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What is "normal"?

jay gw

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What is a "normal" person like? How would you know if you're normal or not? Is there any objective way of knowing?
 
jay gw said:
What is a "normal" person like? How would you know if you're normal or not? Is there any objective way of knowing?
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Once you have an answer to your first question, the other answers fall in line. You would know if you were normal or not by comparing yourself to the first answer, which would be your objective way of knowing.

So, the problem is all wrapped up in that first question. First, what does "normal" even mean? The first defintion here is

Conforming with, adhering to, or constituting a norm, standard, pattern, level, or type; typical
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So, a normal human is one that conforms to norms, see? Simple. :D

The problem is that a human is an amalgamation of thousands (probably millions or more, really) of different faculties, each one with its own set of norms. Does one have to be normal in every area (eyesight, height, political ideals and the strength thereof...) to be a normal person? If not, how many areas can they be abnormal in and still qualify for overall normalcy? How many abnormal parts is it normal for a human to have? Are all abnormalities equal (is having 20/30 vision equally as abnormal as having six fingers)?

All as a long-winded way of saying that normalcy in humans is not something that can be defined in concrete terms. One needs to get a little fuzzy, I'm afraid, to complete the task, and it's too late for my brain to be fuzzy at the moment, so I'll hand this off to someone else. ;)
 
Originally posted by jay gw

What is a "normal" person like? How would you know if you're normal or not? Is there any objective way of knowing?
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I think it's normal to wonder if you're normal or not.
 
jay gw said:
What is a "normal" person like? How would you know if you're normal or not? Is there any objective way of knowing?
Click to expand...

Depends. Do you mean "average" or "healthy"?

Long posts mean you're average, and short posts mean you're healthy. Absence of a tin-foil hat is a big plus and seems to go along with short posts.
 
Nobody's "normal". Normalcy is a shared delusion, what we imagine most people are like. Everyone is actually completely mad. Some hide it better. But the more you get to know someone, the more you realize they're crazy.
 
"Am I normal?" is not a question that I would consider. I make the assumption that "I am normal". Therefore, everyone like me is also normal and everyone contrary is not normal. If you do not agree, then you are not normal and your opinion will be disregarded.
 
jay gw said:
What is a "normal" person like? How would you know if you're normal or not? Is there any objective way of knowing?
Click to expand...

"Normal" is when you stop thinking about something because you're used to it.
 
On normalcy

I make it a policy to act completely abnormal where situations allow (i.e. I don't get arrested or lose my job). It is quite refreshing to just act completely off the wall, and watch people's reactions... especially when they go along with it. See Trigger Happy TV for examples... it is only funny if you imagine yourself doing what they are doing.

On a side note, I think that the concept of normal is what drives people to mediocrity and ennui, and is the cause of most of the miseries in life... conforming to something because you believe you have to in a societal sense, rather than for your own satisfaction, with some obvious exceptions.
 
Re: On normalcy

Gestahl said:
I make it a policy to act completely abnormal where situations allow (i.e. I don't get arrested or lose my job). It is quite refreshing to just act completely off the wall, and watch people's reactions... especially when they go along with it. See Trigger Happy TV for examples... it is only funny if you imagine yourself doing what they are doing.

On a side note, I think that the concept of normal is what drives people to mediocrity and ennui, and is the cause of most of the miseries in life... conforming to something because you believe you have to in a societal sense, rather than for your own satisfaction, with some obvious exceptions.
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Some good points, Gestahl.


Show me a truly successful person who seems to be normal..

normal = mediocre
 
Re: Re: What is "normal"?

Marquis de Carabas said:
The problem is that a human is an amalgamation of thousands (probably millions or more, really) of different faculties, each one with its own set of norms.
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One thing most believers fail to understand is that you run into the same problem with "perfect"- even though most of them will prattle on about god being "perfect", they cannot tell you what that means.
 
Re: Re: On normalcy

Diogenes said:
Show me a truly successful person who seems to be normal..

normal = mediocre
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You can be mediocre and successful at the same time. There are different types of success, you know. I know plenty of mediocre people who have done quite well for themselves at their mediocre lives. They're boring, I grant, but that doesn't make them unsuccessful at anything other than being interesting.
 
Re: Re: Re: What is "normal"?

Piscivore said:
One thing most believers fail to understand is that you run into the same problem with "perfect"- even though most of them will prattle on about god being "perfect", they cannot tell you what that means.
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I've had similar discussions about perfection before. Luckily, I know the definition...

Perfect: All 18 stats (well, 18/00 for STR), unless you're using those whacked-out 3d edition rules. :D
 
Without deviation (from the norm), progress itself is impossible.--Frank Zappa
 
Re: Re: On normalcy

Diogenes said:
Show me a truly successful person who seems to be normal..
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It's just easy to accept a successful person who is not normal. But a much greater test to accept a not normal person who is also not successful.

There is also a difference between trying to be not normal and being not normal. A person who is not normal feels normal, and everyone else seems not normal to that person. A person who is trying to be not normal feels not normal, and everyone else seems normal to that person.

When I said before that I was normal and everyone else is not normal, that is what I meant. I am also not successful from everyone else's point of view, though quite successful from my own point of view.

Anyone understand this, or am I the only normal one here?

BillyJoe
 
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