What is Normal?
When we say that a person is normal, what exactly do we mean? What defines normality? Who decided what is normal and what is not? Should a society define normality according to their rules of life? Why is the definition of being normal so subjective? What if what we think is normal actually isn’t?
Many people are unable to accept something new and unusual. They automatically think it is crazy, inappropriate or mad. I can give you many examples. Just take a look at our history! What happened to Galileo? Everybody thought he was crazy because he claimed that the world is round. Well, apparently he was right. But at that time, he was considered a madman! What happened to the witches? In the Middle Ages, people burned witches because they were considered mad and demonic. Instead, witches were probably women who had different opinions and lived their lives in a more unusual way than the rest. What about gay people? Some people still think that there is something wrong with them. Why can’t we accept something different? We know that people are different. Nobody is the same. Then why are we so judgmental?
In my opinion, most people can’t accept something different because it tells them that things are not always the same. Different things invade most people’s opinions. Different things show them that there is an alternative to their thoughts. I think that most people are afraid of alternatives. It is difficult to accept something new and different if you had the same opinions throughout your entire life. For instance, a woman who was brought up in a Catholic family can’t accept the fact that some people have sex before marriage. She thinks that people who do this are inappropriate, crazy or unmoral. But are they?
I believe that there are no normal or crazy people, except for people who really have a serious mental illness. The meaning of normality is very subjective and it is impossible to determine if somebody’s behavior is normal or not. For example: Fred is very religious. On the other hand, Ben is not. Ben likes to drink and go to rave parties. Fred thinks Ben is crazy. Other people, who are similar to Ben, think that he is completely normal. He just wants to have fun.
Most people have high opinions of themselves; they think they are intellectual and modern. Well, if they are so modern, why do they still reject gays, tattoos, piercings or heavy metal music? This is very contradictory. You cannot claim that you are modern and open minded if you still cannot accept something new and unusual to you. I know this, from personal experience. I have two tattoos; both of them are on my wrists. When I reach out for something with my hands, they are very visible. I plan on getting more. Some people who I know, who say that they are very modern, gasped when they saw my tattoos. They said: “Oh my God! You are crazy! How could you do that? Why on your wrists? Why didn’t you hide them?! Why did you do it?” But before I got them, when I was just telling them that I was planning on getting them, they were completely different. They said they loved tattoos. See what I mean?
We say that every person is different. Well, if we truly think so, then we should learn how to accept different things. If something is unusual, it does not mean that it is not “normal” or that it should be banned. We have to learn how to accept our fellow human. For instance, I do not like gay people. I don’t hate them; I never offended a gay person in my entire life. Two very good friends of mine are gay. I just don’t like the idea. However, I never said they were crazy, mad or inappropriate. I simply think that gay is against Mother Nature. But, I have accepted the fact that some people are gay and I will never say anything offensive about them. I accepted them, in my head. People are entitled to live their lives the way they want to, as long as their way of living doesn’t hurt someone. We should learn how to accept various things if we truly want to be modern and intellectual.
When we say that a person is normal, what exactly do we mean? What defines normality? Who decided what is normal and what is not? Should a society define normality according to their rules of life? Why is the definition of being normal so subjective? What if what we think is normal actually isn’t?
Many people are unable to accept something new and unusual. They automatically think it is crazy, inappropriate or mad. I can give you many examples. Just take a look at our history! What happened to Galileo? Everybody thought he was crazy because he claimed that the world is round. Well, apparently he was right. But at that time, he was considered a madman! What happened to the witches? In the Middle Ages, people burned witches because they were considered mad and demonic. Instead, witches were probably women who had different opinions and lived their lives in a more unusual way than the rest. What about gay people? Some people still think that there is something wrong with them. Why can’t we accept something different? We know that people are different. Nobody is the same. Then why are we so judgmental?
In my opinion, most people can’t accept something different because it tells them that things are not always the same. Different things invade most people’s opinions. Different things show them that there is an alternative to their thoughts. I think that most people are afraid of alternatives. It is difficult to accept something new and different if you had the same opinions throughout your entire life. For instance, a woman who was brought up in a Catholic family can’t accept the fact that some people have sex before marriage. She thinks that people who do this are inappropriate, crazy or unmoral. But are they?
I believe that there are no normal or crazy people, except for people who really have a serious mental illness. The meaning of normality is very subjective and it is impossible to determine if somebody’s behavior is normal or not. For example: Fred is very religious. On the other hand, Ben is not. Ben likes to drink and go to rave parties. Fred thinks Ben is crazy. Other people, who are similar to Ben, think that he is completely normal. He just wants to have fun.
Most people have high opinions of themselves; they think they are intellectual and modern. Well, if they are so modern, why do they still reject gays, tattoos, piercings or heavy metal music? This is very contradictory. You cannot claim that you are modern and open minded if you still cannot accept something new and unusual to you. I know this, from personal experience. I have two tattoos; both of them are on my wrists. When I reach out for something with my hands, they are very visible. I plan on getting more. Some people who I know, who say that they are very modern, gasped when they saw my tattoos. They said: “Oh my God! You are crazy! How could you do that? Why on your wrists? Why didn’t you hide them?! Why did you do it?” But before I got them, when I was just telling them that I was planning on getting them, they were completely different. They said they loved tattoos. See what I mean?
We say that every person is different. Well, if we truly think so, then we should learn how to accept different things. If something is unusual, it does not mean that it is not “normal” or that it should be banned. We have to learn how to accept our fellow human. For instance, I do not like gay people. I don’t hate them; I never offended a gay person in my entire life. Two very good friends of mine are gay. I just don’t like the idea. However, I never said they were crazy, mad or inappropriate. I simply think that gay is against Mother Nature. But, I have accepted the fact that some people are gay and I will never say anything offensive about them. I accepted them, in my head. People are entitled to live their lives the way they want to, as long as their way of living doesn’t hurt someone. We should learn how to accept various things if we truly want to be modern and intellectual.
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