What is the meaning of the word "normal?" Do you want to be normal?

In his book, Uses and Abuses of Psychology, H. J. Eysenck, pointed out that psychologists (and others) use the word “normal” to mean three or more different, and often contradictory, things.

One meaning of normal is average, as in, “His height and weight are normal for his age.” So anyone who deviants significantly from the average isn’t normal. The beautiful woman and the handsome man aren’t normal by the “average” standard. That means none of you is normal, because of course all my readers are beautiful.

However, when we refer to physical and mental health, we tend to use normal to mean ideal or perfect. A physically and mentally healthy person is normal. How many people do you know who have no physical problems and no neuroses? Certainly not I. My vision isn’t 20-20 unless corrected with glasses, and my hearing is far from perfect. In fact, I wear hearing aids. When I leave my house or car I obsessively check my pockets several times, afraid I’ll lock myself out or forget something.

A third meaning of normal is natural. “It’s natural for the man to be dominant over the woman.” Is it? There are societies in which men and women are completely equal, and others in which women are dominant. I, personally, have associated with strong women all my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Do we want others to perceive us as being normal? Was anything great ever accomplished by a normal person? Einstein wasn’t normal in any sense of the word. Neither is Bill Gates. Some politicians are all too normal in some ways. I don’t want to be like them.

My suggestion is to celebrate your differences with others. Some people will look askance at you, but so what? If you try to please everybody you won’t please anybody. In addition, you probably won’t accomplish anything worth doing.

I try to remember this when I’m writing. Life shouldn’t be an unending succession of 5-star reviews. If everybody likes you and agrees with you, you probably aren’t thinking or doing anything worthwhile.

So dance to your own music, even if you’re the only one who hears it.