melt they provide water for little weeds like me!