Talk:Normality (behavior)
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The list of "Examples of 'normality'" seems to be arbitrary. Who determined that peace is "normal" and war is "abnormal"? Looking at the present and history, war seems to be much more constant than peace - it's now more normal for a country to be continually at war (the wars on iraq, afghanistan, drugs, terrorism, the future war on iran). Many people's reality are filled with crime and disease. So for them, these are "normal". I'd suggest either making clearer the reasons why certain concepts are chosen as fitting under "normal", or clarifying the definition of "normal". Right now, the definition is "not deviating much from the average," but many of the concepts do not seem to fit that.
I don't know if I've put this in the right place, but I don't see a button for starting a new comment.
Normal, Normalcy and some related words should include a couple of concepts. One is the statistical definition of normal, meaning "typical" or "modal," or in the greatest number (a plurality or majority.)
It should also include a sociological concept relating to the most common practices or beliefs. Thus, heterosexuality is often called "normal" because it is the condition or practice or belief of the greatest number. Once a majority believe that homosexuality is not deviant or evil, then it would become "normal" in that sense. It is also normal that people should die or age, because those are universal conditions.
Normal can also refer to perfection, as in a "normal kidney," meaning a kidney without defect.
Common speech may refer to norms as socially agreed standards, such that it is the norm to accept a certain practice. There is a command element involved, but a greater suggestion of agreement by the greatest number.
It's unclear to me how the following applies to "normality":
"Quote: Keep it Real! (Stop being fixated by dreams of unachievable things, focus on the reality of the present situation.)"
OhSqueezy 03:18, 26 December 2006 (UTC)
