What is it about normal anyway?
Disclaimer: The following is an impassioned and wholly subjective narrative; to which all manner of critical inquiry, proving the invalidity of the assertions made, can be made with impunity. The emphasis of the piece, in essence, is on not being politically correct, so such an exercise may prove to be wholly unwarranted, and bound to end in annoyance. The reader has been warned beforehand.
In a society teeming with people adhering to a variety of different backgrounds, cultures, ethnic origins and geographic landscapes; and hence the consequent mind-sets which are subconsciously developed in a natural progression as a result of this dynamic array of identities, it is assumed that the pursuit of individuality and its continuing observance must be tasks requiring little to no effort. In such a multicultural environment, as is best exemplified by such countries as the United States, it is assumed that an intellect possessed of knowledge or scholarship acquired, gleaned through a college or university program, and in turn the psychological liberty which inevitably arises from such an endeavour, would in all respects abhor any notion of discriminating against people who would dare to act in a natural manner, or disregard society’s version of what constitutes normal.
But I must lament that it is not so; and lament I shall, paying no heed to the repercussions and accusations of being a misfit which would follow! What is it about normal anyway, which so many individuals hold sacred; and subsequently refuse to accept any concept deviant from it. Haven’t we evolved enough, as a species perhaps, to grasp the subtle point made early on the horizon of human thought, that the notion of being ‘normal’, like its antithesis ‘abnormal’, constitutes a stereotype in itself? Maybe it is in our very natures, primordially, to make sense of the world through making classifications, and consequently, allotting labels to all concepts unfathomable to us in their entirety.
It often seems that, as a result of the frantic decisions made by the nations of the world in the post World War era, and which are now proving themselves, with alarming rapidity, to be counterproductive to the quest of human, not machine, evolution; we as a species are successfully advancing in our quest to become the perfect mechanised drone
I try to not often talk or write this way, but to ignore what comes spontaneously is a brutal transgression in itself, and one tantamount to hypocrisy inflicted onto the original self. But in conforming to society’s standards, it comes as no surprise that one is eventually forced to submit one’s true essence, and in the process become party to the masses of individuals already subscribing to a dishonest lifestyle.
What follows then, when an individual has been fully indoctrinated into the delusional, almost drug-induced, capitalistic culture prevalent in today’s world, is a hyper-caffeinated, narcotic addicted, outwardly-cheery-but-inwardly-weary, reactionary nervous wreck of a humanoid; with the latter adjective being used to depict an accurate picture of the typical man or woman nowadays, immersed from head to toe, in a sea of gadgets and rapidly renewed gizmos. Add to this mess the increasingly animal like nature of our contemporary human interaction, where every relationship, be it intimate, familial, friendly or casual, is characterised more and more by a latent monetary or other personal interest, and less by any cordial or real, human desire underlying the partnership; the gravity of the situation in which the homosapiens of the 21st century have landed themselves, may be ascertained as being tremendously worrying.
What is one to do, then, in order to brave this torrent of woes which has encumbered us greatly, and which is making even the most involuntary of human activities, such as breathing and thinking clearly, horrendously difficult?
It often seems that, as a result of the frantic decisions made by the nations of the world in the post World War era, and which are now proving themselves, with alarming rapidity, to be counterproductive to the quest of human, not machine, evolution; we as a species are successfully advancing in our quest to become the perfect mechanised drone. I consider this eventual feat, which we are bound to accomplish in the near future, akin to pure, unadulterated communism. All notions of increased mechanisation are abhorrent to any and all individuals in possession of a spiritual bent of mind.
What is one to do, then, in order to brave this torrent of woes which has encumbered us greatly, and which is making even the most involuntary of human activities, such as breathing and thinking clearly, horrendously difficult? Is one to follow in the footsteps of psychotic mad-men, and become a kind of tyrant; eager to impose his/her own doctrines to herald in a more comfortable world, or mode of existence? Or does the solution lie in becoming subservient to the unavoidable current, and like a stray leaf in the tumultuous wind, go wherever the hand of destiny may lead. The answer, perhaps, lies in the compromise between the two, somewhere.
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