Purple Unicorn

The Rare Purple Unicorn in the Dating World

How the Purple Unicorn Man Helps Businesses

Calling someone an unicorn conveys a sense of mystery and means they stand out from the pack. When you add in a rare color like purple, the person in question must be a one in a million type. Both men and women use the phrase purple unicorn to describe potential dates, usually men, who combine all the best features in one dynamite package. A purple unicorn man is wealthy, educated, entertaining, and a great listener. While some people eagerly call their friends to claim they met a real purple unicorn on their last date, it is also used sarcastically to describe someone who is searching for a partner so perfect the idea is unrealistic. Purple unicorn hunters are likely to stay single due to their hyper focus on perfection and the inability to compromise with a real life person.

Despite being a catchphrase common to the dating scene, the purple unicorn meaning migrated to the business world too. When a recruiter or human resources specialist laments about the hunt for a horned beast, they mean a candidate that meets a seemingly impossible combination or requirements for a job. Many managers and bosses end up pushing their recruiters to find purple unicorns because they ask for a mix of characteristics few to no applicants will actually have all at once. If you are a purple unicorn in the business world, you can expect:

The ability to demand higher pay

Extra work and responsibilities being piled on you by the same people who created a position that is nearly impossible to fill

A relatively easy time finding work in your industry

The admiration or envy of your co-workers and peers

Other Unusual Meanings to Consider

In general, the meme of the unicorn is tied to rarity. It is a quick way to indicate something is very unlikely to happen. Of course, being called a purple unicorn is quite a compliment whether it comes from your date or the hiring manager at your work. Just keep in mind that is hard to live up to people’s expectations when they are so enamored with you that they are calling you a mythical creature to your face. Being put on a pedestal can really ruin a relationship or make a job harder to stick with for the long haul.

The Symbolism of Purple

Aside from the symbolism of the unicorn, this concept also draws on the color meaning behind purple. Purple is traditionally the color of royalty because the first dyes producing this color were far too expensive for anyone else to purchase. While purple clothing and accessories are within the budget of practically everyone now, we still tend to associate the color with royalty and rareness. Purple unicorns aren’t just unusual or uncommon, they are downright unique. Light shades of purple are also tied with femininity or a softer side. This is reflected in the caring and nurturing side of the ideal man described by this term in the dating scene.