Breaking away from normal

Many people fail to realize that "normal" is one of the most overused and misused words in today's English language. Not only do we overuse it, but we also tend to redefine the term, based on society's acceptance, and on our own opinions and beliefs.

According to dictionary.com, normal is defined as "conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural." However, what exactly is the "standard" or "common type"? How do we know that something is usual, regular or natural? I dislike the fact that this term is thrown around so easily, because we can't be so sure of how to accurately define it.

If I were to ask anyone to define this word, I doubt that anyone could give me a perfect answer. Some may try to get away with a few synonyms, such as typical, average, standard, common, natural or usual. Or, most people would simply state what it is not, which is odd, strange, abnormal, irregular or unusual. This goes to show that we can't even properly define the word that we use so frequently. We think that we know the meaning of this term, but in reality, we only distort its meaning to fit our own standards, and the standards of society. In other words, when we say normal, what we really mean is what is widely accepted by, or common in, society.

For example, let's say that you see a man pass by with tattoos covering every inch of his face. Most likely, you will assume that this guy is just unusual or strange, because you don't see most people's faces covered in tattoos. Therefore, this is not normal. But does being normal have to mean that we always follow society's rules? Well, of course not. Yet, we still find ourselves using this term in such a way that it could be substituted with the words "accepted by society."

Another reason why we use this word incorrectly is because we forget that each individual has his/her own idea of what is normal. In other words, what people view as normal can vary from culture to culture. For example, in ancient history, infanticide was common for Eskimos. Therefore, people from that culture thought that this was normal. On the other hand, people from other cultures might have found this cruel and revolting.

The word normal simply cannot be defined in such a way that it can be applied to every person or culture. Though we generally see it as criteria that are followed by the majority, this is still not an acceptable definition. And furthermore, if we can barely come up with an accurate definition for the term itself, then who are we to judge what is normal from what is not? How do we know that it is normal to be a size zero, but not normal to be a size fourteen?

I have yet to really understand why we depend so much on the one word that we can't even begin to classify. It can be intimidating for the people who are considered "unusual" because they decide not follow the standards of society. I think this is unfair because we are so quick to judge them for not being normal, despite the fact that we haven't the slightest clue how to define normal.