Can Somebody Define 'Normal' For me?

So it would seem, eh Mito?

I'm comming to the conclusion that Normal is a level of being one will never be able to obtain.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

no, you're missing it. Abnormality IS normal, the normal you seem to be looking for doesn't exist. The only way there could be a single definition of normal is if there was only one person on the entire planet or we were all identical clones.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

buffys! right on!

hey it was that thought almost exacty that led me to the notion of "the perfection of imperfection" around the time I was 17 and on into "Your Function", more recently.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

Exactly. My stats prof explained it something like this.

"Don't take averages and norms to actually have real meaning. I mean, if you were researching to make a product appeal to the 'average' person, you could get into a lot of trouble. For instance, some people only have one leg, others have none. So trousers designed for the 'average' person would need something less than two legs. Would you buy those?"

 

"Normal" is what is defined to be common through society's rules and costumes. It definetely changes from one culture to another. For example, it is "normal" in North America that people should consume a lot, in exageration. It is also "normal" to regard rich people as being better than poor people...

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

It is also "normal" to have celebrities and try to be like them. It is also "normal" to think of yourself before others. And for sure, it is also "normal" to try to immitate other people just so that you can feel accepted.

Fortunately enough, I don't fall in any of these categories and, thus, I'm not "normal"...

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

Actually (and no offense Truth) but I think that list is a load of crap, essentially a gross generalization listing all the sterotypes of western society. The only one I agree with and would argue is fundamental part of society, infact in the animal kingdom as a whole (during adolecense especially) is "it is also "normal" to try to immitate other people just so that you can feel accepted."

 

Unfortunately, it is not overgeneralization. If you think it is, try sitting back and watching TV for a while. The amount of useless junk that is sold, and the quantity of "real TV" programs such as "Bachelor", "Survival" and "American Idol" might give you a hint that I'm unfortunately not overgeneralizing.

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

And you can always browse through magazines that tell you how to reduce your weight and try to be like hollywood celebs, or the ones that tell all the latest gossips about those same celebs....

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

yes those things exist of course and it's even prevelent but that doesn't make it the norm, it makes it good advertizing. As I've been saying throughout this thread, there is no such thing as "the norm".

 

Depends a lot on what you consider "the norm". If it is what is most common in our society, than thsoe are the norms. But if it means something that comes from us in birth, than absolutely not.

 

ok, let me try this from another angle.

38 million Americans (roughly) watch American Idol (a lot but not a "normal" activity by any definition of the word)
40% of Americans are overweight (a ghastly number but still not a norm)
18% of americans think the sun revolves around the earth (I threw this one in just because more people believe this than watched "idol")

you get my point, your statements are generalizations.

 

I believe that being normal is being predictable and that would
only apply to certain aspects of anyones personality,
meaning that in some aspects you are "normal" and others
you are wierd.

 

When your car starts making funny noises, you say "That's not normal."
When a teenager spends hours in his/her room playing video games, etc. you say "That's normal." but if he/she does it every day for months on end, you say "That's not normal."

It seems to me that "not normal" usually implies something needs to be fixed.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Therefore, if it ain't broke, it's normal (no matter how wierd).

 

Well I go with Buffy on this one. I for one despise those 'Reality' T.V shows. I mean damn those reality T.V shows are as close as soem people get to reality. Who would waste their whole time just watching T.V? I don't watch normal shows...I'm obsessed with anime -.-' Sad but true. I'm sick and tired of watching 'Reality T.V' becuase I'm living my own life, why would I waste my time watching theirs? -Directed to Truth-

Ain't broke? Can a person be broken? Just curious. I broke my foot. So thats not normal [weird] so in order to be normal I have to fix it? That seems off. [Yes off, don't ask.]

 

Try this: 40% of americans are overweigt, 35% are just right and 25% are underweight. Which one is the highest percentage?

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

(And no, thinking the sun revolvs aroud the earth is obviously no a norm. Even without the statitic, one would asume that it is not normal to believe in that.)

 

A whole lot of people don't think that way....

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

ok, I see. Since you think the overweight stat backs your view it's fine but you dismiss the sun around the earth stat because it doesn't. Less people watch "idol" than believe that.

If "idol" is an example of the norm as you elluded in an earlier post then the belief the sun revolves around the eart is even more normal. You can't have it both ways.

 

People who try to be wierd are people who are ashamed of how mediocre they really are.

 

I love reality tv shows, and pop music.

 

Everyone is weird, some are weirder than others, the most weird ones are the ones that think they are normal, because they have no clear defenition of what normal is, which has been proven be reading this thread.

So weirdos what daya think?.

Godless.

 

There's just one simple way of looking at this .... you're all wierd ... including me, my friends, my neighbours, this whole damn world is wierd.

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!