Flash Flash Revolution: Community Forums

Flash Flash Revolution: Community Forums (http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/vbz/index.php)
-   Critical Thinking (http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/vbz/forumdisplay.php?f=33)
-   -   What exactly is "normal" and why? (http://www.flashflashrevolution.com/vbz/showthread.php?t=69780)

Master_of_the_Faster 06-4-2007 11:06 PM

What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
What do people in society view as "normal" and why? I mean we have the same jobs (some of us), same hobbies, certain religions (some of us), same body functions such as eating and breathing, and other characteristics. Not to mention the environment, diseases that spread, human conflicts, and death. Is this the way life is meant to be for ever? Why do some people just come to the conclusion that they can live life the way they do and consider it "normal"? Also, isn't there more than having the same jobs that people have had in the past or present (or jobs similar to that in these times)? I just want to hear from everyone else before I might say something (because I can't think of anything right now unless someone brings up a good point).

devonin 06-4-2007 11:12 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
The only remotely reasonable definition of "normal" as it applies to humans is "The particular behavior/habit/belief which is held by the majority of the people" but as a definition it is one that I consider pretty useless and that "normal" is a pretty idiotic term to apply to people at all.

Relambrien 06-4-2007 11:37 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by devonin (Post 1572568)
The only remotely reasonable definition of "normal" as it applies to humans is "The particular behavior/habit/belief which is held by the majority of the people" but as a definition it is one that I consider pretty useless and that "normal" is a pretty idiotic term to apply to people at all.

Devonin wins the thread. "Normal" can pretty much -only- be defined as the standard, and the standard is set by the majority.

Though all-too-often, the majority changes without realizing it, and the old definition of "normal" is retained until society realizes that the standard has changed, necessitating a change in the definition of "normal." Take for instance, the old "world is flat" belief. This was the normal, the standard. It took years for the majority to change to the "world is round" belief, and now that is considered normal.

"Normal" is a very volatile (as in unstable) term that only applies to the majority at a certain point in time.

devonin 06-4-2007 11:42 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
Quote:

"Normal" is a very volatile (as in unstable) term that only applies to the majority at a certain point in time.
And it is the inherent instability and volatility of the term that makes me say that any attempt to use it is necessarily misguided.

Master_of_the_Faster 06-4-2007 11:58 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Relambrien (Post 1572617)
Take for instance, the old "world is flat" belief. This was the normal, the standard. It took years for the majority to change to the "world is round" belief, and now that is considered normal.

Well, if you guys could change the definition of normal, would you say that in order for something to be "normal" that it should be 100% true?

Relambrien 06-5-2007 12:01 AM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
Ninja'ed by MotF

Quote:

Originally Posted by devonin (Post 1572625)
And it is the inherent instability and volatility of the term that makes me say that any attempt to use it is necessarily misguided.

Perhaps, yes. However, if everyone involved in a conversation understands the meaning of "normal" in the specific context and time in which the speaker means it, then I see no problem with it.

Unfortunately, such a situation is rare at best. So I agree that in the overwhelming majority of situations, it's better to avoid using the term. However, as there always are, there are exceptions, in which the word is understood by all involved exactly how the speaker means for it to be.

Still, you as a speaker don't know how your listeners will interpret your words, making such a situation almost impossible to achieve.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Master_of_the_Faster
Well, if you guys could change the definition of normal, would you say that in order for something to be "normal" that it should be 100% true?

To be considered "normal," I think something should be a standard that will never change, something that can always be compared against. Thus, it is impossible for anything to be considered "normal," as change is inevitable in virtually all situations. Except death and taxes. Both of those, I consider normal (See what I did there?).

Hollus 06-5-2007 12:18 AM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
But when you're talking about the majority and "normal" people in society, being normal is abnormal. Even by conformist standards, people have so many quirks and individual habits. If you look at it a different way, some one following every "normal" aspect of society is abnormal, because almost nobody does that. When you get the average of such a varied population, barely anyone falls exactly in the middle, like an IQ test. The majority of people falls sightly off of either side of 100 points. Only a small fraction of people score the average. Those people, even though their getting the "normalest" score, they're abnormal. Being a normal person, actually means you're special. :)

Kilroy_x 06-5-2007 01:09 AM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 


Where that line is. Because, that's the definition. Well, I guess there's the median and modal averages as well, as people have already stated in some form. As has already been pointed out, any attempt to treat this as a basis for determining things such as right or wrong is generally quite silly.

