Apr
27
What is normal?
By
I have been thinking a lot about the word ‘normal’ lately and have been catching up on my feed reading where I have found a mountain of people struggling with situations caused by this word ‘normal’. Whether it be in relation to sexuality and where you fit on the Kinsey scale or whether it be about being gay or whether it be about what is normal for a person of your age it is all very confusing. The dictionary describes normal as:-
| 1. | conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural. |
| 2. | serving to establish a standard. |
| 3. | Psychology.
|
Now, even the dictionary definition is ambiguous. I mean “conforming to the standard or common type”. Now in my way of thinking that relies on statistics to come up with a common type and in my experience even though statistics can give an indication, they are flawed at best. To gain many statistics you need to produce data which is often from a form of survey. That survey is completed by people and people often don’t tell the truth in a survey. For example many won’t answer questions if they fee uncomfortable with revealing certain things about themselves. Now in other surveys like our countries periodical Census which allows the government to plot the future however doesn’t actually have options to clearly spell out same sex couples. So determining normal seems to get more difficult.
Normal, is often perceived by social norms but even that is flawed because it is influenced by how we were raised, the groups we associated with and our personal belief structures. For example I don’t see people who enjoy going out and getting drunk as “normal” however someone who has grown up around that or socialises with people who do that may see that as “normal”. Culturally issues such as being gay may not be seen as normal because it is not common amongst peoples circles and the thousands of years of conditioning that people have received.
I have found that as individuals we each decide what we consider normal. In saying that I have found there is no such thing. Normal simply does not exist. I don’t want to play semantics but to me what we are really saying when we use the word normal or say that some action is not normal is that it doesn’t fit into our reality or it doesn’t fit with what I want in my reality. At this point we can either accept the differences, compromise on behaviours or discard people and situations that don’t meet our idea of normal (reality).
Consider this next time you use the word normal and although I know there are a million scenarios and justifications both legitimate and not, I think and feel the word is just too ambiguous and most of the time doesn’t make a lot of sense.
I think a great deal of what “normal” is comes out of the idea that we live in a heteronormative society, meaning that the masses have declared that heterosexuality is normal. Yes, I agree that normality is a relative issue, just as truth is (I fancy myself as a bit of a pomo). But, whilst the individual might view have their own perspective of normality, society dictates that there is a right way and a wrong way, and is prone to ostracise those who fail to fall into line. And, yes, you are right in saying that different societies have different views on normality.
Where does this leave us? Well, somehow there has to be a shift in the reality of many people for things that are currently presented as being normal to make things that we do accepted. But the masses don’t often change their opinions. And we can’t quite reach a matrix-like “reality is an illusion” answer just yet. So I guess that means that it is necessary to debunk heteronormativity, and prove that normality is relative.
So, yeah, I don’t really have a point aside from what you had already said, I was just yammering on in your comment box avoiding my reality for a while.
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Bj (TheJazman) Reply:
October 15th, 2009 at 6:29 am
Worry no more. I too have had problems with the word normal for several years. I studied psychology. I found out not in my study. But by my own sense of reason. Let me explain to you the word normal. Normal has two standards. The word describes your behavior as it pertains to you. Non other does it matter. Society use to jude all by it’s standards set for all. But not today. today you are judged by your own set standard of behavior. Any deviation from that norm(your own) would be considered abnormal. So,what is normal. A constant behavior that is your own. If that behavior should change then you would be abnormal accourding to the one’s who would judge you.
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I don’t fully agree with you their John. See I think that psychology has created so many radical symptoms, that you cant even adjust normally to a society who is full of lies and secrecy. Take the word of God, and take Sigmund Freud’s hereditary witchcraft line of bullshit that feeds America, which ones normal. I personally think people should quit using mental illness as an excuse.The Virginia Tech Shooter for instance, maybe psychology created an embarrassing label of bull, to feed people so he would be an outcast and weirdo creep to society.Wake up America, the medicines the quote and quote psychologist’s give people and the bull they feed you to make a labeled profit and a big money sign out of your past. God say’s not to dwell in the past. But how can you overcome it if it’s right in front of your face every freaking day. Get a life shrinks, quit taking advantage with your live like the Jones line of crap And worry about yourself. You cant take a speck out of your brothers eye if you cant remove the plank from your own eye hippocritte. Have a great night.
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I don’t think there is a “normal” wait scratch that I do I think each person has their own definition of “normal” just like everyone has their own “abnormal” or “strange” just like to one person tattoos/piercings make you a punk or a misfit but to another with a different outlook tattoos/piercings are art.
Sorry that the best example I could come up with but you get the point… Lol just my 2 cents
Cody
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being “normal” is being like other people…..average……if ur different or above average or even below average in any way then its defined as “abnormal” or atleast thats how it is in high school.
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I have pondered on the subject for quite a while as well. I like asking the question to people and reflecting ideas on what their normal vs. uniqueness is. It is said in the Bible that we are all Unique, yet normal is in my opinion what the majority would percieve as correct.
I think to look at the Bible which is the book where most answers can be found. We are all unique but the only thing we all have in common is that we were made in His image. Leading me to the point that we should all try to see Jesus as being normal and us as abnormal.
I think normal is a disguise for the the phrase
” acceptable by the communities’ majority”
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Normal is natural, sane & accepted by majority of community. If Twitter gets most of earth population to tweet -> we are normal. http://twitter.com/vices
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