Normality and Human Behavior

Despite the fact that we like to think we have a free choice in our individuality, normalcy is forced through the constant pressure from society around us. In conforming, we receive advantages such as jobs, money, affection, all of which originate from conforming to the normalities of our society. In conforming, we try to satisfy others but not ourselves in fear of rejection. In our desperate attempts to please others, we often lose a part of ourselves in the process. Being deemed normal in society is a major part of everyone 's lives and the abnormal are usually excluded from the public eye. In this paper I will prove how the forced sense of normalcy is ingrained into our minds even if we believe that we are free.

The author, Leslie Fiedler writes about the differences in what it means to be normal. She discusses this in a professional manner that opens eyes to what we have disguised and even been ashamed of. “The Tyranny of the Normal,” we learn much about what we perceive as abnormal and what society seems to portray normal as. We discover what we believe is normal and also what has changed through-out the history of this subject. Our minds are opened and exposed to the world of abnormalities and how we see them.

The term ‘abnormal’ means deviating from the average. Therefore, if we were to adopt a literal approach to defining abnormality, we would conclude that any rare behaviour or ability was abnormal. This, however, is not a useful way of defining abnormality as it doesn’t take into account whether or not the behaviour is desirable. There are three ways of defining abnormality; deviation from

Cultural normalities influence people’s everyday lives, even in smallest ways. The sheer presence of a norm proceeds to have the ability to shift people's thoughts and actions both in public and within their own households. In TIbet, religion and tensions with China help to formulate behavior and patriotism within the population that considers themselves “Tibetan”. Both patriotism and religion arise in a range of texts including books, poems, articles, and journals. Heinrich Harrer (1997) perfectly utilizes cultural norms in his autobiographical book Seven Years in Tibet to describe his experiences with the locals, including the Dalai Lama during 1944 and 1951. The interval of time in which Harrer visits was during the Second World War, the period before the Communist Chinese People's Liberation Army invaded Tibet. Throughout the novel culture norms are discovered, and better understood to later feelings and actions around the Tibetan people.

It is better explained in a quote from the Addams family, “Normal is an illusion. What is normal to the spider is chaos to the fly”. There are examples throughout my life that show normality as an illusion as well as examples in the world today and in the epic poem Beowulf. Normal is only normal when normal people see it as so. Normal in my life is based on my perspective.

As we know, norms are social expectations that guide our behavior. In this paper, I will discuss norm violations that I’ve observed, and my own personal norm violation that I committed. I will describe what happened, what was done, and the reactions of the people around when these norms begat. I will also discuss the significance of folkways, mores, values, and sanctions to my observations.

Problems with defining abnormality using this definition includes the fact that some mental disorders do not cause distress and that sometimes it is normal to be distressed. One problem with this definition is abnormal behaviour may actually be helpful for the individual. For example, a person who has the obsessive-compulsive disorder of hand-washing may find that their behaviour makes them cheerful, happy and able to cope with their day (McLeod, 2008).

One way of defining abnormality is through statistical infrequency. This method states that if behaviour is not common then it is considered as abnormal. For example, statistically, it is not normal to have your first child if you are under the age of 20 or over the age of 40. Therefore, if this were the case, it would be considered abnormal.

A way psychology and science have developed a term on what is considered to be normal and not normal is due to observing occurring behavior. Another way is to see an act that is not seen as part of society’s standards, also known as against the norms. There are many known disorders, one being Dissociative Disorders to be exact. Dissociative disorders “involve a break, or dissociation, in consciousness, memory, or a person’s sense of identity” (Ciccarelli & White, 2012, p.553). It’s a “split” in your life that happens, like whenever someone goes to the kitchen to get something and then forgets what they were going to get. The only difference is that these associations are involuntary.

Williamson encapsulates the disorientation of a lonely teenager, how they face hostility and the agony of having to hide one’s true identity. The Art of Being Normal is a book about two teenagers who don’t quite fit in. In the end, it leaves you wondering – what is normal and who decides what “fitting in”

Normal is a relative thing, it can be different things for different people, social groups and society in general. By dictionary section normal means "conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected." I don't think it is possible for a human to fit that definition exactly, it's natural for humans to fall into behavior patterns which would become a state of normal others see them as. for example, Normal for me could be fangirling over the new harry potter book, though normal for you could be playing hockey with your friends. If playing hockey was suddenly something I wanted to do I would be questioned and may be considered abnormal because I can hardly stand up wearing skates. The normal others see is the you that you are around them.

For many years scientists, including doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, have been interested in trying to understand human behaviour, in particular behaviour that is described as being ‘abnormal’. It is difficult to define ‘abnormal’ in terms of behaviour because there are many differing descriptions which have radically changed over the years. ‘Abnormal’ behaviour is widely categorised as being persistent and in a serious degree contrary to the continued wellbeing of the individual and/or the surrounding community. Cultural beliefs and expectations determine which behaviour patterns are deemed as being ‘abnormal’.

In all aspects of the lives we live, normal can not ever be defined as a single idea. If normal is such a thing at all, it is a subjective opinion and can only be defined on an individual level. Everything we interpret is relative to our upbringing and our environment. Not one person had the same upbringing or lived in the same environment as another person for even siblings who have lived together their whole lives have different nurturing experiences. The differentiation between normal and abnormal is a topic of much debate. The meaning of normality varies in many ways such as by person, time, place, situation, culture and set of values. Normality is usually seen as good and desirable by society and what society thinks while abnormality may be seen as bad or undesirable (Boundless).

Abnormal behavior was once viewed as an embarrassment to society. Those who suffered from a mental illness or displayed abnormal behavior were locked away and never spoken of. Today abnormal behavior is viewed much differently. With the study of psychology and the help of the medical field, abnormal behavior has become better understood. This essay will discuss the major theories for the cause of abnormal behavior, how abnormal behavior is diagnosed and what type of behavioral issues are related to abnormal behavior.

The idea of normal, is a complicated one. Every person has a different view on who or what embodies the word “normal”. Views on normal are decided based on the places people live, the jobs they do, and who they interacted with, maybe even how they interact with others. Normal has a different meaning to each and every person in the world. In The Atlantis Gene, the author continually calls attention to how different people live and are treated around the world.