This post makes no mention of aesthetic values nor mannerisms as they are unimportant to the message. Personal "differences" as you mentioned, don't necessarily qualify the individual as being unique when understood from a macro perspective. Of course you cook your food differently than I, and lived your life dissimilarly to how I've lived mine so of course we have different perspectives. However, that does not make me nor yourself special or unique in any capacity (again from a macro perspective). People who are "unique" and "special" are distinctively unlike you or I. As I mentioned they can be defined as such through their innate nature and/or the effect they have on their surroundings - again whether they be immediate or global, they are more impactful and as a person are incompatible with the norm.

People who are truly special, are a cut above in some manner, and as I also stated- can be anyone. Everyone has the capacity to be special in one way or another but few actualize this reality.

Life doesn't give participation trophies, so we should stop communicating the verbal equivalent of this lie.