Posted by SLS on March 1, 2023, at 22:49:58
In reply to The myth of 'normal'...., posted by Jay2112 on March 1, 2023, at 12:13:31
Hi, Jay.
I am sad that you are not doing well at the moment.
Please don't take this personally. It is a commentary on the authors of the book you suggested and how they must certainly treat the word "NORMAL". I have not read the book - only your description and the book's title. I doubt I need to know anything more in order to render an opinion on their depiction of the word. It serves their purposes, but does not serve society. It only obfuscates accuracy and objectivity. Let the authors open up a dictionary.
I think the definition of "NORMAL" that you refer to is b*llsh*t. It might be a means by which to market an idea and publish a book. Perhaps that is a cynical point of view, but I abhor watching people attempt to quell their fears of being rejected by society by using a word for which they never offer a definition for. Pop-culture has adopted a pejorative sense of the word to rebel against conformity and labels. It is often used by people in order to avoid feeling "ABNORMAL" - sick, damaged, or shunned.
* Dictionary Definition:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/normal
Does the whole of this definition agree with the authors of the book you referred to (By Gabor and Daniel Mate)? What is the authors' definition of "NORMAL"?
The word "NORMAL" is used in statistics, and is most often referred to as a "normal distribution". "NORMAL" is a range defined within a bell-shaped curve.
* Statistical definition of normal:
https://www.itl.nist.gov/div898/handbook/pmc/section5/pmc51.htm
https://statisticsbyjim.com/basics/normal-distribution/
Do you see any pejorative definitions or references in these citations? I don't. Pick one for us to examine if you are so inclined. Is the presentation of your mental illness NORMAL, or is it idiosyncratic for your diagnosis? My depressive disorder is NORMAL (for the diagnosis of bipolar depression).
While we are on the subject, it appears to me that the symptomatology of bipolar depression approximates a hybrid of melancholic (endogenous) depression and atypical depression. That might offer a clue when diagnosing bipolar disorder.
- ScottSome see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
poster:SLS
thread:1121870
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20230117/msgs/1121871.html