snowflake
noun & adjective

- a person perceived as overly sensitive and fragile, often in a mocking way

- an overly sensitive or easily offended person, or one who believes they are entitled to special treatment on account of their supposedly unique characteristics

Merriam-Webster / The Oxford Dictionary

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WORD ORIGIN

Chuck Palahniuk has often been credited with coining the metaphorical use of snowflake in his 1996 novel 'Fight Club', which contains the quote: "You are not special, you are not a beautiful and unique snowflake."

Following 'Fight Club', other snowflake terms emerged: "special snowflake", "snowflake generation", and "special snowflake syndrome".

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EDUCATION MISTAKES?

According to 'The Association for University and College Counseling', three education mistakes have created the so-called "Snowflake Generation":

(1) Hyperprotection – Increasingly, children have been brought up by overprotective parents inclined to solve every little problem. Not having the opportunity to face difficulties and conflicts in the real world, children cannot develop a tolerance for mistakes and failure.

(2) Exaggerated sense of "self" – Children being constantly told how special and unique they are develop an exaggerated perception of "ego". The resulting self-centeredness creates a conviction that there is no need to strive too much because one is special and success is guaranteed.

(3) Insecurity and catastrophism – Because of being brought up in a stable and overly secure environment, the snowflake generation has come to demand the creation of "safe spaces". Lacking the skills to face real-world challenges, fear replaces confidence, and minor problems are seen as catastrophes.

FURTHER READING

- Claire Fox – "I Still Find That Offensive!" 2019 book
- Brianna Stone – "Been called a 'snowflake'? The 'it' new insult", USA Today
- Jennifer Delgado – "Snowflake Generation: People who get offended for everything", Psychology Spot

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SYNONYMS
- to treat someone with great care, attention or indulgence

baby, cater to, cocoon, coddle, cosset, do everything for, feather-bed, kill with kindness, make a fuss over, mollycoddle, nanny, overprotect, pander to, pamper, pet, run around after, spoil (rotten), spoon feed, wait on (hand and foot), wet nurse, wrap in cotton wool

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

"Do we really need to watch our language? According to a survey from Aviva, millennials say being called 'SNOWFLAKES' hurts their mental health."

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Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40