# You \[ are | are not \] a unique snowflake **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 3, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559 "2008-12-03T20:05:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/1 "2008-12-03T20:05:19Z")
Based on this thread: [The 10 tattoos that annoy me the most](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=495155) It seems like there are a number of polarizing issues where there are the ‘cool’ and the ‘uncool’, but the other side sees it as the ‘sheep’ vs. ‘the unique thinkers’. I personally feel that there are SO MANY PEOPLE in the world, that it is truely impossible to be a unique snowflake. If you are snobbishly looking down your nose at the ‘unwashed’ I suggest you take a look at your own situation with the same critical eye. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/2 "2008-12-03T20:12:17Z")
Know how you catch a unique snowflake? 😃 You’re asking people to set aside all that they know and to embrace something totally different from what they consider themselves to be. That’s a lot to ask. Historically society brutalizes people who make those kinds of requests. Then, ironically, we worship them as visionaries. Posthumously. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/3 "2008-12-03T20:21:59Z")
I’m just wondering how big a population of Dopers there are out there? Presumably there’s a ignorance fighting group of people in Tibet and another in Kazakhstan, and another in South Africa. We aren’t special. Not really. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/4 "2008-12-03T20:23:11Z")
…a **n** ignorance\*\*-\*\*fighting group… ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/5 "2008-12-03T20:26:43Z")
Grammar Nazi. You’re all alike to me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![New\_Beginning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@New\_Beginning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Beginning)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/6 "2008-12-04T00:26:28Z")
I’ve seen it from both extremes. I get annoyed by people who look down on “the masses”, not realizing that they are just as sheepish in their own (usually more expensive) ways. On the other hand, the idea that no one has anything unique to contribute is obviously wrong: we’re increasing our combined knowledge daily, and those ideas come from people. Snobbery of any sort makes me want to barf, but I’m sure I’m not quite free of it myself. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/7 "2008-12-04T07:11:07Z")
I don’t see how feeling yourself unique in some way or another is anything snobbish. Holding that over people or dismissing people because they aren’t like you, is. That’s not the same thing as merely feeling unique. And I’m romantic enough to feel we are all unique to a lesser or greater degree, despite the commonality (negative and positive) we all share with our fellow earth-people, no matter how numerous we happen to be. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/8 "2008-12-04T07:13:03Z")
My 3rd grade teacher told me I’m a unique and beautiful snowflake, and I know my 3rd grade teacher would never lie to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/9 "2008-12-04T07:44:43Z")
I’m special and unique, just like everybody else. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/10 "2008-12-04T07:47:01Z")
you are not a beautiful and unique snowflake you are the same decaying organic matter as everything else we are all a part of the same compost heap we are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world 😃 you have to realise that someday you will die, until you know that you are useless i say let me never be complete i say may i never be content ---
**Author:** ![grey\_ideas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@grey\_ideas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grey_ideas)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/11 "2008-12-04T09:11:12Z")
You may be unique (there is only one of ‘you’) but very few people are ‘special’ (have some talent or ability that really makes them stand out from the crowd). Just be yourself and let everyone else be themselves too. With 6.7 billion people on this world, chances are that anything you consider to be special about yourself puts you in a bigger group of people than you might imagine 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/12 "2008-12-04T09:11:48Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Based on this thread: [The 10 tattoos that annoy me the most](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=495155) > > It seems like there are a number of polarizing issues where there are the ‘cool’ and the ‘uncool’, but the other side sees it as the ‘sheep’ vs. ‘the unique thinkers’. > > I personally feel that there are SO MANY PEOPLE in the world, that it is truely impossible to be a unique snowflake. > > If you are snobbishly looking down your nose at the ‘unwashed’ I suggest you take a look at your own situation with the same critical eye. No one of my traits is unique, but the specific combination of all of them is. Therefore, I am a unique snowflake. And so are you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/13 "2008-12-04T12:12:13Z")
I find it helps to keep my ego in check to realize that, yeah, there are two or three traits in which I’m better than the average bear…but in each of those traits, there’s someone out there that’s much better than I…further, there are PLENTY of areas where people have more expertise than I do. It helps to keep that in mind when going after people for things you think are stupid or don’t approve of. (Like the aforementioned tattoo thread) ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/14 "2008-12-04T16:50:57Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > you are not a beautiful and unique snowflake > you are the same decaying organic matter as everything else > we are all a part of the same compost heap > we are the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world You left out [all talking!](http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-all4.htm) We’re the cast of a poorly staged early musical film, showing off our heavy thighs and pigeon toes in chorus line and declaiming worn-out jokes into the potted plant in the center of the shot. I like it. > [@](#): > > you have to realise that someday you will die, > until you know that you are useless > i say let me never be complete > i say may i never be content Note the subtext implied by the pronouns: _May I never be content until you know that you are useless._ :dubious: All rrrrrighty then. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/15 "2008-12-04T23:59:27Z")
Seriously, I’d rather blend in. Then people don’t kick your ass as much. I’m pretty average as it is, so I guess it works out. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/16 "2008-12-05T00:53:01Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > **Know how you catch a unique snowflake?** 😃 You neek up on it. d&r ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/17 "2008-12-05T01:22:08Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > You neek up on it. > d&r Dude, that is a total Dad Joke!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/18 "2008-12-06T03:16:54Z")
[Exactitudes](http://www.exactitudes.com/) made quite an impression on me when I first saw it. Which group of unique do you fit into? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/19 "2008-12-06T03:29:02Z")
Well, I think everyone is actually pretty unique. That’s the beauty of diversity. We can all be different and contribute different points of view borne of different experiences, and we can pool all of our resources into one coherent whole, a world that knows the universality of suffering, and of love. That is why I love the Dope and why I love the world. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559/20 "2008-12-06T03:41:37Z")
> [@Cazzle](#): > > [Exactitudes](http://www.exactitudes.com/) made quite an impression on me when I first saw it. Which group of unique do you fit into? [grumpy gus] I’ve never understood what that project is trying to say…that we all buy clothes from the same 10 Chinese sweatshops? That there are only so many ways to style hair? That if you take gazillions of pictures, you can group them into twelves? [/gg] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-are-are-not-a-unique-snowflake/475559.md?page=2)