Why Normal Is A Myth Essay

What Does Being “Normal” Even Mean?

Tuesdays meant going to physical education, also known as my least favorite class. I despised the teacher, Mr. Monaco, because he always favored the tall, athletic students even though everyone else tried just as hard as the jocks did. It was dodgeball day and as we all lined up to divide into two teams, led by two football players to nobody's surprise, my heart raced as I knew I was the weak link. One by one people dispersed onto the red or blue team until only one person was left standing: me. Just because I did not play a sport or have good aim when throwing a ball I was considered useless and “abnormal.” Several examples in Agustin Fuentes’ “Why Normal Is a Myth” are shown in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey as the concept of what it means to be within the “normal” range and how some find comfort in certain aspects are explored.

As what is accepted by society, being within the “normal” range is healthy. In Fuentes’ article he brings up how societies, “peripheralize those individuals who fall outside of what is considered ‘normal’” (4). In the book we see that the rest of the patients view Chief as a

Normal should not be a term that determines whether a person is treated a certain way or allowed to do certain deeds. Being normal does not mean you are better than others because nowadays everyone wants to be the opposite of normal. They want to stand out and be the one who has a unique quality. People should not fall under a range; there is nothing wrong with being different and if one wants to use the term abnormal to describe that then it should be taken as a compliment not an insult. The next time you feel abnormal or like you do not fit in, remember to be yourself instead of being forced into a box like everyone