I’m Unique, b/c I’m Just Like You –Warner
Aug 26th, 2008 by Micah Tillman | 7 Comments |
Best line from tonight’s DNC, (as best I can remember it):
“I have a unique perspective on this. Like many you you, I was the first person in my family to go to college. . . .” -Mark Warner
So, your being just like many of the people you’re talking to gives you a unique perspective?
Whoever put those two ideas back-to-back in Warner’s speech gave me great amusement. Thank you!
PS: Is anyone keeping track of how many times the word “suffering” is used at this thing? And I thought I was pessimistic about the world. . . .
UPDATE Jay Nordlinger writes:
One thing I’ve noticed about this convention — it’s impossible not to — is that America is portrayed as a deeply suffering place. It’s a Grapes of Wrath nation, plagued with injustice, want, and desperation. We are one big lousy dust bowl.
From what I could tell, what he intended was that more people from each generation has gone to college than the generation before (remember, he is generation x and before that, not many did). And with that, he is supporting one of his arguments on how the better educated our youth is, the better off the nation as a whole is. (You, as a college ‘lecturer’ -I know you get irritated when people call you a “Professor”- should understand the importance of eduction of just one person.)
Part of me wants the Democrats to win so that they will fail and not even come close to meeting any of the expectations they are setting at their convention, just like they set so many goals and expectations when they took Congress, and what good has that done? Lowest approval ratings in history.
Yup, they’re top notch.
u·nique
u·nique [yoo n?k]
adj
1. only one: being the only one of a kind
2. ?special: different from others in a way that makes somebody or something special and worthy of note
a unique marketing opportunity
3. limited to somebody or something: limited to a particular person or thing
concerns that are unique to resettled refugees
[Early 17th century. Via French < Latin unicus < unus "one"]
-u·nique·ly, , adv
-u·nique·ness, , n
The use of unique in its sense “worthy of note” is common in marketing and advertising (Don’t miss this unique offer), as well as in conversation. Many dictionaries and usage guides argue that unique is an absolute concept and, as such, cannot be used with qualifying words such as very and rather, but in many cases this stricture seems a pedantic objection to what is a linguistic rather than a philosophical convention. It is, however, best avoided in formal writing.
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
per·spec·tive
per·spec·tive [p?r spéktiv]
(plural per·spec·tives)
n
1. particular evaluation of something: a particular evaluation of a situation or facts, especially from one person’s point of view
a different perspective on the matter
2. measured assessment of situation: a measured or objective assessment of a situation, giving all aspects their comparative importance
He’s having trouble keeping things in perspective right now.
3. appearance of distant objects to observer: the appearance of objects to an observer allowing for the effect of their distance from the observer
4. graphic arts allowance for artistic perspective when drawing: the theory or practice of allowing for artistic perspective when drawing or painting
5. vista: a vista or view
[14th century. Via French < late Latin perspectivus "optical" < Latin perspicere "look closely" < specere "look at"]
-per·spec·tive·ly, , adv
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Even granting allowances for a flexible use of the word “unique,” Warner’s perspective isn’t even particularly unusual or noteworthy if he’s “like many of you.” I think no matter how you slice it, that particular section of the speech was awfully clumsy.
Using ‘unique’ in the same breath as ‘like many of you’ just reinforces Stallard’s 1st Law of Human Social Interaction (yes, that’s tongue in cheek), which states that all human social behavior is based on two obsessive, yet opposing, desires: the desire to be unique, and the desire to be part of a group. We rebel to be unique, but we do so according to established patterns so we can feel like we belong. We get hairdos that help us stand out, but also so people will associate us with a group.
So no, I’m not surprised that someone would say such a contradictory statement.
[...] Speaking of how terrible things are here in America, the GDP grew at 3.3% (annually) last quarter. [...]