Normal/Abnormal

[DeLamar.J]

What is abnormal? Back when Hitler was in power, he had many followers who supported his mass murder. Now, in the USA mass murder would be considered abnormal, because the mass of people do not like it. But when you have a whole society of people supporting mass murder, is it normal now?
I don't really believe in normal or abnormal, because there really is no such thing unless you consider what the masses like or dont like. Basicly might becomes right.
Any thought or comments?

 

[michaeledward]

What you mean when you say 'Mass Murder' would be an important part of the discussion. The United States has executed over 1000 criminals since 1976. Is that Mass Murder?

The Supposition that many of Hitlers' supporters felt Mass Murder was normal also deserves to be challenged.

Discussing 'Normalcy' over the idea of 'murder' is a bit out of place. Is there any more tangible topic with which you could address your question. How many citizens have partaken in any type of Murder ... Mass or otherwise ... which begs the question, on what basis do you want our opinions, our experience, our ethics, our opinion?

My thoughts are that your premise is sufficiently unclear to get to a reasoned discussion. Usually, threads need to get to the dozens of posts before someone makes the comparison to Hitler ... there's a name for that, isn't there?

 

[DeLamar.J]

What you mean when you say 'Mass Murder' would be an important part of the discussion. The United States has executed over 1000 criminals since 1976. Is that Mass Murder?

The Supposition that many of Hitlers' supporters felt Mass Murder was normal also deserves to be challenged.

Discussing 'Normalcy' over the idea of 'murder' is a bit out of place. Is there any more tangible topic with which you could address your question. How many citizens have partaken in any type of Murder ... Mass or otherwise ... which begs the question, on what basis do you want our opinions, our experience, our ethics, our opinion?

My thoughts are that your premise is sufficiently unclear to get to a reasoned discussion. Usually, threads need to get to the dozens of posts before someone makes the comparison to Hitler ... there's a name for that, isn't there?

There are other ways I could desribe normal vs abnormal. I just decided to go with the most extreme way I could think of. What I'm getting at is normal is hard to classify because it is a word that means...the majority. I think its difficult to really say if someone is normal or abnormal unless your definition is comparing with the masses. Instead of saying, thats not normal, I think it should be worded, thats not the popular opinion.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Genocide is relative.
Sean

 

[Kacey]

Normal depends on your frame of reference - on how your culture, at this moment in time, determines what the currently acceptable range of behavior within a certain situation, and this definition will vary by location, age, gender, cultural background, and so on.

Many things that are normal in the US would be considered abnormal (that is out of the range of accepted behavior) in other places - and even within the US there is a wide range - for example, I have friends who are Orthodox Jewish, and it is normal for them to not turn on or off any electrically-run appliance over Sabbath (sundown Friday to sundown Saturday) - something that most other people would consider abnormal.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Normal depends on your frame of reference - on how your culture, at this moment in time, determines what the currently acceptable range of behavior within a certain situation, and this definition will vary by location, age, gender, cultural background, and so on.

Exactly, normal is defined by the society in which one lives.

What is normal in the USA can be considered abnormal in China and vice versa. What was considered normal 500 years ago can be considered abnormal now. Things that are considered normal in a war zone can be thought of as abnormal in general society at peace time.

 

[Fight with attitude]

War is a normal part of centralized political systems. In uncentralized political systems (eg hunter and gathers) war happens a lot less.

Where populations are small, food surplus absent, property owership minimal, and state organized doesn't exist, the likelihood of organized violence by one group againest another is minimal.

 

[still learning]

We have over 6 billion people and growing ever second. They need food water and needs to go to the bathrooms daily.

Can the earth support more people? ....How can we help? ........Aloha


PS: Wars are good at reducing numbers!

 

[heretic888]

War is a normal part of centralized political systems. In uncentralized political systems (eg hunter and gathers) war happens a lot less.

Where populations are small, food surplus absent, property owership minimal, and state organized doesn't exist, the likelihood of organized violence by one group againest another is minimal.

Try telling that "theory" to an anthropology professor with a straight face. Sure, it sounds good on paper, but history is always there to give the observant a reality check.

This is one of those little "liberal fantasies" that Robert used to harp about back when he was posting on MartialTalk. I put it in the same boat as the "noble savage" or the "tabula rasa". Absolute poppycock.

Laterz.

 

[evenflow1121]

Normal is just the norm, what the majority of society accepts, or is. Nothing more than a made up term.

 

[Bigshadow]

Normal/abnormal is a matter of one's perception related to one's sphere of existance.