Who are the Normal People?
Do not be afraid to differentiate yourself
We judge others on appearances. After all, we are a social species. First appearances are so powerful, yet how often are we wrong?
Desmond Doss, the conscientious objector, was initially interpreted as nothing more than a pest intent on imposing his own views on the United States army. Yet, he gritted his teeth and became the first CO to receive the medal of honour, saving 75 of his fellow men.
Alan Turing did not stay in any particular school of thought. Thus, he was able to establish connections between unrelated areas, setting the foundation for modern computer science and breaking the German enciphering machine, Enigma.
We strive to be normal, to fit in.
We believe what is so because countless others have before.
We follow the herd.
But this is not always correct.
Socrates taught us that the presence of opposition is not evidence that we are wrong. Nor does the fact that the great many have adhered to an opposing view prove that we are wrong. Instead, we are instructed to focus on the logic of their argument, their reasons for their beliefs.
What does this mean?
Don’t be afraid to differentiate yourself, to be the pioneer of hitherto unknown truths. Become an explorer, scientist, poet, singer or businessman. Explore your craft. Evaluate and then speak your truth.
Be open to criticism and grow.
Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.
Written 28th August 2020
To be normal
Because with normal comes belonging, social security
With normal comes relating to common issues
And having similar interests
With normal comes the feeling of being understood
Being part of the pack
Oh, to be normal!
To be ostracised
Humiliated
For being different
And perhaps rightly so
Love
Does it transcend mere physical acts?
We talk of spirituality and God and Being
Not abstractly but:
Is there not more than what meets the eye?
Though, no doubt
A factor to take into account
The normal life
University
Well-paid job
Family and kids
Perhaps if you reduce life to such words
You remove the excitement that comes with each of these:
Passion for learning and expanding your field of interest
Sharing the wisdom of your life with your other half and children
The picnics in the park
Paddling in the river
Watching your kids in school plays…
Each person is different
We are all human
Yes
But our very nature is different
Our DNA and characteristics are expressed uniquely
During our childhood, our brains are moulded and developed according to every waking moment we have ever experienced.
Say you clone two people and theoretically expose them to identical scenarios
Throughout their life
At the exact same points in their lives
Yet you do, however, change one thing:
You give one of the clones one minute less sleep each night
Then (theoretically speaking)
If you were to collide the worlds of these two clones together
Putting them face to face
Whilst remarkably similar
And almost identical
They would differ
Because that minute change in sleep
Changes the most fundamental part of ourselves
Our DNA
So, if such a miniscule change in an infinitely large universe can cause even a clone to differ from his counterpart
What hope do we have when trying to be like others?
To compare ourselves?
He has a girlfriend
He has not spoken to his brother for two years
She is a famous and achieved actress
She has no true friends
He hardly sees his family
He has a job that he loves
She travels around the world
She drowns her sorrows each night with whiskey
Whose life is better?
What is better?
Can we even hope to compare ourselves to others?
The relation between meaning and happiness
To seek happiness is not to necessarily seek meaning but with meaning, there is joy and purpose
Taking the wisdom and advice of parents
And friends
And culture
But logically shedding the irrelevant and constraining expectations
A relationship centred on the mind and not the body
When the body will ultimately return to dust
Can one move through life logically?
It has been found that emotions are integral to decision making and rational thought
Is the logical life the best life?
To be illogical
Risky
To swim at midnight in a freshwater lake
Clothes left at the side
To feel the rush
As you jump off cliffs
Into the cold, liberating water
What a feeling!
Or is this logical but our vision and logic are tarnished?
By our preconceptions
Culture
And our own self-centredness?
To be different for the sake of being different?
To be normal for the sake of being normal?
To live a life pursuing happiness?
Or meaning?
Or both?
To live a life where one’s impact has been noted
Works not forgotten
To be remembered for the sake of being remembered?
Dedicated to the brilliant and unique mind of Alan Turing
If normal exists at all