Chrissi 06-5-2007 08:45 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
A normal is a line that is perpendicular to a surface.

That's about it.

No, but really, I'd say normal is the average of human experience. If you had a person who was "average", they'd be "normal". I don't know if such a person exists.

Edit: Crap, I was ninja'd by about 19 hours. How did I miss that?

Master_of_the_Faster 06-5-2007 10:47 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrissi (Post 1574217)
If you had a person who was "average", they'd be "normal". I don't know if such a person exists.

How can an average person be normal? Some would say that an average person is abnormal if they stick with their own views as normal. I would say that ultimately the definition of normal is how a person, group of people, or the entire society define something that they believe generally occurs, but since If you mentioned percentage of what is considered "normal", things could be kind of messy because no one would be able to determine where the line is drawn between people who are normal and abnormal. For example, people would argue that why do people have to be 99% a certain way in order to be considered normal while 1% is abnormal for what they do? Instead, people could argue that 98% of people act a certain way while 2% are abnormal. This is why I would say that normal would probably be best left at something that is 100% or atleast the percentage is always true (since as outlined by others, something is bound to change so it's highly unlikely), but the definition of what is "normal" makes no sense because if everyone believed the same thing is 100% true, (for example, like if everyone in the world believed that 1+1=2 [hypothetically because some people can't add]) the word itself implies that something is abnormal which would not exist. I personally don't like the word "normal" because it's a negative steriotype to people who aren't considered "normal" by a person, group of people, or the entire society. To me, the consideration of what is "normal" is usually a way to simply exclude people from society.

Edit: When I said that some people can't add, this doesn't imply that I view people who can add as normal where the people who can't add as abnormal. This simply means that the people who can't add are wrong, but being wrong isn't always viewed as being abnormal.

dbltch 06-6-2007 01:55 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
Everyone made this all to technical. The way I comprehended the question was completely different.

What is normal? Normal is garbage, its a way of putting people down. In America if you arent normal you are shunned from society to be with the other "weird" people. Normal is a belief just like Popularity is a belief, popularity exists because popular people think they are popular its just a way to compare and compete, that is the nature of humans. If people were able to disregard normality and get past the different ways people live their lives and are able to look at ideas from more than one side than perhaps we will all be living in a better world

Master_of_the_Faster 06-6-2007 03:18 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
Is there anyone who doesn't believe that "normal" is just garbage? I would imagine that proponents of banning gay marriage wouldn't believe that "normal" is garbage.

devonin 06-6-2007 05:35 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
Why, unless you want to be specious and claim that absolutely everything anyone disagrees with is "abnormal" to them.

moches 06-8-2007 10:03 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
I don't think there is really a "normal". Everyone is a person that is completely unique. So to call one person "normal" would be like saying,"Here are the basics, you must conform to these basics." Everyone can do what they want to do without having to be called "weird". So really, the concept of "normal" is nothing more than a bias.

Did anybody understand half of what I just said?

Master_of_the_Faster 06-8-2007 10:08 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
Well I understand you, but "normal" isn't just society. "Normal" can also be how a person defines him/herself. Unfortunatly, to some people, the "normal" standards for society as a whole would govern them instead of actually thinking for themselves.

devonin 06-9-2007 02:58 AM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
How is making the free decision "I am going to make an effort to conform to what I percieve as preexisting standards" not thinking for yourself?

chunky_cheese 06-9-2007 02:59 AM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
People are "normally" unique.

devonin 06-9-2007 03:02 AM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
People have all manner of beliefs, opinions and tendencies in common. How is it somehow offensive to conclude that a belief held by a vast majority of people is "normal" and that people who do not hold to the same belief differ from the "norm"?

People are using the word "normal" they are not explicitly attaching a value judgement that "normal" is the same as "good" and that "abnormal" is the same as "bad" so why are people reacting like that is the explicit presupposition?

Coca Cola 06-9-2007 03:14 AM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
People are afraid of abnormal, so they make everything "normal". Or at least they try to.

Lone--Wanderer 06-9-2007 02:57 PM

Re: What exactly is "normal" and why?
 
The concept of what if normal and what is not depends entirely upon the person in question; in my mind, antisocial, intelligent, secluded people who like to play video games of some sort are "normal".

:D

Notice also that "normal" tends to coincide with how the person in question acts.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:50 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright FlashFlashRevolution