The white crow is a very rare bird, so people who fall very far from society and social norms of behavior are also called that. Since in last decades Albino crows have become an extremely rare phenomenon, we can talk more about phraseological units. Why do individuals choose this image: by their own will or from birth?
What does "white crow" mean?
The expression " white crow" is used in 2 meanings:
- In the natural world - an albino crow. Albinism is an anomaly, creatures with a similar disease are considered special.
- A black sheep in society is a person who stands out from the crowd with his views, tastes, manners and behavior.
White crows are very unadapted in nature; it is difficult for them to hide from predators due to their light plumage. They are not like others. This explains the origin of the phraseological unit “white crow”; this is how people with unusual behavior began to be called, who stand out from the crowd with their manners and views. This expression is inherent in two polarities:
- Artists, writers, scientists living in their own world of sounds, images and imagination.
- People are stupid and narrow-minded, who are lazy or find it difficult to rise to the generally accepted level.
"White Crow" - psychology
As a term, this phrase has found application in psychology. By the standards of psychology, a “black sheep” is a person whom society considers a stranger because he is different from others. It's about not about appearance, but about moral values and assessments of what is happening. Often teenagers or creative individuals choose this behavior in order to express themselves and achieve recognition. Characteristics such people:
- do not hide their views that differ from the generally accepted ones and are proud of them;
- do not want to accept society’s stereotypes in order to pass as one of their own;
- demonstrate their opposition to the principles of society.
Is it easy to be a “black sheep”?
A “White Crow” is a person with his own, unlike a nonconformist, such a person does not set out to stand out, he simply considers his own moral values more correct. At all times, such people have had a hard time because:
- they are misunderstood, offended and often despised;
- trying to suppress individuality;
- they are lonely or find friends among the same individuals;
- their opinion is ignored by the majority.
What to do if you are a “black sheep”?
Many parents are interested in the question: how to live as a “black sheep”? Children themselves are not always burdened by loneliness; sometimes teenagers even strive to show their difference. And the mother and father are concerned about how the child will settle in adult life. Often adults are burdened by their inability to adapt to society. Psychologists give the following recommendations:
- do not treat your environment aggressively, remain friendly, accept the views of other people;
- celebrate what you can learn from others;
- calmly express your position, without offense or categorical judgments;
- If the problem is a physical disadvantage, such as being tall or short, you can turn it into a strength. Sign up for modeling courses, basketball, or become a salesperson in a clothing store for short people;
- get used to your individuality, accept it as it is.
How to become a “black sheep”?
It is very easy to fall into the category of those who are called “black sheep”; it will be enough to express views radically opposite to generally accepted positions, change the style of clothing, hairstyle and manner of speaking. Give up your mobile phone, iPad, iPhone, pages on social networks, demonstrate your independence from norms. Although in lately Internet sentiment has begun to highlight the concept of “black sheep” as a positive when it comes to business on social networks. Advice on what you need to not be afraid of being a “black sheep”:
- come up with an original idea for your ad;
- surprise the audience with an interesting offer;
- do not be afraid to invite guests and communicate;
Parable of the White Crow
The unique light plumage gave rise to an instructive parable about the white crow. Since childhood, she was not loved for her strange color, so she had to grow up quickly. Many hated this crow, but she could not understand why and why. They did dirty tricks, but the bird responded kindly to insults, and in order to communicate less, it began to soar high in the sky, away from its relatives. The white crow's life was difficult, but she grew up strong and resilient, for which she was even more envied.
And one day a white crow decided to fly away in search of white birds like her, so that she could be accepted into a new flock. And only after the disappearance of the white bird did others appreciate its qualities and began to regret their mistakes. The moral of this parable is that you should not be afraid to be yourself, maintain pride and dignity, be able to look for like-minded people and never try on someone else’s fate.
What do you call a person who is not like the majority? One of the options is “white crow”. The meaning of phraseological units will be discussed using clear examples.
Definition
Let's start with the obvious. Crows are usually black, sometimes black and gray, but never white. Albinos are generally a rare phenomenon.
Hence, the white crow (see below for the meaning of the phraseological unit) is an object that stands out strongly from the general series. This is not just a quantitative difference, but a natural internal feature of something that creates a completely different idea of \u200b\u200bthe state of affairs. Vague wording. Examples will help us clarify this.
Examples
Imagine a typical school environment. With the usual division into “hooligans” and “nerds”. Hooligans do not learn; they love to make trouble in the broadest sense of the word. Botanists, on the contrary, are diligent students, do not drink alcohol, and read books. The reader knows for sure both of them. So, the white crow (the meaning of the phraseological unit is studied with all care) is a bully, to the point of trembling in his hands book lover, and absolutely any: historical, artistic, scientific.
