On the Subject of Normality:

Kitsuner · Post by **Kitsuner** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:36 pm

What is normal? Limiting this to human behavior, how do normal people act? Do you consider yourself normal? Would you say the Org is mostly normal, or mostly abnormal? Do you think normality is a good thing?

BasharOfTheAges · Post by **BasharOfTheAges** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:25 pm

Normal is the status quo that most seem to believe, think, feel, and act. It's treated as a concrete status or state, but is more perception-based than that. For example - It's the common perception that "normal people" don't do drugs. In reality, it's more likely than you think. The perception of Normal is established to create a safe zone for our own psyches and our group psyches and such established understandings have come from (at least in more recent decades) a mixture of statistics and political correctness with quite a bit of fear-based "morality" thrown in. Now "normal" should be nothing more than statistical, you'd think, but psychologists say abnormal behavior (or the tendencies towards it) is something that causes the individual undue stress (conveniently not taking into account "fear of acceptance" or "fear of prosecution").

As for good or bad, I think it's neither. "Safe" would be a more appropriate term. Safe in the sense that the idea or perception that someone is normal makes you feel safer around them. Now, personally, i'd feel safer around someone that isn't a psychopath (a form of "abnormal") but I wouldn't feel any more or less safe around someone that doesn't know how to drive a car (another form of abnormal, statistically) unless they happened to be behind the wheel.

Maybe it's me, but I find it difficult to judge someone as "normal" or "abnormal" by simply talking to them on the internet or meeting them a few times a year at cons. People have quirks, mannerisms, obsessions, fixations, etc. that might move them towards one side or the other, but "normal" is more of a thick line on a graph than a narrow mold where we all fit. Everyone has oddities - many they don't talk about. It isn't all exactly black and white. Normal is a wide spectrum that we perceive to be narrow due to our own insecurities.

downwithpants · Post by **downwithpants** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:29 pm

who the hell are you

inthesto · Post by **inthesto** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:17 am

Normal force is when you push on something, and an equal force pushes back on you.

Outside of that, who fucking cares.

CodeZTM · Post by **CodeZTM** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:26 am

Normal=Socially Accepted
Abnoral=Not Socially Accepted

Yea, I know, lazy answer, but what the heck, it's late.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure I'm in a happy medium inbetween the two. :O

Mithroch · Post by **Mithroch** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 2:00 am

Bryr_Röz wrote:What is normal?

A college town in Illinois. Do I win?

requiett · Post by **requiett** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 4:00 am

What are hot dogs? Limiting this to Oscar Meyer, how do normal franks taste? Do you consider yourself an Oscar Meyer weiner? Would you say the FDA is mostly Oscar Meyer, or mostly Ballpark? Do you think Oscar Meyer is a good hot dog?

ZephyrStar · Post by **ZephyrStar** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:58 pm

I'll invent a normality drive to discover what is normal. Until then, please enjoy being a hamster for today.

Nessephanie · Post by **Nessephanie** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:44 pm

Why did you change your name? :\

JaddziaDax · Post by **JaddziaDax** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:11 pm

he wanted to be a disney princess?

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On the Subject of Normality:

On the Subject of Normality:

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