In Part II of Camu's The Stranger, Meursault is put on trial as much for the murder of the Arab as he is for his deviation from the standard norms of society. His behaviors go against what many believe is standard societal "normalcy". Our whole lives, we are told mixed messages. On one hand, we are told to stand on our own two feet, to be our own person, and not to care what everyone else thinks of us. On the other hand, those that are brave enough to stand out from the crowd and truly not conform to society are treated as outcasts, ridiculed and sometimes this persecution has dire consequences. What does it mean to be "normal"? Who gets to decide? What effect do these mixed messages have on the individual? On society? Think about this and explain your thoughts.
To be normal is what everybody does on a usual daily basis. However, different people have different perspectives on normal. In reality, the person who decides what is normal is the person most known such as a president or the coolest kid in school. What they are trying to tell people is to be unique, but don't be awkward. It is whoever is unique and normal all at the same time. It brings pressure to society to conform to people's thoughts of being normal. I'm my own man. what I do is unique and I love doing it. If nobody likes it, then it don't matter to me. "I don't know it's just the way I am." Eminem
ReplyDeleteless go! first one to write!
ReplyDeletewhat now Morgan Freeman!?
Being normal is basically doing what everyone else does such as liking the same things, wearing similar clothes, and listening to the same music. In this society being "different" just means to stand out as a better person, but not to be distinct from the society. Everyone is expected to conform and be normal. The boundaries of "normalness" is decided and determined by well known people, who are looked up to and followed by many. Being your own person isn't being different from society, if you're not displaying it in public.
ReplyDelete"Normal" is really in the eye of the beholder, however typically one considered to be normal tends to follow social norms and conform the most. Who decides? popular vote decides, if more than five people unanimously spread the word your "Abnormal" the whole world will most likely feel the same way especially if the 5 people are looked up to. But the main thing that always comes back to being abnormal is thinking for yourself, rejecting popular fads, and not having the usual things most people have, such as goals, social skills, and sometimes morals. The idea of "being different is good" is just a lost dream people have to make themselves feel like there a not nobody because they are the same as everybody. There are exceptions when "different" is cool but its only "different" for a short period of time before everyone likes it and it becomes popular, typically in music, phrases, fashion, art, pretty much anything that is big enough to grab attention. these mixed messages can lead one to try to fulfill others standards instead of what makes them happy, if they are told to be different, they may do different things just because that is what they were told to do, however if they only do things to fit in they will not be able to make decisions for themselves and never find their true identity. People should just do what makes them happy as long as they do no harm to anyone, and if its something that truly makes them happy, then the criticisms will go in one ear and out the other, and if what they like happens to be popular then "woo hoo" they can be in style and happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tori normality is a way of conforming and a way of trying to unite humanity to follow a perspective that will make us similiar. We are all different, but one thing that unites us is our ability to be powerful persuaders. One opinion is voiced, a couple people like it,eventually it grows those that do not agree become outsiders. We all are outsiders at one point in our life depending on what it may be there is not a single soul that will agree whole heartedly with what the one next to them believes, BUT the big picture is that does not stop us from sometimes acting against our own inner opinion just to fit in with society. We are told to stand for what we believe , but if we are against the norms we are considered outcasters. Ultimately what ever you do or say is an overall decision that lies on you. We decide every day what we want to do and are influenced by all around us. For someone to say that something is normal lies in oneself to go forward with it or against it. There is not staright ansswer to what is normal , but your perception and others perception on what normal is.(In my personal opinion normal does not exist in one form. There is only one normal way. No one person is alike and for that we all choose what we think is normal to us. Yes we can have similiar opinions about things which unites us , but no two people wll agree on everything.)
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ReplyDeleteNormal, I would think, is anything society sees as being expected or typical. But really, the word "normal" means conformity. And, is it really clear who gets to decide? Because no two people have the same exact opinions on anything, it is highly impossible. But what I do think,..or no for a fact is that normal is only what you make it. One person , lets say an Indian, may think its perfectly normal to have 6 pairs of piercings in your ears, and have a belly button and nose ring, while the Pentecostal person may say that that is immoral. There is never going to be an exact answer as to what is and what is not normal. You would think that conforming would bring people together, but aspects of, for example, the way they were raise, and current lifestyles, can go against social norms. Sending mixed signals to society can only one thing, confuse people, which will then lead to them not giving a crap, because there is no defined line, and when or where do we cross it?!? If people do NOT understand what is socially,.. wanted from them, they are going to do their own thing. They are going to throw away everything that was ever told to them, and go about their business and do whatever it is they want to do because they are tired of being held down, by something that does not make sense. I am a living witness (something a typical black, baptist preacher that was on drugs would way! :-D). Better yet, we all are, everyday. Does Lake Weir High students want us to wear skinny jeans and Hollister everyday, or be out own person, and wear whatever it is we want? Because quite frankly, I might just stop buying their cloths, simply because I went to the mall and bought something out of Hollister and American Eagle, the same day, wore them they same amount of times (twice), and the Hollister stuff has a hole in the bottom of my shirts. Now tell me that isnt a rip off!!! Sorry, back to the subject. Point being, we must be ourselves, society should not mold us in to what it (as a whole) wants us to be. We are all individuals, born individuals, unless someone has/had a conjoined twiny, we shall stay individuals (I dont know anyone who wants to be conjoined at the hips with someone for any period of time). Whatever society views as normal will never be clear cut because too many people make up society, no two people have the same exact brain, no two people feel the exact same way about anything. We must be ourselves in order to survive. And this is the end!
