We are all mostly snowflakes
I am a big fan of Lewis Black’s comedy. In one of his legendary rants, he asks the audience whether or not milk was healthy for people to…
I am a big fan of Lewis Black’s comedy. In one of his legendary rants, he asks the audience whether or not milk was healthy for people to drink. Half the people voted yes, and half the people voted no. Based on the audience’s answer, he made the point that we don’t know. He used this example to point out that people are more like snowflakes, that we are all unique.
I agree with this philosophy. People are snowflakes; we are all different. What works for you does not necessarily work for me. Conversely, what works for me, or what makes me happy, might not work for you or make you happy.
That’s ok.
If something makes you happy and does not hurt anyone else in the process, then I’m all for it for you, but not necessarily for me. And yet, I find that people routinely offer up their habits and hobbies and lifestyles to me. The conversation often goes like this:
Fred: You should try meditating, it’s changed my life. I don’t know how I ever got along without it.
Me: Not for me.
Fred: Have you ever tried it?
Me: (No, but I KNOW if I say so I am going to get an even longer lecture about why I should try meditating. I’ve never tried bungee-jumping either, but I don’t need to try it to know that I won’t like it). No, never tried it.
Fred: OMG! You HAVE to try it, it’s amazing … blah blah blah.
Me: Wow, look at the time, I gotta be moving along. See you soon! (Puts fingers in ears and starts humming to myself).
I also experience the opposite conversation, where I mention some hobby or habit to a friend or acquaintance. They start offering up all sorts of unwanted opinions about the evils of that hobby or habit.
We’re all snowflakey; what works for you does not work for me. Why are you not ok with this idea? Sure, tell me about your passions. As a fellow human, I am interested in hearing about new things. As your friend, I am interested in knowing what adds meaning to your life. But please draw the line in trying to apply your passions to my life. I’m not you; you’re not me.
In honor of this idea, here are some items that people either try to force on me or talk me out of doing.
Meditation. Meditation is the new yoga, and my twitter feed fills with people embracing meditation and insisting that it WILL CHANGE MY LIFE TOO.
Yoga. See the previous item.
Any and all “secrets to happiness” concept. Some people are lost and don’t know what makes them happy. I get it. I’m not one of those people, so stopping selling me some TED talk by some self-appointed guru of happiness.
Rollercoasters. I hate heights, and I hate crowds.
Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Ramones, Jazz. Meh. I try new music, some I like, some I don’t like. I listen to lots of different musical genres and artists. Why do you even care if I don’t like Springsteen? Seriously, I’m asking.
Android. I am happy in the Apple ecosystem, I’ve had four or five different iPhone models, and I love them all. No killer application or argument is going to make me switch, so save your breath.
Linux as my desktop operating system. I’ve been on a Mac since they came out with the first Intel versions. I like my Mac. It has BSD under the covers so I can use the Unix utilities that I need.
Cross-fit, Peloton, or any other fashionable exercise system. I’m 57, and I have a workout regimen that I like, and it keeps me fit.
I follow a low-carb, paleo-style diet. It works for me, and I’m happy with it. Please stop rambling on about the problems with a low-carb diet, because I’ve read all the same articles. I have more energy, lower blood pressure, and I maintain a lower weight on a low-carb diet.
Google Docs. I don’t care about multiple users making real-time edits. I write my drafts in the Grammarly desktop editor.
Databases. I started out using relational databases, and I’ve dabbled in several NoSQL databases. We all have our favorite brands, and they work for each of us. You like Microsoft SQL Server better than MariaDB or PostgreSQL? Good for you, now take your T-SQL and go away.
The Princess Bride. I know what you are going to say, just stop. Seriously, stop.
Streaming all my music. I end up in places with little or no bandwidth, so I buy and download my music. If you prefer to stream all of your music then I say “good for you”. It’s not for me, nor for my iPod nano, thank you very much.
Gluten-free pasta. It’s not pasta. When I want pasta, I want actual, gluten-filled pasta. (It’s a treat for us paleo low-carb types).
Harry Potter Books and Movies. Not interested, I’m a “Lord of the Rings” guy.
Goodfellas over “The Godfather.” I liked Goodfellas a lot. I like “The Godfather” better.
Sublime code editor. I like Visual Studio Code better. Save me the whole spiel that you’ve cooked up as to why Sublime is better. I’m happy with Visual Studio Code.
Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok. (I left FaceBook off the list because NOBODY tells me to get on FaceBook anymore). I’m on Twitter, and I’m on LinkedIn (meh!), that’s enough.
Any task-management application, because they all suck.
Any sentence that starts with “Digital Transformation” — because everything after that is going to be a jumble of meaningless weasel words.
We’re all a little different, people — and that’s ok. Just stop trying to convert me to your fan club.