Today's topic has being - Am I normal?
after an unsatisfactory definition from Cambridge dictionary and few other relevant web pages I found this view..
(source)
ABNORMALITY IS THE OPPOSITE OF NORMALITY AND SO I'LL DEFINE ABNORMALITY.
ABNORMALITY
a psychological condition or a behavior that departs from the most frequent way, or is harmful/distressing to the individual or others. abnormal behavior usually violate society's norm.
ABNORMALITY AS A STATISTICAL INFREQUENCY
abnormality is doing things the majority do not do, or not doing the things the majority do. in our culture, homosexuality would be defined as 'abnormal' because the majority of people are heterosexual.
LIMITATIONS OF THIS DEFINITION
1.It fails to take into account the social desirability of minority behaviors or characteristics.
2.Some statistically frequent behaviors are socially undesirable and/or are actually classified as mental disorders.
3.The cut off points for deciding when a behavior is infrequent enough for us to call it 'abnormal' are purely arbitrary e.g. who decides when a person is 'abnormally tall' or 'abnormally short'?
4.The statistical frequency can differ between cultures so this definition is "bound by culture"
ABNORMALITY AS A 'DEVIATION FROM IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH'
abnormality is possessing characteristics the mentally healthy healthy person should not possess, and/or not possessing characteristics the mentally healthy person should possess. e.g. hearing voices/hallucinations
THINGS HEALTHY PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO (by a psychologist called Marie Jahoda in 1958)
1.Being able to make your own decisions and choices
2.Being able to resist stress
3.Being able to perceive reality accurately.
4.Being able to self-actualise ( becoming the person you want to be)
5.Being able to adapt to your environment.
LIMITATIONS OF THIS DEFINITION
1.Most people do not satisfy all, many, or any, of these ideals (most people cant resist stress)
2.Claims about 'ideal mental health' are value judgement (with bias)
3.Different cultures have different ideals s the definition is "bound by culture" e.g. in some cultures hearing voices is a good thing and considered desirable.
4.Even within a culture 'healthiness' is determined by the context in which the behavior occurs e.g. being nude on a nudist beach is acceptable, but in a supermarket is not.
5.These are era-dependent - depends on the time in which the behavior occurs.
6.The definition depends on a persons stage of development e.g. a toddler throwing a tantrum is considered normal where as an adult throwing a tantrum is not.
ABNORMALITY AS A 'DEVIATION OF SOCIAL NORMS'
abnormality is doing things that society says shouldn't be done, or not doing things things society says should be done. i.e. violating society's implicit or explicit social norms. (implicit norms are 'unwritten rules' e.g. queuing at a bus stop, explicit norms are laws)
LIMITATIONS OF THIS DEFINITION
1.Some behaviors which deviate from social norms are actually statistically frequent behaviors. e.g. dropping litter.
2.Different cultures have different social norms, so what is 'normal' in one cultures may be abnormal in another. "bound by culture"
3.The definition is era dependent
ABNORMALITY AS 'FAILURE TO FUNCTION ADEQUATELY'
abnormality is failing to achieve some sense of personal well being and make some contribution to a larger group.
THE WAYS PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED NOT TO BE FUNCTIONING ADEQUATELY
1.If their behavior causes them personal distress or discomfort
however there are 3 limitations for that:
*some times we are distressed is appropriate for the situation e.g. the death of a loved one.
*some mental disorders don't cause people personal distress e.g. anorexia nervosa.
*how can 'personal distress' be measured in an objective way?
2.If their behaviors causes others distress or discomfort
3.A third way in which a person might not be functioning adequately is when their behavior is bizarre:
a man dressing up as a woman for no reasons or when their behavior is unexpected. e.g. over reacting to a situation.
this definition is closest to what most people believe is abnormal.
CONCLUSION - WHAT IS ABNORMALITY?
all of the definitions here have their strengths and limitations. all of them are useful, but none complete, and there is no general agreement about which is 'best'. most people take a 'multiple perspectives' approach, that is they evaluate a behavior using each of these definitions before reaching a decision about whether a behavior is 'abnormal' or not.
Conclusion for my normality :
1.Statistical infrequency goes for me..doing things majority of people don't do..or is it very common to stat sleeping with a women one day?
2. Ideal mental health..hkm..I wouldn't survive without my voices..they're MINE!!!! and no one -NO ONE will ever take them away!!! Back off!
3. Deviation of social norms - what the ***??!!
4. Failure to function adequately - have I caused myself any personal distress or discomfort...HAAAAAHHAAAA . I am a personal distress and discomfort. We are one.
But despite all these things - I'm happy. And being happy is quite normal..therefore I AM NORRRMAL!!!!!!
And no head doctor will state other wise!!!!