ReplyDeleteNormal is what is socially and ethically acceptable in a culture. And it is society that dictates whether or not something is normal. Whether it's a fashion trend or career path that is now all popular, society alters how normal is perceived by adding in certain things that makes people seem normal if they conform to meet. This can make an individual very confused as well as angry and likely to lash out against society to enforce their individuality. This would cause society to further outcast such a person and persecute them for their individualistic beliefs because they're not "normal", such as how Mersault was on trial as much for killing a man as he was for his indifferent attitude toward everything. When something doesn't fit, society tends to seek its eradication.
ReplyDeleteBeing normal is defined by the leaders and aristocrats of society. It has become so common for society to want to follow someone else that being your own person is practically unheard of. Yes, there will be those adults that advise you to be your own person however your own person will come with an idolized face. Phrases such as, "why can't you behave as a civilized person" or " why are you wearing that?" All questions and statements that attack an individual in regards to normality can be easily followed by the question, "what is normal and who decides what normal is?" In this day and age, normal is doing whatever a popular person does. Personally I don't follow other people and believe that people are literally afraid to be their own person and society is to blame. Depending on how popular the individual is and how physically attractive a person is will determine the degree of pain and hardship that person will have to endure for being individual.
ReplyDelete-Kayla Barrett
I don't think being "normal" can really have a collectively defined meaning. The meaning of normal is different for every individual. We are told to conflicting things are whole life and I think it just proves that the people that tell us how we should act and what we should do are idiots. It can effect people in a good way, because being told to be your own person then being ridiculed for being different would make me want to be how and who I want to be and not be what anyone tells me to be, but also in a bad way because for some people what they want to be is not "normal" in my since of what I think is normal, for example if someone decides what they really want to be is a serial killer. I think everyone should be who they want to be and not listen to other peoples opinions on who they should be. When someone tells me what I should be, how I should act, or what I should do, I am more likely to do the opposite because I don't like for people to telling me what I should do.
ReplyDelete~Haley Rasnick
For someone to be normal varies from person to person depending on their perspective of what it is. There is no definite definition of "normal", it is usually just what is the most popular trend in a certain period of time and people usually follow it to blend in. It is a society that dictates what is normal because they decide the fashion trends, manners, actions, etc. These mixed messages cause confusion upon individuals because we are informed to be our person and act as we choose to, but then if we do stick out in a crowd you are given a stereotype because of that decision. We would rather choose to blend in and no one notice, then follow our own path and take the risk of people questioning who and what you are. I personally think that people who strive to be themselves are the most pure because they aren't trying to hide their true selves, they aren't worrying if they cannot please everyone else. - Alicia Wilson
ReplyDeleteI though about this and I've decided that we're all sheep. We will follow blindly, anything that offers acceptance and comfort. The definition of normal doesn't necessarily differ from individual to individual. It does however, differ from society to society. No two societies will have the same definition of normal. Reason being, “normal” isn't a person, it’s not a fact; it isn't a means, or even an end. Normal is an idea; an idea which is changed and altered every day. This idea starts the moment you were told not to do something as a child. It has been growing and changing since. Every personal contact you make affects your idea of normal.
ReplyDeleteAn individualistic society, like ours, would tell you to be your own person, not to follow the crowd. But without a crowd there would be no need for a society, and without a society, being individual would be completely meaningless. It all seems so complex, and yet we do it every day. Follow the crowd and at the same time “hold on” to our individuality. But all we're doing is “holding on”, and with fingertips at that. Hoping no one notices, because if they did they would take it away from us. For the betterment of “society” they would take it from us. All because individuals can't exist without society and society can't exist without the crowd of people that think they are individuals.
