Snowflakes

What Makes Someone a Snowflake?

The term “snowflake” often implies that someone is overly sensitive, quick to take offence, and unable to handle criticism. We usually say no two snowflakes are alike to emphasise their uniqueness, and likewise, each “snowflake person” has their own particular sensitivities and triggers. However, the shared trait among all snowflake people seems to be a resistance to owning their emotional responses.

Is Sensitivity Always a Weakness?

Sensitivity isn’t inherently a negative quality. In fact, it can lead to deep empathy and understanding. Problems arise when this sensitivity morphs into defensiveness, making it difficult for the individual to accept constructive criticism or face difficult truths.

Why Don’t Snowflakes Take Responsibility?

One could argue that the failure to take responsibility for one’s emotions is a defence mechanism. Snowflake people often externalise the source of their discomfort, laying the blame on external factors or other people. This relieves them of the need to introspect or change.

How Can Snowflake People Change?

It’s important to clarify that the term “snowflake” is often used pejoratively and can be unhelpful in fostering meaningful dialogue. But if you identify with these traits and wish to change, consider adopting methods that encourage emotional intelligence and self-awareness. Techniques such as mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy, and assertiveness training can go a long way.

How to Cope With Snowflakes?

Drawing a parallel between snowflake people and psychopaths might seem extreme at first glance. Psychopaths are often characterised by a lack of empathy, remorse, and guilt, which is a far cry from the heightened sensitivities of a snowflake person. However, the idea here isn’t to equate the two but to discuss the notion of distancing oneself as a coping strategy.

When dealing with psychopaths, conventional wisdom suggests that the best course of action is to distance oneself, as their behavioural traits often make healthy relationships impossible. Is the same true for snowflake people?

The answer largely depends on the severity of the emotional avoidance and how it affects you. In less severe cases, adopting specific communication methods can improve the relationship. But if someone’s refusal to take responsibility for their emotions is toxic to your mental health, creating distance may indeed be the best option.

Remember, labelling someone as a snowflake or a psychopath comes with its own set of risks, including perpetuating stereotypes and stigmas. The aim should always be understanding and, if possible, rehabilitation—except in extreme cases where distancing oneself becomes necessary for one’s emotional well-being.

The key takeaway is this: While the traits of snowflake people and psychopaths are vastly different, the method of creating emotional distance could be a common coping strategy, but only when efforts to address the issues have proven unfruitful.

Do Snowflakes Frequently Ghost Their Friends?

Ghosting—cutting off all communication without explanation—is a phenomenon often associated with the realm of romantic relationships. However, it can also happen between friends, and it appears to be a common tactic among snowflake people.

Ghosting could be viewed as an extreme form of avoiding responsibility for one’s emotions and actions. Instead of addressing the issue that caused emotional discomfort, the person who ghosts simply removes themselves from the situation entirely. This act often leaves the other party in a state of confusion, hurt, loss, or anger, having to deal with a sudden communication vacuum.

For snowflake people, ghosting might seem like the easiest way to avoid confronting uncomfortable emotions or having difficult conversations. They may rationalise their actions by blaming the other party, believing they had no choice but to make an abrupt exit for the sake of their emotional well-being.

But is ghosting an effective method for handling emotional complexity? In the short term, perhaps. In the long term, it erodes trust and makes it difficult for the person doing the ghosting to form any meaningful relationships.

To put it bluntly, ghosting doesn’t solve the underlying issue; it merely buries it. If you find that you’re prone to ghosting others or know someone who is, consider methods for improving emotional intelligence and communication skills as a healthier alternative.

In summary, while ghosting may be a common trait among snowflake people, it serves as a Band-Aid solution that prevents authentic emotional growth and relationship building. It’s another manifestation of a failure to take responsibility for one’s emotional responses and actions.

What’s at Stake?

If snowflake people continue to avoid taking responsibility for their emotional responses, they’re not only doing themselves a disservice but also creating a culture that shies away from candid conversations and meaningful interactions. At the same time, it’s crucial not to use the label as an excuse to dismiss or belittle people’s feelings.

In summary, while each snowflake person may have unique characteristics, their common failure to take responsibility for their emotions is a limiting factor. Adopting methods to increase emotional intelligence can be a step towards change, fostering a culture that values both sensitivity and accountability.

How Does Ghosting Affect Workplace Relationships and Culture?

Ghosting isn’t confined to personal relationships; it has seeped into professional settings too. Employees ghosting employers, coworkers ghosting each other, and even employers ghosting potential hires are not uncommon scenarios. When snowflake traits manifest in the workplace, the implications can be damaging on multiple fronts.

From a work relationship perspective, ghosting and snowflakery undermines the very fabric of teamwork and collaboration. When an individual stops communicating without explanation, it creates a vacuum that others might choose to scramble to fill. Workloads become uneven, and team members may become hesitant to rely on each other. The lack of closure leaves colleagues feeling uneasy, fostering a sense of instability.

Culturally, ghosting sets a dangerous precedent. If one person gets away with it, others may feel emboldened to do the same. Over time, this can contribute to a toxic work environment where accountability is minimal, and avoidance becomes the norm. This cultural shift can make it difficult to cultivate a cohesive and effective set of team relationships, which, in turn, impacts productivity and job satisfaction.

Companies might choose to adopt ways to counteract snowflakery and ghosting and the emotional avoidance they signify. Clear communication protocols, emotional intelligence training, and robust feedback systems can serve as practical steps in building a culture where emotional ownership becomes more widespread.

In a nutshell, snowflakery has corrosive effects on workplace relationships and culture, significantly more so when perpetuated by individuals prone to ghosting others. Implementing ways to enhance communication and emotional maturity can help mitigate these damaging tendencies.

Footnote

In my own experience, I’ve observed numerous software and other types of teams where both snowflake tendencies and ghosting have been widespread. These behaviours have severely compromised the efficacy of these teams and have even jeopardised projects. This personal observation underscores the importance of tackling the issues discussed in this post, not just in theory but as a practical necessity in today’s workplaces.