Really?

lemurcat12

There has been a lot lately about the historical meaning of the term and whether or not it has alt right origins (although politically the liberal/left-leaning side of the aisle have definitely claimed it too, from what I see). Here's one pretty good and not partisan summary: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-less-lovely-side-of-snowflake

The article above says: "In Missouri in the early 1860s, a 'snowflake' was a person who was opposed to the abolition of slavery—the implication of the name being that such people valued white people over black people. This use seems not to have endured."

Also, "[t]he available evidence suggests that this particular use of snowflake never moved much beyond the borders of Missouri or the era."

More directly related to the other poster's assertions, " In the 1970s snowflake was a disparaging term for a white man or for a black man who was seen as acting white. It was also used as a slang term for cocaine."

The current slang meanings, which are all over the place, have nothing to do with that, though (and I am inclined to believe that at least most places it died out in the '70s, although I know there have been some think pieces trying to claim there's an inherently racist meaning, which I think is false -- that's not how language works).

Instead, the two main ones are (as I'm sure we all know):

(1) "It's developed a new and decidedly less pleasant use as a disparaging term for a person who is seen as overly sensitive and fragile"; and

(2) "the meaning at first was a bit softer, referring mostly to millennials who were allegedly too convinced of their own status as special and unique people to be able (or bothered) to handle the normal trials and travails of regular adult life.

That use very likely has its genesis in Chuck Palahniuk's 1996 cult-favorite book Fight Club, in which a member of the anti-consumerist Project Mayhem tells the other members: "You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone, and we are all part of the same compost pile."

In the 1999 movie adaptation the lines go like this: “Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not the beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else. We are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world. We are all part of the same compost heap."

I suspect the Palahniuk usage gave rise to the one that is currently used on MFP, probably by way of other forums. Obviously, not always so negatively phrased, but as in "the laws of physical apply to you too."

I don't actually use it, I don't think (I don't recall having done so), but this idea that it's some shocking offensive term is IMO false and makes me want to use it in protest of that calumny.

Ben_there_done_that

Exactly what I was thinking! Very well-put.

WinoGelato

lemurcat12 wrote: »

There has been a lot lately about the historical meaning of the term and whether or not it has alt right origins (although politically the liberal/left-leaning side of the aisle have definitely claimed it too, from what I see). Here's one pretty good and not partisan summary: https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-less-lovely-side-of-snowflake

The article above says: "In Missouri in the early 1860s, a 'snowflake' was a person who was opposed to the abolition of slavery—the implication of the name being that such people valued white people over black people. This use seems not to have endured."

Also, "[t]he available evidence suggests that this particular use of snowflake never moved much beyond the borders of Missouri or the era."

More directly related to the other poster's assertions, " In the 1970s snowflake was a disparaging term for a white man or for a black man who was seen as acting white. It was also used as a slang term for cocaine."

The current slang meanings, which are all over the place, have nothing to do with that, though (and I am inclined to believe that at least most places it died out in the '70s, although I know there have been some think pieces trying to claim there's an inherently racist meaning, which I think is false -- that's not how language works).

Instead, the two main ones are (as I'm sure we all know):

(1) "It's developed a new and decidedly less pleasant use as a disparaging term for a person who is seen as overly sensitive and fragile"; and

(2) "the meaning at first was a bit softer, referring mostly to millennials who were allegedly too convinced of their own status as special and unique people to be able (or bothered) to handle the normal trials and travails of regular adult life.

That use very likely has its genesis in Chuck Palahniuk's 1996 cult-favorite book Fight Club, in which a member of the anti-consumerist Project Mayhem tells the other members: "You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone, and we are all part of the same compost pile."

In the 1999 movie adaptation the lines go like this: “Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not the beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else. We are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world. We are all part of the same compost heap."

I suspect the Palahniuk usage gave rise to the one that is currently used on MFP, probably by way of other forums. Obviously, not always so negatively phrased, but as in "the laws of physical apply to you too."

I don't actually use it, I don't think (I don't recall having done so), but this idea that it's some shocking offensive term is IMO false and makes me want to use it in protest of that calumny.

Thanks for the genesis of the term! Also, interesting to see that it has some origin in my state... wonder if that was propagated by the fact that Missouri was a border state? Also, unrelated, but I often liken the whole "soda vs pop" debate to the fact that MO was a border state, we have a history of not being able to make up our mind...

dfwesq

Lounmoun wrote: »

If someone bothers you then you do not have to engage them. You can walk away from a thread. You can click on someone's name and choose to ignore that person.

Great suggestion. The "ignore" function is built into the website. It doesn't require any mental discipline - once you click "ignore," the posts from that person will just disappear and you won't ever see them. If you feel like particular people are targeting you or they get on your nerves, judicious use of the "ignore" function can make your life easier.

ETA: There's plenty of advice on this site, so ignoring some people shouldn't be a hardship. You can still have good conversations with those you get along with. Also fwiw, the fact that someone is unkind doesn't mean they have anything helpful or meaningful to say.