Who's normal ?

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In Dutch we have a saying: doe normaal, dan doe je al gek genoeg. It translates to act normal, that's weird enough. I wonder who decides normality... Do you consider yourself "normal" , or not ? How you measure normality ? What is the norm ? Drunk

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Type: Discussion • Score: 13 • Views: 2,492 • Replies: 35

[+3] - Pepijn Sweep - 06/30/2010[i][color=#4000FF] :roll: I do not agree with common sense.[/color][/i] I doubt normal/common are positive descriptions; it's not my aim in life.

@Pepijn Sweep,

Pepijn Sweep wrote:

In Dutch we have a saying: doe normaal, dan doe je al gek genoeg. It translates to act normal, that's weird enough. I wonder who decides normality... Do you consider yourself "normal" , or not ? How you measure normality ? What is the norm ?

Hello Pepijn. I would say that I am not normal. Let me ask, is that smiley a hint, in regards to what is considered normal in society? Because if it is, I would say your observations would be rather correct. The publicly celebrated act of covering one's own problems via means of binge alcohol intoxication is considered a rather conventional activity. The puzzling things is, that's what's normal!
Its probably just me as I do not drink alcohol.

I guess I'm just not normal.

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i think i'm perfectly normal in my seeming abnormality

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Normal..is that doing normal things? is it acting normal? 99% of the time we all appear to fit the norm but as we are all so very different we are both normal and abnormal. If you are too abnormal they lock you up, so we dont see many of them..Some make a point of it, others cant help it..I have reputation on occassions to be not quite normal but then I think its normal...I dont know..

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@Pepijn Sweep,

Hi Pepijn!

Your thread is not based on common sense!

Have a great day, Pepijn!
Mark...

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@mark noble,

mark noble wrote:

Your thread is not based on common sense!

Pepijn Sweep wrote:

What is the norm ?

it appears to be based on Dutch Courage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_courage)
Razz

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@mark noble,

I do not agree with common sense.

I doubt normal/common are positive descriptions; it's not my aim in life.

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@djjd62,

I do not drink but our Brandewijn (Burning Wine) is excellent for preserves. Maybe our sailors got drunk on preserved fruits and drinking beer instead of water.

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@Soul Brother,

Yes I find it strange that normal could be seen as an almost law abidance,
and yet that so many laws are broken due to intoxication.
Why is alcohol such a norm when it leads to such abnormalities?
Unless society is leading the average man away from normality towards abnormality?
What could society have to gain form a drinkers abnormality?
(This is pretty out there but it came to mind;)
Are we drinking in defiance to Islam?
Is drinking a defiance to normality?

All my best,

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@xris,

Brilliant,
Is there such a thing as normal thought?
I was about to say there is normal brain activity and waves, but I don't think I can.
Is not every minds brain function and brain waves totally unique therefore no such thing as normal.
But then there must be a way of measuring such in terms of means,
so how did we find the average and middle line to brain activity?
Who invented the scale?
Is not the scale just one extreme of sanity to the other end insanity?
Can you really be more or less sane than another?
Confused?
How do we measure intelligence or better measure awareness?

Thanks xris

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@mark noble,

I am glad you used the word common.
But how can we measure the common and the sense other than the availed ability to understand something with speed familiarity?
Could not one mans common sense be not common but unique?

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@sometime sun,

Intoxication is relief from life's truths, Sometime... we all have our poisons. Intoxication divine can be dangerous if consumed with fervour and dogmatic attention. Moderation and respect for its effects. Thanks xris..

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@xris,

xris wrote:

Intoxication is relief from life's truths, Sometime... we all have our poisons. Intoxication divine can be dangerous if consumed with fervour and dogmatic attention. Moderation and respect for its effects. Thanks xris..

Yes funny how a drunk man will be even more insistent upon being respected.

I feel there is a lesson for me to learn in these words not just an answer to a question.

But I find my attention is circumstantial at best,

Thanks xris,
Thanks, sometime sun (smile)

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if normal eyesight is normal, why does everyone i know not have it? why dont they just make the printing in books bigger?

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The simple definition is that normal is being similar to the crowd, or at least some sizable subset of it.

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@Pepijn Sweep,

I would be inclined to say that normal means middle-class - live in a house, work a job, vote, play, drink, etc. Normality is simply what the people around you take for granted. Normality is a consensus definition of reality. Really nobody knows what the f*** is really going on half the time, we are all astoundingly ignorant. But normality allows you to just go along with the rest and feel as though everything is OK. Normality is The World. It is what the neighbours think, the popular television shows, 2.3 children, and all the rest of it. Normality is to be questioned, and most people are very unwilling to do it.

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I don't think normality can be defined, because there is no such thing as normality.

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@Transcend,

What do you think statisticians do for a living then?

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@jeeprs,

Why do scientists still work with this concept ? Or is it the simple version of statistics we use ? Why is "average" something acceptable ? Don't we all want to be different? But not to much... Rolling Eyes

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@Pepijn Sweep,

Pepijn Sweep wrote:

In Dutch we have a saying: doe normaal, dan doe je al gek genoeg. It translates to act normal, that's weird enough. I wonder who decides normality... Do you consider yourself "normal" , or not ? How you measure normality ? What is the norm ?

I consider myself to be normal in parts, with outcroppings of weirdness and a chance of dragons in the hinterland.

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Who's normal ?

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