He is considered a man “out of this world” by fellow bullies and nerds alike. People are prone to maximalism, so you have to be a hooligan or a nerd, but until the very end, “to the bottom,” as V.V. Mayakovsky said. A person who perceives reality as a mosaic in which elements can be freely shuffled makes a strange and wonderful impression on those around him. They talk about this: “Oh! There's a white crow." The meaning of phraseological units now does not cause difficulties.
This is not a sentence
In fact, being very different from your surroundings is not so bad, because it can be so-so. But we must understand that this characteristic does not mean anything. Among hooligans, a person who reads books is a black sheep. Then, for various reasons, the company may change, and the person will find himself in an environment where it is a shame not to read, not to be interested in something, not to develop.
There is a wonderful literary analogy a person for whom the definition of “black sheep” is suitable (the meaning of the phraseological unit, there was an example with it a little earlier, but we still decided to concretize our reasoning). We are, of course, talking about Alex from Burgess's A Clockwork Orange. Main character works, without a doubt, a terrible person, but at the same time he has a developed (or innate) sense of beauty and some kind of intelligence. This is what makes him stand out from the crowd.
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Wherever we spend our time, at work, on vacation or at home, there are people among us huge amount ironic people and jokers. Their mentality is built in such a way as to highlight ordinary things and focus attention on them. Today we will talk about an old expression that was coined by a sarcastic person, this White Crow, you can find out the value a little lower. Our website is full of surprises and useful information, so read it, getting to know the very essence of things. I recommend visiting this resource, as we regularly post interesting news.
However, before I continue, I would like to recommend a couple of other publications on the topic of phraseological units. For example, how to understand Making a mountain out of a mountain; meaning of the expression They carry water to the offended; what does Broken Hour mean? what does rest in peace mean, etc.
So let's continue What does White Crow mean??
White Crow is a metaphor intended to denote a person who has a value system or behavior that is different from other people in that society
White Crow- this is what they say about a person who is somehow sharply different from others in his actions and thoughts
If you live in rural areas, then it is not surprising for you to see a white mouse or a white rabbit. On TV we were repeatedly shown white cows, horses, deer, and even white blackbirds. There are places in the United States where you can encounter white squirrels. In Tsarist Russia, sturgeons were pulled out of the river more than once white. Maybe you think that there is no such thing among amphibians" perversions"? You are mistaken, toads white colors, and even with red eyes like hot coals, are quite common in nature.
Some particularly inquisitive citizens will be interested in the nature of such an anomaly. However, " the box just opened", not worth mentioning here evil spirits, it’s all about a special pigment, which is practically absent in white animals. Creatures with such a deviation are usually called albinos. It is worth noting that albino crows are an extraordinary rarity.
This expression was first used by a satirist and poet Juvenal, who in one of his works expressed the idea that " A slave can become a king, a captive can escape, but such lucky people are rarer than a black crow..."
His contemporaries really liked this comparison, and subsequently began to use it everywhere. Much time has passed since then, but this expression is so " it's ingrained"in our speech, that seeing unusual person, standing out from its surroundings with strange qualities, immediately " sculpt"there's a label on it -" white crow".
At that time, thought seemed to be going in the same direction among many peoples. Since in the east a similar saying was also born - “White elephant"Among the aborigines of the Indochina peninsula, elephants with white skin and red eyes are highly valued, mainly because of their rarity.
After reading this short article, you will now be aware of White Crow meaning phraseological unit. And only you can decide whether to be offended by this innocent nickname or not.
We often hear in conversations such an expression as “black sheep.” The meaning is not clear to everyone. As a rule, we are talking about a person who is very different from others. They compare him to an albino crow. Sometimes in genetic code animals and birds fail.
As a result, the pigment that is responsible for the color of skin and hair is simply absent in the body. That is why there are absolutely white crows, horses, cows, squirrels and even elephants in the world.
The white crow, I must say, is the least common. We don’t even think that these birds may not be black or gray.
A white crow is a metaphor that denotes a person who has behavior, appearance, or a value system that is different from those around him.
A black sheep is someone who is too different from his surroundings. These may be differences in clothing, manners, outlook on life and hobbies. Sometimes society calls those who stand out strange.
There are often rumors about such people that not everything is right in their heads. Most of them are outcasts in society. Because not everyone is ready to accept those who are different from them. Not everyone is ready to accept the fact that the person next to them is independent of the rules accepted in society.