(Train of thought) by Alex Colling
PS. If I didn't say it here please infer it.
there is no definite definition of 'normal'. it matters what culture you're in, the time & place, and other factors. you're told you're whole life to be an individual, don't follow the crowd. but as soon as you do that you're known as a loner or freak. we live in a hypercritical society. society & everybody has a different definition of normal, so whoever gets to decide is optional. it can effect an individual because they don't know what they should do. go against everybody to stand for themselves or become invisible and follow the crowd. its a confusing world we live in.
ReplyDeleteNormal means to follow the crowd and conform to basically whatever everyone else is doing. This means behaving a certain way, dressing according to certain fashions, and just simply not being an individual. The majority of society that all acts in a somewhat similar fashion is what decides what is normal. These mixed messages can confuse the individual and cause them to be two-sided. The individual would fear being different because of ridicule and persecution. Therefore they would act normal in public but in private and around others whom they are comfortable with they would be themselves. This can cause someone to appear as fake. Also these mixed messages can cause society to become fragmented into certain groups who act in the way that they perceive as normal and therefore cause confusion and strife within a society.
ReplyDelete-Matthew Greene
The definition of normal is unknown. There is no secular definition used to describe normal. To me, a normal person is someone that does not go out of their way to switch things up every now and again. We have all been told to be our own person. In today's society, individuality is unheard of. Someone who does choose to be different and step out of line is usually looked down upon. Most people rather not deal with all the nagging and criticism that comes with being different so they try their best to be 'normal'.
ReplyDelete-Ashley Collins
Being normal basically means acting, speaking, and appearing like the general population. Rather questioning, you simply follow. While we're told to act and express ourselves the way we want, if we did act differently, we would be shunned and treated with caution because people like normal and fear things that are different and therefore dislike things that are different. Everyone has slightly differing perceptions of what is 'normal' because we all are exposed to different things. Society depends on everyone to be mostly normal because otherwise it would collapse. If everyone's idea of normal was completely different, society would not exist because it's the common norms that keep us all together.
ReplyDelete-Krystal Midcap
I think society defines what "normal" is. This is influenced by the media, religions, cultures, and government. Your entire life is decided for you before you are even born. On Christmas, you buy gifts. This isn't because of Santa or Christianity. It's because corporations make money off of holidays. We shouldn't care about what is normal. We should do what makes us happy and live our lives based on what feels right. Life isn't worth living if all you strive for is normality. - Barack Jordan
ReplyDeleteI think what it means to be normal is that you have to blend in with the societal norms and be like everyone else or what the majority of the people are. I also think that who ever has the majority are the ones who gets to decide who the outcasts are. These mixed messages make the individual think that it is wrong to be an outcast and to act in your own way. They make society think they have the right to label what is normal and what is not. -Brandon Day
ReplyDeleteBeing normal is what the people who influence us decide. If those people, who run televisions and fashion magazines, believe that walking around naked was normal, everyone would walk around naked. There is no "normal" it is what majority of the people follow. If you don't believe in the "normality" you are shunned despite the fact that you are supposed to be "anything you want to be". I guess in the end, normality is being what you want, as long as it is in the borders of what is socially acceptable.
ReplyDeleteWe grow up learning what being "normal" is but that we should also be our own person. However, as time goes on, "being your own person" is confined to society's standards, not your own. If you're too weird or too different, it's not the same as being original or special. I think this creates a torn feeling as you grow up because you have to find yourself but be able to fit in with everyone else.
ReplyDelete-Lindsey Tonnesen
I think that people that are higher up chose what is "normal" and we just follow, because we can't think for ourselves. People who dare to be different are frowned upon because we dont like things that are different even though we are told to be different. Our lives are a huge contradiction.
ReplyDelete~Taylor Stephen
As many of my classmates have said before me, normality is like cornforming. Although we are taught to stand out, we are ridiculed for it. They want us to take one step towards being different, but at least know your place in society and and are able to back down. A major deal in society today is authority. If you step to far out of normality, and you are out of authority you began too be considered an outcast. Basically it's okay to be different as long as you are able to be controlled.
ReplyDelete-Sylvia Williams
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Wow did you guys miss the point of this! This is not about conforming so social or societal norms. It is about fighting internal battles, overcoming invisible disabilities, giving every ounce of energy you have just to be able to function like an average human being. It is about holding back tears from emotional wounds that will never heal and tolerating chronic pain that no amount of medication can keep under control and keeping up your "game face" so others can't see what you are going through because you know they sincerely care and it would hurt them to know how horrible you feel every minute of every day.
ReplyDeleteHow do I know? Well, have you ever run a full marathon? Me either because I can't run at all. But, from what I have seen and heard about running a marathon, every minute of my life is similar to that 26th mile. That is what Mr. Camus was talking about.
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