The problem of 'normal'


A QI program I watched a few days ago mentioned a survey taken to find the average person

Measured numerous aspects and averaged out each one

Once they had calculated what the average person should be like they tried to find the person

Could not

Not a single person matched all of the averages. Which really should not be a surprise

You are unique just like everybody else

:)
 
Lol! I think not Mickey. Perhaps the clue is in ubiquitous. Ubi-quit-ous? Whatever, I would write it is ub-iqu-it-ous; the opposite of iquous. And people say English is the most difficult (hardest) language.
 
"Que," is spelled q.u.e.. I think iquous is a word (pro-noun-ced ickuous.)

It's not a word. I just checked. But it should be. The suffix, "-ique" was though. Spelt as YOU read it! ☺

Un-ique
Obl-ique

Can't think of any more.

Que-st-ion?
Que-st?
Re-que-st?
Bar-be-que?
Qu-ar-rel?
Qu-it-e
Qu-i-et
Qu-ar-ry?
Qu-al-it-y?

(Al being an a-brev-iation (brief; brevity) for all. Also used is Ali or Allah. Et meaning "and." Any student should know this for qu-ot-ing so-urc-es, "et al" ("and all.")
 
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Abnormal is seldom considered/used to mean not normal. A simple example
A hunch back is often called abnormal.

A man 75 inches high might be called not normal, but never abnormal.

Abnormal implies some negative connotation.
 
A QI program I watched a few days ago mentioned a survey taken to find the average person

Measured numerous aspects and averaged out each one

Once they had calculated what the average person should be like they tried to find the person

Could not

Not a single person matched all of the averages. Which really should not be a surprise

You are unique just like everybody else

:)
///
I may not be normal but nobody is - line from a Willie Nelson song

<>
 
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The problem with " normal " is that it becomes a defined way of thinking for the mainstream populace and therefore becomes dogmatic .
 
I wonder if sometimes we mistake ''normal'' for merely conforming to societal constructs. Those who don't conform, are dubbed ''abnormal.''
 
I wonder if sometimes we mistake ''normal'' for merely conforming to societal constructs. Those who don't conform, are dubbed ''abnormal.''

Agreed .

In any population of Humans , communities there will be those that look at things , the world ; scientifically , politically , etc . , differently , as it should be .

Any community any where on this planet will have a member(s) that exceed the general populace . In awareness and understanding .
 
I wonder if sometimes we mistake ''normal'' for merely conforming to societal constructs. Those who don't conform, are dubbed ''abnormal.''
How else would we define it? Normal by definition is what most people are doing. If you are outside of that you are abnormal.

That doesn't mean that you aren't healthy. In a population where almost everyone smokes, if you don't smoke you are abnormal for that population.
 
Indeed. So then the question becomes: when did normal become preferred, and when did abnormal become undesirable?
 
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