if not, who or what decides what's NORMAL & what's NOT?
2007-04-06 06:37:06 · 16 answers · asked by enki 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
both/neither exactly... scientifically it would be based on what is Average- the Mean. Pathology is in the extremes. We each decide for ourselves what is normal as we compare ourselves to others. How are others like me? How are they different? We try to determine on our own, based on our perception of average norms (norm-al) around us. Our personal judgment on these matters can be very skewed because we are biased toward ourselves, and have a very limited sample that we've gathered our data from. The larger the sample, and less biased the observer, the more accurate your results will be. Everything tends toward the Mean- average opinions, thoughts, behaviors. Within a range (standard deviation, if you will) and anything within that range is "normal". Anything outside that range is not.
As far as humans are concerned "normal" does not necessarily equate to "right" or "good", nor is "abnormal" necessarily "bad" or "flawed". Anything that is not normal is just "different". Right and Wrong are a completely different discussion, but I felt that needed to be addressed as many people seem to make judgments of morality based on what they view as "Normal".
2007-04-06 09:42:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Normal is conforming to a statistical mean - a societal standard.
Hasn't anything to do with the "thoughts" of a majority - more along the lines of what "most" people do. That's how the "norm" is qualified. It is "average". The center point at which extremes are filtered out.
2007-04-06 07:06:22 · answer #2 · answered by pepper 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What most people do IS the majority. Being normal is being true to yourself, such as human instincts like love and despair. Hence it IS the majority.
2007-04-06 07:36:26 · answer #3 · answered by lexie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Normal is majority rule for your society. If we were in a cannibalistic tribe, eating humans would be normal.
2007-04-06 06:41:24 · answer #4 · answered by csucdartgirl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the time,
Normal = Average
(Huge Egos - Wee Talents) .
The first annual
Think-a-Do-Do-a-Think-IE-Erg-Eg-Egg Hunt.
2007-04-06 07:25:48 · answer #5 · answered by Tor Hershman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I feel like I'm being normal is when I'm being myself....not playing a role or having my guard up, but when I'm completely relaxed and myself.
2007-04-06 08:19:31 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your question will be answered in The FountainHead by Ayn Rand.
I promise.
2007-04-06 06:41:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
By definition, "normal" refers to what is most common.
2007-04-06 06:40:39 · answer #8 · answered by MOM KNOWS EVERYTHING 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yeah,i think so.... :)
that is the way the world goes....
and that's why few people just to be "normal" go into wrong paths and end up being "abnormal"
nice question.
2007-04-06 06:50:53 · answer #9 · answered by *~Hope~* 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you are the one that decides who you are!
no can decide for you..
you do what you think is normal..
not what everybody else does.
2007-04-09 02:20:29 · answer #10 · answered by Autumn 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