Is there a such thing as something "normal"?

Question

When someone tells you you're not "normal" is there a such thing since everyone is different.

Answer 1

Normal is not really a concept fit for everyone, when someone says your not normal, they are refering to what they think is normal, not the social norm. I don't think there is such a thing a normal.

Answer 2

No, there is no such thing as "normal".

There is the word "nominal" which has a somewhat similar yet ominous tone to it.

The US Navy uses the term "Nominal" for "normal" because when you're at sea, or especially underwater theres no such thing as "normal" about being in a tube full of air, with millions of pounds of water all around you.

Example: Engineering Officer asks the NCOIC of the watch "Hows the reactor doing?" NCOIC says "Nominal"- which means it can be either totally fired up at 100% of maxium power or it can be in stone cold wet layup.

Hows your g/f? Oh, she's "nominal"- which means she exists and she could be as sweet as could be- or she could be a raging insane woman- but she's still your g/f

Answer 3

The word normal originally means group. If you refer its semantic meaning, 'normal' is probably anything, i.e. behavior, that represents its own group (normally, students learn, parents take care of their children, etc). So, as you put it, if a group is paranoid, then doing paranoid things is 'normal' according to, and only to, that group.

However, nativists believe that there is a default design for human being, a template if you prefer. The consequence of this is that we have default and universal responses toward popular stimuli. These universal responses is what we believe to be normal behavior.

I guess

Answer 4

though i am only a psych major in college i tend to explain it like this

normal is a behavior that doesn't get any attention as being abnormal and for the most part something isn't abnormal until it causes the person unwanted anxiety (stress) to the person being abnormal.

for example, a person who dresses a particular way to get attention, and is satisfied with the attention they are getting is normal. where as a person who dress a up in that same way but hates the attention and continues to wear it (not due to other forces like poverty) is abnormal.

so basically normal isn't so much decided by social norms for things like clothing, but whether a person is doing something that he or she is okay with. that goes double for this day and age

Answer 5

There are attitudes and/ or actions people have and/or perform that are considered typical, thus normal or average. I think a better way to look at that idea is from the perspective of being "average". It's usually deemed good to be above average.

Answer 6

Is there a normal?Normal is how society sees what we do in our everyday life.We all look at the world thru rose colored glasses,but everyones shade of rose is different.

Answer 7

Absolutely not! Normal is just a concept that is used to shame people about being "real."

Answer 8

Normal is some thing that is accepted by the majority if you are in the minority you are not not normal

Answer 9

yes

Answer 10

yes there is but it is just too weird