What is normal & who says it is ?

Question

It's a term you hear often when you are disabled but instead of Normal should it be common.

Answer 1

Well, I don't know who says it is, but I say it's NOT!!!!! To me, there's no normal or not normal there are just people. People who are all slightly different.

Answer 2

When it comes to psychological and physical disabilities, a norm (and what gets translated to the vernacular as normal) is a technical term. When determining how the average person acts/reacts or is able to function, a large number of people will be tested in a broad age range. Using the idea of a Bell curve, those whose performance is in the medium range (at the top of the curve) are perceived to be reacting/performing appropriately (based on the thinking that the majority rules). Those who fall to either side of the Bell curve, are considered to either have a difficiency (such as rickets being a vitamin deficiency) or an excess (a sunburn is an excess of sun exposure).

In the end, what is considered normal is what the majority of the people tested and supposedly in the broader society actually do.

Answer 3

If you are in prison, violence and things like that are normal to you, if you work in surgery, blood and seeing open body parts are normal to you, but these things to an outsider would freak them out, normal is different for everyone. Being disabled, is pretty much normal to me, I work in the medical field and dont pay it any mind because I see it so much, it is normal to me.

Answer 4

Normal does mean the mean, or common. In literal and technical circles. Everywhere else it means the opposite of abnormal. Which can be a term of abuse.

Answer 5

Normal is a set of average parameters for the general populace or normal for a select group.

Answer 6

Personally I've never wanted to be normal, in the sense of being like everyone else. It's highly overrated.

Answer 7

You should also post this question in the Social Sciences/Sociology section. I'm not saying it was bad to post here, but I think you'd get even more answers there and new points of view.

Answer 8

Normal can be loads of things! but most people have a different point to normal its just an expression to what is and you define as normal.....who says it is?..everybody, depending on what you see as normal....dunno if this is any good but hey i tried

GOOD Q!!!

Answer 9

the term generally does mean common, but i can understand what you are saying and 'normal' must be insulting to you if its use suggests that you are abnormal

Answer 10

i am totally disabled, and i am not normal in the way somethings are done, i just adapt. i would give my right arm if that was all i had to worry about. please dont take it to heart the ones who say things like that usually mean no disrespect.