The Special Snowflake Slur

Page 1 of 3 [ 40 posts ] Go to page 1, 2, 3 Next

Joined: 17 Sep 2014
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,746
Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada

28 Nov 2014, 12:08 am

I recently saw in another thread that someone who confided in a friend about their autism was called a "special snowflake" in a derogatory/get over yourself fashion.

This bothered me as I have always loved the snowflake analogy. It is so true that no two people are alike.

But in the case of Special Snowflake Syndrome, which research has revealed has been around for some time, it seems often to be directed at people with invisible disabilities.

I have experienced this myself. I confided in three girl friends (at diner) that I was autistic. They all looked away from me awkwardly as if I had said I had committed a crime. I imagine their reaction would have been different if I had said I had been diagnosed with Diabetes or such.

It seems that we are supposed to suck it up and not complain. But I don't understand why.

Here are some quotes from my research:

Know your Meme - link

Quote:

Special Snowflake is a derogatory term widely used on Tumblr to describe someone who often whines about deserving special treatment or sees oneself as exceptionally unique for no apparent reason...

From various Tumblr posts:

Quote:

that implies she has self diagnosed because she’s another special snowflake.

Quote:

Don’t act like a special snowflake.

Quote:

You’re still a special snowflake, let’s face it.

Maybe I'm making too much of it. It's not a new concept. We used to say "Get over yourself." But why is this so often directed at people with mental illness?

campboy92
Pileated woodpecker

Joined: 1 Nov 2014
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Posts: 197

28 Nov 2014, 12:09 am

IT'S DISGUSTING RIGHT? I AM SO SI SICK OF IT

androbot01
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 17 Sep 2014
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,746
Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada

28 Nov 2014, 12:18 am

It's very dismissive.

FedUpAsp
Snowy Owl

Joined: 16 Jun 2013
Age: 49
Gender: Female
Posts: 149

28 Nov 2014, 12:42 am

If someone calls you a special snowflake to be derogatory or dismissive, annoy them by calling them the nickname Snowflake from now on.

CockneyRebel
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 17 Jul 2004
Age: 50
Gender: Male
Posts: 118,420
Location: In my little Olympic World of peace and love

28 Nov 2014, 12:48 am

FedUpAsp wrote:

If someone calls you a special snowflake to be derogatory or dismissive, annoy them by calling them the nickname Snowflake from now on.

That's a very good idea. That sounds like something I'd do.

_________________
The Family Enigma

League_Girl
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 4 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 27,302
Location: Pacific Northwest

28 Nov 2014, 1:03 am

It's also directed at parents who think their kids can do no wrong.

eg. "These days parents get mad at the teacher for their special snowflakes grade."

I never knew it was derogatory.

_________________
Son: Diagnosed w/anxiety and ADHD. Also academic delayed and ASD lv 1.

Daughter: NT, no diagnoses. Possibly OCD. Is very private about herself.

nick007
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 4 May 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 28,187
Location: was Louisiana but now Vermont in capitalistic military dictatorship called USA

28 Nov 2014, 1:43 am

I had teachers use that term with me when trying to be supportive but the term still sounded derogatory to me.

_________________
"I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem!"
~King Of The Hill

"Hear all, trust nothing"
~Ferengi Rule Of Acquisition #190
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ru ... cquisition

Sweetleaf
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 35,157
Location: Somewhere in Colorado

28 Nov 2014, 2:24 am

I think I more thought of myself as a sh*tty snowflake growing up.

_________________
Metal never dies. \m/

Yugidude1
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 26 Jan 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 6

28 Nov 2014, 2:27 am

It does depend where you are but it does tend to annoy me in most cases

League_Girl
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 4 Feb 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 27,302
Location: Pacific Northwest

28 Nov 2014, 2:30 am

I didn't start hearing of the term until around 2011.

_________________
Son: Diagnosed w/anxiety and ADHD. Also academic delayed and ASD lv 1.

Daughter: NT, no diagnoses. Possibly OCD. Is very private about herself.

androbot01
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 17 Sep 2014
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,746
Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada

28 Nov 2014, 2:58 am

Here it is used in:

Above the Law link

^A law school site^

Quote:

Concurring Opinions reports that Hanrahan suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome. He claims that he finished 4th in his class at Drexel, but didn’t get a job at Dechert, Blank Rome, or Pepper Hamilton. ...

Then again, my posts on Above the Law tend to discriminate against people suffering from Special Snowflake Head-In-Ass Syndrome (a.k.a. “Cooleyitis”), which makes it difficult for those people to see three years in front of their faces.

I found the above with a google news search for "special snowflake." It was on the first page.

What bothers me is the complete disregard for any handicaps that we have to cope with because of autism. I feel it is a dismissal of my condition. Would people say this to someone with schizophrenia?

tall-p
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 25 Dec 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,155

28 Nov 2014, 4:45 am

androbot01 wrote:

It seems that we are supposed to suck it up and not complain. But I don't understand why.

95% of Americans and 99% of the rest of the world haven't the slightest notion of what Asperger's is, or means. The same goes for autistic. I have no idea how old you are, or how you are getting along in your life, yet I wonder what you expected your girlfriends to say, or do, when you told them that you were on the spectrum?

_________________
Everything is falling.

d20
Butterfly

Joined: 23 Nov 2014
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 11

28 Nov 2014, 4:50 am

Disclaimer: not justifying the term, but gonna explain how I see it used.

I've never seen it used in relation to Aspergers, but I have when it comes to "am I the only one who...?" questions.

Eg: "Am I the only one who cuts my apple before eating it?"
"Yes you are, you special slowflake, you!"

SameStars
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 17 May 2014
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 5,693

28 Nov 2014, 4:52 am

I'm familiar with the term, but have mostly seen it back in comments (youtube for example) to people who whine or display a great sense of entitlement, or those who wonder if they're different/unique in some way.

geometrictunneling
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

Joined: 16 Nov 2014
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 66

28 Nov 2014, 5:29 am

Most people don't know what the symptoms of ASD are and it looks invisible half the time. It is completely understandable they would use that term. Usually you need to talk at length about how autism effects you before they will understand.

Your Autistic? Great! Here's an award!

Sweetleaf
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 35,157
Location: Somewhere in Colorado

28 Nov 2014, 5:32 am

geometrictunneling wrote:

Why people think one is after an award if they have autism just because I will never know.

_________________
Metal never dies. \m/

Page 1 of 3 [ 40 posts ] Go to page 1, 2, 3 Next

Jump to:

The Special Snowflake Slur Post Reply New Topic

The Special Snowflake Slur