This is interesting! Sometimes the term “black sheep” is given a positive meaning. This is what they call bright and extraordinary people.
The phrase first appeared in Ancient Rome. At the end of the 1st - beginning of the 2nd century, the poet Junius stated in his writings that only by chance could a slave become a king, and a prisoner achieve triumph. This happens less often than you might encounter a white crow.
Who is considered the black sheep?
Teenagers usually oppose themselves to society. They easily endure rejection from society and the absence of like-minded people. Many are afraid to stand out among their peers so as not to face ridicule.
But often the “white crows” become adults and mature individuals. They tend to have a harder time withstanding criticism from others.
It won’t be difficult to catch the bewildered glances of society and earn the nickname “black sheep.”
Here's what you need for this:
- Go against established foundations and norms.
- Show that your views are different from the views of others.
- Have an unusual appearance. Don't follow fashion trends.
- Get involved in something special.
To be considered a black sheep, it is enough to have an unusual appearance
Unfortunately, even these simple signs are enough to earn ridicule from others. But in no case should the “black sheep” strive to adapt to them, to become ordinary. Don't withdraw into yourself and become an outcast. There is no need to endure insults and contempt. Many will try to suppress the personality of such people. But you need to defend your views and be confident in yourself.
Of course, you shouldn’t go into conflict with others. The opinions of others must be taken with respect. During the communication process, you need to pay attention to their wishes and advice. Explain your point of view calmly. And it is advisable not to be offended.
Fact! Remember that your features can play into your hands. For example, tall girls can make a career as a model. People with original thinking become famous writers and screenwriters.
Useful video: where did the expression come from?
Parable of the White Crow
There is a legend about the white crow. Among ordinary crows there lived one with white plumage. The other birds often laughed at her. But the white crow was friendly and did not respond with anger to ridicule. True, she wanted to spend less time with the others. Therefore, the crow often soared high in the sky, completely alone.
The black birds didn't like it. They did not understand why the white woman did not worry about her “flawedness” and did not strive to please them. Every day they hated her more and more, envied her strength and freedom.
Crow felt it. That's why she dreamed of finding birds like her and not standing out anymore. When she flew away, the others began to regret what had happened. They remembered the good qualities of the white crow and finally admitted that they had behaved incorrectly.
From this parable we can draw the following conclusion: there is no need to worry about the behavior of your environment. Maintain your dignity and appreciate your differences.
Use of metaphor
The term "black sheep" is often used in culture.
Here are some examples:
- Valery Leontyev has a song “White Crow”. The group “Chaif” has a composition with the same name. It came out in 1987.
- The group “Nautilus Pompilius” also used phraseology in their song “Our Family”.
- About thirty years ago, the publication “Soviet Sport” published the column “White Crows Club”. It included notes for those who love sports and are adherents healthy image life.
- In 1990, a group of actors “Theater of Rains” was formed in the city of St. Petersburg. It was the crow of unusual color that began to symbolize this group. The fact is that actors consider themselves and their fans extraordinary personalities. And in our time, those who are tired of the cruelty and bitterness going on around them come to see the group’s performances.
Useful video: white crow in poetry for children
Conclusion
Now you know the origin of the phraseological unit “white crow” and its explanation. This is not an offensive expression, but a term that means a person who stands out from the rest. Interestingly, there are many other expressions with a similar meaning: “black sheep”, “ugly duckling”. In the East, another analogue is used - “white elephant”. There are plenty of regular elephants there, but white ones are considered very rare and valuable.
White rabbits and white mice, in principle, are not uncommon. White horses and cows are less common, as are blackbirds and deer. Completely white squirrels are occasionally found in North America. And in Russian newspapers Sometimes notes are published about a white sturgeon caught or a white fox caught by hunters. Imagine, there are even milky-colored red-eyed toads!
White is not the typical color of all these animals, fish and birds. They are representatives of albinos. Albinism, so named from Latin word“albus,” which means “white,” occurs when the cells lack the necessary pigment responsible for hair and skin color.
Albinos are also found among crows, but they are extremely rare. The phraseological expression known today was given to the world by the Roman satirical poet Juvenal. In the 1st-2nd centuries AD. he very aptly noted: “A slave can become king, captives can wait for triumph. Only a lucky person is more rare than a black crow...”
The comparison of the wise Juvenal has become firmly established in the Russian language. Today, more than two thousand years later, we are talking about a non-trivial person, unlike everyone else, that he is a “black sheep.”
In the East you can also find a similar comparison. But it affects elephants, which are also extremely rare and white with red eyes. Residents of Indochina value them precisely for their rarity, just like people who are called “white elephants”.
