Can anyone tell me WHO?

Question

deceides what is "NORMAL"?

Answer 1

nice question, have been wondering about that myself regularly.

Normal means that the behaviour does not differ much from the average. Thus society as a whole decides what is normal and what is not together. And that means that the definition depends on what group you refer to. In one country nosepicking may be normal, but not in another, and in one group of friends it is all right to arrive too late but not in another. Laws and unwritten rules and etiquette will tell you what is normal or not - and these are based on the society.

this website is sort of fun to read through http://www.calresco.org/lucas/normal.htm
they claim that there is no such thing as being normal as the average does not exist!

(at the following website you can judge for yourself if some things are normal or not: http://isitnormal.com/)

Answer 2

It's the general consensus of the local population. I used to live in NYC, and now live in rural Montana. Let me tell you, what I grew up viewing as 'normal' could get someone run out of town here, even today, in the era of instantaneous communication. I've met people here in their 50's who've never seen a real gay person. I know people who've never seen an Asian Indian, or a Muslim of any kind. They've never seen a gang member, but they've never seen a live play (other than a HS play) either.

Living here has many good points, but it is a cultural & diversity vacuum. I treasure my trips to NY & Seattle for the sense of normalcy it gives me. While the people here view it as normal, I view it as kind of a surreal 50's style Twilight Zone.

Answer 3

Your are asking a good question but I will answer that by asking a question back... Is there REALLY anything that is normal? Define normal? We are all different and just because there are laws (or whatever ...) "to keep things normal" it doesn't really mean it is because we are all different. The world would certainly be boring if we were all the same, no?

Answer 4

First of all, we are all unique, so to be normal is herd mentality, you know do as I do, say as I say, think as I think. And the ones who are dictating (subliminally) are those that control the media, education, law, religion etc. They are the ones that want to control people, so through these avenues (law, education,media, religion, etc) they have accomplished having humans police humans into following what is considered the norm (mind control). And "They" are the ones behind the government, the ones in control of all of it, the richest people alive like Rockefellers and Rothchilds amongst others.

Answer 5

From /Twelve Monkeys/, starring Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis:

JEFFREY [Pitt]: "You know what crazy is? Crazy is majority rules. Take germs, for example."
JAMES [Willis]: "Germs?"
JEFFREY: "Uh-huh. In the eighteenth century, no such thing, nada, nothing. No one ever imagined such a thing. No sane person, anyway. Ah! Ah! Along comes this doctor, uh, uh, uh, Semmelweis, Semmelweis. Semmelweis comes along. He's trying to convince people, well, other doctors mainly, that's there's these teeny tiny invisible bad things called germs that get into your body and make you sick. Ah? He's trying to get doctors to wash their hands. What is this guy? Crazy? Teeny, tiny, invisible? What do you call it? Uh-uh, germs? Huh? What?

"Now, cut to the 20th century. Last week, as a matter of fact, before I got dragged into this hellhole. I go in to order a burger in this fast food joint, and the guy drops it on the floor. Jim, he picks it up, he wipes it off, he hands it to me like it's all OK. "What about the germs?" I say. He says, "I don't believe in germs. Germs is just a plot they made up so they can sell you disinfectants and soaps." Now he's crazy, right? See? Ah! Ah! There's no right, there's no wrong, there's only popular opinion. "

Answer 6

That's usually determined by consensus among the members of a culture or sub-culture. There is no universal definition of "normal," although those who aren't able to function well, or at all, are usually not considered normal by any culture.

Answer 7

The Oxford English Dictionary

You can find lottsa defintions like "normal" here

Answer 8

Normal was a big orange cat I had! Otherwise normal scares the hell out of me!!

Answer 9

I have always wondered that. I think the "who" that decides what is normal is society as a whole, and not just one indivual person.

Answer 10

Normal is defined by a societal acceptance at large - this does not always define what is right, however.