Normal is an Illusion

“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” – Charles Addams

In some cultures, we approach the holiday of Halloween¹. Arguably one of the best holidays as it allows you to dress up and be whoever or whatever you want while receiving no judgement. It opens the door to defy what is considered “normal” to make way for the creative, colorful, and spooky. Encouragement to break the norm is inspiring, as normal is an illusion.

Defining what is normal is hard. The concept of “normal” is dependent on social constructs which categorize acceptable behaviors, beliefs, and appearances within boundaries. These boundaries can be based on anything from time period, available knowledge, controlling groups, or biases². A change in any one of those categories can completely alter the view of normalcy. What might be considered normal in one context could be entirely different in another. Even medical practitioners are questioning the use of the term “normal”, advocating against it until an understanding of a person’s individual normality has been attained³.

Confirming what most people already know, uniformity in brains across the human species is totally abnormal⁴. This makes sense, as over the centuries all things are in a state of flux. The only constant in life is change and differences are a good thing. Evidence shows that teams which are composed of different types of thinking outperform homogenous groups on complex tasks (this includes improved problem solving, increased innovation, and more-accurate predictions)⁵. Normal is also problematic in regards to manners, as the view of what is considered polite differs around the world⁶.

Challenge yourself not to think in terms of normal and abnormal as these are subjective and pan-culturally inaccurate⁷. Instead, approach all things with an open mind and celebrate differences. Obviously, always be respectful to others. Take the time to let your freak flag fly, in whatever form that might be. Possibly referred to as “guilty pleasures”, enjoy your hobbies in whatever form they are. Host a themed party (and encourage costumes). Find friends who have the same interests, then do those things together. Finally, Happy Halloween!

Action: Identify a key element of yourself that you enjoy and cultivate it.

Further Reading:

1. Halloween
2. What is Normal?
3. “To Normalize is to Impose a Requirement on an Existence.” Why Health Professionals Should Think Twice Before Using the Term “Normal” With Patients
4. The Myth of Optimality in Clinical Neuroscience
5. The diversity bonus: how great teams pay off in the knowledge economy.
6. Manners around the world
7. Difference Between Normality and Abnormality Psychology