Being Abnormal

These are one of those things that you know, but somehow, you don’t realize you know it.

We feel it everyday.

Being abnormal.

Of the many interjections of Judge Aguinaldo this evening, this one made its point straight to my mind.

Perhaps, the colloquial language of Judge Philip is appropriate.

“How normal is normal?” or “How abnormal is abnormal?”

Normalcy ain’t being sane or insane, crazy, demented or what not. Its root word is ‘norm’… and its synonyms are ‘conduct’ and ‘rule’.

That’s why we have what we call ‘normative’ propositions.

You say ‘abnormal’ when it does not conform to the norm of conduct.

Norm is relative and dependent upon the community. The premise therefore is, any act which is accepted by the majority of the members of the community, irregardless of its moral or ethical value, is normal.

Therefore, whatever acts we have in the legal community is normal, but may be abnormal to the laymen community. And vice-versa. Whatever is taboo to us, is praxis in the other and vice-versa.

Therefore, I am both normal and abnormal.

So, it is human nature to prejudice against the acts of others which do not conform to the norms of the society or the community.

And so, I end this philosophical discussion with the conclusion…

Being abnormal is normal.