There are many things you cannot escape on the internet. You cannot escape cats. You cannot escape recipes that sound amazing but you’ll never remember to make. Here are 31 Reasons You Can’t Escape Buzzfeed Articles. But the one thing you absolutely, positively, will never be able to escape on the Internet is politics. And while political discussions can include polite reasoning, educated opinions, and reputable sources, there is also a plethora of profanity, fear-mongering, intolerance, and insults. Both the left and the right have their favorite taunts to toss back in forth in the Facebook comments, but one of the least effective, in my opinion, is the phrase “special snowflake” - most often directed at liberal millennials.
While there are many variations, the most accepted definition is that special snowflakes are individuals who believe that their unique qualities entitle them to special treatment. I would argue that everyone, conservative and liberal alike, is a special snowflake, though not in the way you might think.
Humans are self-centered. We can’t help it. No matter how empathetic we try to be, everyone sees the world from only one perspective: their own. There’s a small part of all of us that believes we are the hero of the story, that everyone else is a character in the background. But, as Night Vale Radio host Cecil Palmer says, “Death is only the end if you assume the story is about you.”
We all want to believe that we are special, that our actions have a meaningful impact on the world around us, and that we truly are important.
But are we important? Are we special?
In the vast, ever expanding universe, we are but a blip on the cosmic radar. What is a life that lasts a century at most, to a universe that has existed for billions of years? Even those deemed worthy to be in the history books or made immortal through art or literature are not immune to the corrosive nature of time.
But that doesn’t mean we are not important. In this moment, in this breath, every single one of us has a purpose and has an impact on the world. Think about it. If you were gone, who would fill your seat in class? Or memorize your best friend’s coffee order? Who would cheer up your little or feed your fish? Sure, someone else could. But they wouldn’t be exactly like you. They wouldn’t have your crooked smile or your favorite sneakers or your explosive laugh.
I think that we, as a society, need to focus less on being special or important to the world, but rather enjoy how important we are to others. “Be proud of your place in the cosmos. It is small, and yet it is.” (WTNV Ep. 49). It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter how ordinary you think you are, you are unique. We are all different; not greater or lesser than one another, but different all the same.
As for the phrase “special snowflake”, it is unfortunately used most frequently against those who celebrate their differences, and their right to be different without fear of persecution. Calling LGBT+ individuals “special snowflakes” is not only intolerant but inaccurate. There are millions of LGBT+ people in the world. Their LGBT-ness does not make them inherently special or deserving of special treatment- but in a world which claims heterosexuality as the default, they can celebrate one part of their identity.
The same goes for any kind of group. Ethnic groups, gender identities, everyone from chess players to the people who like Renaissance Fairs enjoy celebrating these things that make up their identity. Sure, there are millions of eighteen-year-olds who join sororities, play video games, write poetry, and dye their hair pink. But all of these things make up who I am, are one facet of my personality. I don’t have to be completely unconventional to be unique.
I am a special snowflake. I recognize and celebrate the things that make me an individual while acknowledging my role in a larger community. I am not better or worse than anyone else, merely different, There is no shame in celebrating your unique qualities, as long as we understand the part we must play. In the infinitely beautiful universe, our role may be small, but nonetheless important. “The powerful play goes on, and (we) may contribute a verse.” - Walt Whitman
