Normal??

United States
November 3, 2008 12:39am CST
During my college years, I took a class entitled Introduction to Human Services. I learned alot from that class and still to this day carry alot of what I learned into my everyday life. The class taught me that everyone has needs that have to be met and the lengths some will go to meet those needs. But the one thing that I took away from that class was something that was asked from the instructor and actually set the tone of the class for the remainder of the semester. The very first question she posed to the class was : What is the definition of normal? The follow up to that question was: Who says? Merriam-Webster's definition of normal: occurring naturally, according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle, conforming to a type,standard, or regular pattern. My question is this...what is normal to you and how many individuals would deem it normal?? For me, I don't think normal has a definition. It is what you think it is. Makes you think doesn't it?
1 response
sudiptacallingu
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
3 Nov 08
I would definitely go by the Webster definition of normal coz to me, that is what I expect from people around me and that is the way I behave with them. I have been brought about in a certain way and I have seen similar values and behavioural pattern among my peers and family and friends and acquaintances. Now, if I were to go to some remote island nation on the Pacific, I may see things which would not be ‘normal’ to me but even then, there would be certain things they do which would fall in the general normal human behaviour pattern. So I don’t really agree that normal should be to each his own coz then you (not you, personally) are actually hurtling towards disintegration of society and also questioning your own sanity at times!
staysee34
@staysee34 (94)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Granted, I agree that there are social norms that are true across the board but there are also all those little things that people will "freak" about because it's not normal for them but it is for you. Here is an example from my own life: When I was pregnant with my first daughter, her father and my sister had an affair. I left him naturally lol. They married a year later and were married for 10 years. People couldn't wrap their heads around the idea of having her aunt be your step-mom, her dad be your uncle, and her 2 cousins were also her half brothers. Still to this day people think we are weird over something we had no choice in. But I would defend her as saying it's normal for her...it's what she knows and has known since she was born...her aunt is her aunt and her dad is her dad. That's what I'm talking about here. What people see as abnormal is completely normal to someone else.