Everyone’s always whining about how tedious “snowflake” society is. Let’s stop and consider the positive implications of living in such a culture.

There’s lots of talk about the current “snowflake” culture. It seems like everyday more old Tweets are unearthed, another grainy iPhone video is revealed, or another person comes forth to share their story of abuse. In response there is the PR cleanup committee protocol, filled with carefully crafted apologies, tearful videos, and statements of shame and remorse as images try to be salvaged. More and more public figures are being torn off their thrones as revelations cause the public to tear people straight off of their pedestals in a matter of hours.

There are many sides to this story, like there are to every story. On one hand, people are angry. They’re fed up of living in a culture where everything is deemed appropriate cause for outrage. Millennials are dubbed “sensitive snowflakes” and “libtards” and told to stop whining and buck up. People are sick of not being able to make jokes without falling under media fire, and they’re fed up with everything triggering someone. That’s the key word of the time. Triggered. We live in a society when everyone is ready to freak out over the use of the wrong term. And a large group of people think it’s absurd.

But maybe it’s not. The other day I was perusing some offensive celebrity tweets that were recently unearthed from 2012, and I was wincing at the numerous revelatory screenshots. Then my eyes drifted, as they often do, to the comments section. Rather than bash the celebrity du jour, someone noted how really fantastic it was that these kind of racist Tweets were now (appropriately) considered wildly inappropriate, when just a number of years ago they were regarded as largely acceptable. Because the public has taken an interest in eradicating offensive language, such offensive terminology is no longer tolerated. And I think that’s a great thing.

Earlier in the year I wrote about cancel culture, and how people are too quick to be angry and judge others. What I am currently saying might seem contradictory, so allow me to clarify. I believe that the intentions behind our current mentality of erasing hatred are correct, but our execution is far from perfect. Yes, people need to be called out and held accountable for what they said. It’s truly commendable and remarkable how standards have risen so quickly in such a short amount of time. What was deemed totally appropriate and acceptable to Tweet about five or ten years ago is now completely off limits. For example, “faggot” and “retard” and such terms were considered funny or even acceptable not too long ago. So was using “gay” as an insult. Due to public standards changing and social warriors being vocal, such terminology has thankfully been filtered out of regular use, or at the very least, widely deemed inappropriate.

However, people need to learn to not be so readily reactive. Not every mishap is worthy of mass public scorn. Another area that needs improvement is the sentiment behind the correction. If we are trying to teach people to be more tolerant, then it is imperative that we are not judgmental and full of hate when we broach the subject. Attacking people who hold hateful and negative beliefs will not lead to eradicating those beliefs. In many cases, it will only seemingly justify their hatred from their viewpoint. Instead of tearing people down, we have to show them the right way to change. So while it is commendable to eradicate hate, we have to find a better way to do it.

We also have to be more conscious of people’s ability to grow, evolve, and change. If I hadn’t deleted my personal Facebook in 2012, I would likely be horrified to see the things I posted in, say, 2009. I can guarantee I portrayed myself in a way that does not currently align with my belief system. But just because I likely said “you’re so gay” in 2009, does not mean that I’m not a major LBGTQ rights advocate in 2019. To tell you the truth, I was in 2009 as well, though I didn’t express it nearly as eloquently as I do today.

Of course, some crimes are so heinous that time can not absolve them. While you can be forgiven for an ignorant Tweet at age 14, obviously the same degree of forgiveness does not extend if you committed a hate crime or an assault in your younger days. However while recidivism rates aren’t pretty, I acknowledge a multitude of factors are behind these statistics, and even if it’s hopeful thinking, I do believe that even some of the ugliest people have the capacity to change. No, not everyone. It is my belief that some people are truly born without a conscious, and are essentially hopeless. But these people are few and far between.

Not everyone is treated to the same education. Racism, hate, and intolerance are taught. Fortunately love, peace, and acceptance can also be learned. Yes, it is correct to call people out for their offensive behavior and hold others accountable for their words and actions. But it is also just as important to allow people the opportunity to change and evolve. People throw out platitudes such as “a cheetah never changes its spots” or “a zebra can never change its stripes,” but I believe this is a rather lethargic view of life. I’m not even an optimist, and I believe that people have an imminent capacity for change and growth. You just have to discover the right way to tap into that. And guess what? The effective way is not by yelling or being a keyboard warrior.

Yes, we have to be less sensitive. We need to pick our battles, accept our differences, and stop feeling the need to shove our opinions down everyone’s throat. But we also have to clean up our acts and part with our damaging and dated ways.

We have come a really far way in creating a more tolerant society. From women’s rights to race rights to LGBTQ rights to the current pull for Transgender rights, I believe we have made enormous strides in advancing to be more tolerant and accepting. Of course there is still plenty more work to be done, but for once, let’s be proud of what we have accomplished instead of exhausted by what is left to complete. No, PC culture is not fun. But you know what else isn’t fun? Being made to feel ostracized or othered due to your race or your sexuality or other factors that you can’t control. I do believe that our approach for eradicating hate needs to be strongly adjusted, but overall, I am happy to be living in a world where intolerance is no longer being tolerated; let’s just work on being a little more lenient in our responses.