h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey P-C, I'm not sure I'm comfortable starting a conversation with a dangerous, latter-day neo-Nazi, but I wanted to discuss 'norms'. On a purely technical kinda basis, not in any kind of moral sense.

I agree that homosexuality is a minority pursuit, but saying that it isn't the norm presumes.......that there is only *one* norm. Surely given our natural variation in every particular, saying something is the norm is... incomplete. Penny for your thoughts?

Hi Pedro!



OK.



using it purely as an example, of course!

<...is a minority pursuit, but saying that it isn't the norm presumes.......that there is only *one* norm. Surely given our natural variation in every particular, saying something is the norm is... incomplete. Penny for your thoughts?>

I think there is a 'norm', and I think that (nearly?) every real-world person is abnormal. I think the latter because no-one is 'normal' in every respect, so at least one aspect of their personality is 'abnormal'.

We can average people out by taking many measurements, and thus discover the 'norm'. But it is not clear how useful this is when no-one has all of their, er, measurable aspects within the 'norm'.

Is this making any sense at all?

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

Yeah, it does make sense. It's normal that everyone is abnormal and it's not a useful concept anyway. That's kinda what I was getting at.

Do you know of anything like a 'poly-normic norm' that would be a more useful idea?

Well yes, the 'norm' we already have. We could take the 'average' of all people under consideration - all humans, all Americans, all Christians, etc. - and use that. Yes, we are agreed that no real person will ever conform to this norm, but I think this concept of an 'average' person could still be of use, provided we remember its limitations. Any good?

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"

Any good?

No, what I meant was some concept which showed that that more than one norm is normal, ie, that for sexuality (for example) there are in fact two norms. Like a bell curve with two peaks.

<...what I meant was some concept which showed that that more than one norm is normal, ie, that for sexuality (for example) there are in fact two norms. Like a bell curve with two peaks.>

The only thing that occurs to me is what you suggest yourself: statistics. The 'standard' statistical curves illustrate what you're talking about.

BTW, typical or natural variation in sexual leanings is a continuum, not just two peaks: heterosexuality (including monogamous and polygamous relationships), bisexuality, homosexuality, bestiality (for the more, er, adventurous ), .... As humans, we certainly value variety in our sexuality, if nowhere else!

Pattern-chaser

"Who cares, wins"