We make normality and I just made my own..very pleased :)
after an unsatisfactory definition from Cambridge dictionary and few other relevant web pages I found this view..
(source)
ABNORMALITY IS THE OPPOSITE OF NORMALITY AND SO I'LL DEFINE ABNORMALITY.
ABNORMALITY
a psychological condition or a behavior that departs from the most frequent way, or is harmful/distressing to the individual or others. abnormal behavior usually violate society's norm.
ABNORMALITY AS A STATISTICAL INFREQUENCY
abnormality is doing things the majority do not do, or not doing the things the majority do. in our culture, homosexuality would be defined as 'abnormal' because the majority of people are heterosexual.
LIMITATIONS OF THIS DEFINITION
1.It fails to take into account the social desirability of minority behaviors or characteristics.
2.Some statistically frequent behaviors are socially undesirable and/or are actually classified as mental disorders.
3.The cut off points for deciding when a behavior is infrequent enough for us to call it 'abnormal' are purely arbitrary e.g. who decides when a person is 'abnormally tall' or 'abnormally short'?
4.The statistical frequency can differ between cultures so this definition is "bound by culture"
ABNORMALITY AS A 'DEVIATION FROM IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH'
abnormality is possessing characteristics the mentally healthy healthy person should not possess, and/or not possessing characteristics the mentally healthy person should possess. e.g. hearing voices/hallucinations
THINGS HEALTHY PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO (by a psychologist called Marie Jahoda in 1958)
1.Being able to make your own decisions and choices
2.Being able to resist stress
3.Being able to perceive reality accurately.
4.Being able to self-actualise ( becoming the person you want to be)
5.Being able to adapt to your environment.
LIMITATIONS OF THIS DEFINITION
1.Most people do not satisfy all, many, or any, of these ideals (most people cant resist stress)
2.Claims about 'ideal mental health' are value judgement (with bias)
3.Different cultures have different ideals s the definition is "bound by culture" e.g. in some cultures hearing voices is a good thing and considered desirable.
4.Even within a culture 'healthiness' is determined by the context in which the behavior occurs e.g. being nude on a nudist beach is acceptable, but in a supermarket is not.
5.These are era-dependent - depends on the time in which the behavior occurs.
6.The definition depends on a persons stage of development e.g. a toddler throwing a tantrum is considered normal where as an adult throwing a tantrum is not.
ABNORMALITY AS A 'DEVIATION OF SOCIAL NORMS'
abnormality is doing things that society says shouldn't be done, or not doing things things society says should be done. i.e. violating society's implicit or explicit social norms. (implicit norms are 'unwritten rules' e.g. queuing at a bus stop, explicit norms are laws)
LIMITATIONS OF THIS DEFINITION
1.Some behaviors which deviate from social norms are actually statistically frequent behaviors. e.g. dropping litter.
2.Different cultures have different social norms, so what is 'normal' in one cultures may be abnormal in another. "bound by culture"
3.The definition is era dependent
ABNORMALITY AS 'FAILURE TO FUNCTION ADEQUATELY'
abnormality is failing to achieve some sense of personal well being and make some contribution to a larger group.
THE WAYS PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED NOT TO BE FUNCTIONING ADEQUATELY
1.If their behavior causes them personal distress or discomfort
however there are 3 limitations for that:
*some times we are distressed is appropriate for the situation e.g. the death of a loved one.
*some mental disorders don't cause people personal distress e.g. anorexia nervosa.
*how can 'personal distress' be measured in an objective way?
2.If their behaviors causes others distress or discomfort
3.A third way in which a person might not be functioning adequately is when their behavior is bizarre:
a man dressing up as a woman for no reasons or when their behavior is unexpected. e.g. over reacting to a situation.
this definition is closest to what most people believe is abnormal.
CONCLUSION - WHAT IS ABNORMALITY?
all of the definitions here have their strengths and limitations. all of them are useful, but none complete, and there is no general agreement about which is 'best'. most people take a 'multiple perspectives' approach, that is they evaluate a behavior using each of these definitions before reaching a decision about whether a behavior is 'abnormal' or not.
Conclusion for my normality :
1.Statistical infrequency goes for me..doing things majority of people don't do..or is it very common to stat sleeping with a women one day?
2. Ideal mental health..hkm..I wouldn't survive without my voices..they're MINE!!!! and no one -NO ONE will ever take them away!!! Back off!
3. Deviation of social norms - what the ***??!!
4. Failure to function adequately - have I caused myself any personal distress or discomfort...HAAAAAHHAAAA . I am a personal distress and discomfort. We are one.
But despite all these things - I'm happy. And being happy is quite normal..therefore I AM NORRRMAL!!!!!!
And no head doctor will state other wise!!!!
We make normality and I just made my own..very pleased :)
1 comment:
Post a Comment