--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'Normal' is not clinical, it's not…" description: "\"'Normal' is not clinical, it's not autobiographical, and I don't claim to be objective. It's strictly my perceptions and thoughts about the people that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/amy-bloom-4288_about_normal-is-not-clinical-it-s-not-autobiog_204599.png" --- # 'Normal' is not clinical, it's not autobiographical, and I… ![“'Normal' is not clinical, it's not autobiographical, and I don't claim to be objective. It's strictly my perceptions and thoughts about the people that I met and the stories that I heard. It was never meant to be an academic work.” quote by Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/amy-bloom-4288_about_normal-is-not-clinical-it-s-not-autobiog_204599.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/amy-bloom-4288_about_normal-is-not-clinical-it-s-not-autobiog_204599.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67f/amy-bloom-4288_about_normal-is-not-clinical-it-s-not-autobiog_204599.png) > “'Normal' is not clinical, it's not autobiographical, and I don't claim to be objective. It's strictly my perceptions and thoughts about the people that I met and the stories that I heard. It was never meant to be an academic work.” [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker emphasizes that the work is a personal narrative, not a scientific or objective account. **In simple terms:** It’s a personal story, not a scholarly study. Key Takeaway Treat it as a subjective memoir. Themes subjectivity personal narrative memory truth storytelling Mood reflective introspective Type memoir personal essay nonfiction When to use this quote - writing a memoir - sharing personal experiences - journalistic reporting - creative nonfiction Key Concepts subjective perception personal truth narrative bias Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish personal perception from objective fact? - What responsibilities do authors have when presenting personal stories? A Different Perspective Personal narratives can be mistaken for factual reporting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Autobiographical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiographical/) [Clinical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinical/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“To assess the quality of thoughts of people, don't listen to their words, but watch their actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/to-assess-the-quality-of-thoughts-of-people-don-t-listen-to-their/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“I have no routines or personal history. One day I found out that they were no longer necessary for me and, like drinking, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/i-have-no-routines-or-personal-history-one-day-i-found-out-that-they/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [The thoughts people create about us will always reach us. Any wrong karma, invites negative energy from people towards us. If people are jealous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-bk-satyanarayan/the-thoughts-people-create-about-us-will-always-reach-us-any-wrong/) [Dr BK Satyanarayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-bk-satyanarayan/) > [It's very easy to colour the thoughts of people in the age of social media. If you are being bombarded with some lies constantly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/it-s-very-easy-to-colour-the-thoughts-of-people-in-the-age-of-social/) [Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/) > [I read, with a kind of hopeless envy, histories and legends of people of our craft who do not write for money. It must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-read-with-a-kind-of-hopeless-envy-histories-and-legends-of-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ It is by acts (actions) and not by ideas (mere thoughts) that people \[really\] live. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/it-is-by-acts-actions-and-not-by-ideas-mere-thoughts-that-people/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [So many people have the TV or radio constantly turned on “for company,” or spend their time reading trashy novels, aimlessly surfing the Net,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kingston/so-many-people-have-the-tv-or-radio-constantly-turned-on-for-company/) [Karen Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kingston/) > [Friends are the people you laugh with, make fun of, and share your deepest thoughts with. They are also the people you would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mashburn/friends-are-the-people-you-laugh-with-make-fun-of-and-share-your/) Daniel Mashburn > [“Yes, it meant something.” Then he said, “Mr. Trask, do you think the thoughts of people suddenly become important at a given age? Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/yes-it-meant-something-then-he-said-mr-trask-do-you-think-the/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“With the smoke of the dead sailor's cigar wreathing around him, Willie passed to thinking about death and life and luck and God. Philosophers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-wouk/with-the-smoke-of-the-dead-sailor-s-cigar-wreathing-around-him-willie/) [Herman Wouk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-wouk/) > [Thoughts are like bullets. You should be aware when you walk into a building what energy is there, whose thoughts are there. People should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-praagh/thoughts-are-like-bullets-you-should-be-aware-when-you-walk-into-a/) [James Van Praagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-praagh/) > [“My brain I'll prove the female to my soul; my soul the father: and these two beget a generation of still-breeding thoughts, and these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/my-brain-i-ll-prove-the-female-to-my-soul-my-soul-the-father-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Do not share your thoughts with people who think that what you are thinking is not worth thinking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/do-not-share-your-thoughts-with-people-who-think-that-what-you-are/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“Mr. Trask, do you think the thoughts of people suddenly become important at a given age? Do you have sharper feelings or clearer thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/mr-trask-do-you-think-the-thoughts-of-people-suddenly-become/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [There are wavelengths that people cannot see, there are sounds that people cannot hear, and maybe computers have thoughts that people cannot think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/there-are-wavelengths-that-people-cannot-see-there-are-sounds-that/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) ## More by Amy Bloom > [I'm sure I've been influenced by every fine writer I've ever read, from Dickens and Austen to Auden and Jane Hirshfield. And also, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-m-sure-i-ve-been-influenced-by-every-fine-writer-i-ve-ever-read/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [My target audience is anyone who finds the world interesting and human behavior fascinating, terrible, inspiring, funny, and occasionally, mysterious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/my-target-audience-is-anyone-who-finds-the-world-interesting-and/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [I assume as a writer that most of the time I'm going to fall down and fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-assume-as-a-writer-that-most-of-the-time-i-m-going-to-fall-down-and/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [It is a wonderful, moving, heart-filling experience to sit with the man or woman you love and your beloved children and know that all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/it-is-a-wonderful-moving-heart-filling-experience-to-sit-with-the-man/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [If you're an American reader, you can love short stories the way other Americans love baseball; this is our game, people! 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And that if I didn't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/my-father-certainly-believed-that-one-could-make-a-living-outside-of/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [I am all for loving relationships in which the couple at the center are a match set in terms of height, weight, color, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-am-all-for-loving-relationships-in-which-the-couple-at-the-center/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [“The German deli was run by a distant cousin of Kaiser Wilhelm and the Great Neck Jews loved the place; they flocked to Kuch's.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/the-german-deli-was-run-by-a-distant-cousin-of-kaiser-wilhelm-and-the/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [I met Jay Jonhson. I won him the way poor people occasionally win the lottery: Shameless perseverance and embarrassingly dumb luck, and every time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/i-met-jay-jonhson-i-won-him-the-way-poor-people-occasionally-win-the/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [Actual happiness is sometimes confused with the pursuit of it; and the most mindless and crass how-tos can get jumbled in with the modestly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/actual-happiness-is-sometimes-confused-with-the-pursuit-of-it-and-the/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [Smart people often talk trash about happiness and worse than trash about books on happiness, and they have been doing so for centuries -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/smart-people-often-talk-trash-about-happiness-and-worse-than-trash/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [My father would have been spectacularly ill-suited to working for an institution of any kind, and I suspect that, to a lesser degree, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/my-father-would-have-been-spectacularly-ill-suited-to-working-for-an/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [Marriage is not a ritual or an end. Its a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/marriage-is-not-a-ritual-or-an-end-its-a-long-intricate-intimate/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [All intimacy is rare-that's what makes it precious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/all-intimacy-is-rare-that-s-what-makes-it-precious/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [“She believes in will. It is so frail and delicate at night that she can’t even imagine the next morning, but it is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/she-believes-in-will-it-is-so-frail-and-delicate-at-night-that-she/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) [Explore all 112 Amy Bloom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. 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That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. 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