--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You are a deviant from the social norm!\"…" description: "\"“You are a deviant from the social norm!\" \"Is that an insult or a diagnosis?”\" — Roger Zelazny" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/roger-zelazny-1604_humour_you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-i_1225376.png" --- # You are a deviant from the social norm!" "Is that an… ![“You are a deviant from the social norm!" "Is that an insult or a diagnosis?” quote by Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/roger-zelazny-1604_humour_you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-i_1225376.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/roger-zelazny-1604_humour_you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-i_1225376.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/roger-zelazny-1604_humour_you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-i_1225376.png) > ““You are a deviant from the social norm!" "Is that an insult or a diagnosis?”” [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Labeling non‑conformity as deviant can stigmatize and pathologize difference. **In simple terms:** Non‑norms may be labeled badly. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about “normal.” Themes identity conformity stigma Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - school environments - workplace culture - online communities - mental health discourse Key Concepts social psychology labeling theory Questions to Reflect On - What counts as “normal” in your context? - When does labeling help or hurt? A Different Perspective Not all deviations are harmful; some drive innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humour/) ## Related quotes > [Once you break the social norm and create a new social norm, all of a sudden it can stay with us for a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/once-you-break-the-social-norm-and-create-a-new-social-norm-all-of-a/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“The researchers argued that an orderly environment fosters a sense of responsibility not so much by deterrence (since Groningen police rarely penalize litterers) as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-researchers-argued-that-an-orderly-environment-fosters-a-sense-of/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I suppose it's not a social norm, and not a manly thing to do - to feel, discuss feelings. So that's what I'm giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-c-scott/i-suppose-it-s-not-a-social-norm-and-not-a-manly-thing-to-do-to-feel/) [Jess C Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-c-scott/) > [People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people - and that social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/people-have-really-gotten-comfortable-not-only-sharing-more/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [At every point I am besieged by people who would like me to conform to some social norm of whatever sort of social group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-parker/at-every-point-i-am-besieged-by-people-who-would-like-me-to-conform/) [Sean Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-parker/) > [One of the reasons I think Y Combinator is so powerful is because it creates a new social norm, especially for those who come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-kan/one-of-the-reasons-i-think-y-combinator-is-so-powerful-is-because-it/) [Justin Kan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-kan/) > [“..civility took root at Wikipedia. It grew into a social norm...But sometimes, even the toughest social norms aren’t enough. We found there is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/civility-took-root-at-wikipedia-it-grew-into-a-social-norm-but/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [“Who made the concept of smiling for camera a social norm? It's not required for one to smile unless you really are smiling while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crestless-wave/who-made-the-concept-of-smiling-for-camera-a-social-norm-it-s-not/) Crestless Wave > [I apologize to all of my colleagues who've been writing up storms, but as a culture we've essentially put ourselves into a position where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-turkle/i-apologize-to-all-of-my-colleagues-who-ve-been-writing-up-storms-but/) [Sherry Turkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-turkle/) > [Busyness is now the social norm that people feel they must conform to, Burnett says, or risk being outcasts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/busyness-is-now-the-social-norm-that-people-feel-they-must-conform-to/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [in our culture, the professional, and largely white, middle class is taken as a social norm - a bland and neutral mainstream - from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-ehrenreich/in-our-culture-the-professional-and-largely-white-middle-class-is/) [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-ehrenreich/) > [“you want to nudge people into socially desirable behavior, do not, by any means, let them know that their current actions are better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-h-thaler/you-want-to-nudge-people-into-socially-desirable-behavior-do-not-by/) [Richard H. Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-h-thaler/) > [The English love an insult. It's their only test of a man's sincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-english-love-an-insult-it-s-their-only-test-of-a-man-s-sincerity/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Doyle: "What is it now, then?" Cordelia: "Isn't java supposed to be a coffee?" Doyle: "Ready to abandon the the Web project?" Cordelia: "No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-passarella/doyle-what-is-it-now-then-cordelia-isn-t-java-supposed-to-be-a-coffee/) John Passarella > [It seems an insult to nature and to the Creator to imagine that pregnancy was ever intended to be a sickness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-bisbee-duffey/it-seems-an-insult-to-nature-and-to-the-creator-to-imagine-that/) Eliza Bisbee Duffey ## More by Roger Zelazny > [“I was willing to die fighting, but it was senseless for all these men to go down with me. Perhaps my blood was tainted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-was-willing-to-die-fighting-but-it-was-senseless-for-all-these-men/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I know, too, that death is the only god who comes when you call.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-know-too-that-death-is-the-only-god-who-comes-when-you-call/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [There's no such thing as civilization. The word just means the art of living in cities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/there-s-no-such-thing-as-civilization-the-word-just-means-the-art-of/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“Time, too, is a function of Shadow, and even Dworkin did not know all of its ins and outs. Or perhaps he did. Maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/time-too-is-a-function-of-shadow-and-even-dworkin-did-not-know-all-of/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I've always been impulsive. My thinking is usually pretty good, but I always seem to do it after I do my talking — by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-ve-always-been-impulsive-my-thinking-is-usually-pretty-good-but-i/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“And again, damn. Of troubles I considered myself amply possessed. But those who have do seem to get. Some spiritual form of compound interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/and-again-damn-of-troubles-i-considered-myself-amply-possessed-but/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“Far below, the ocean was a bluegray rug being pulled out from beneath us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/far-below-the-ocean-was-a-bluegray-rug-being-pulled-out-from-beneath/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [A powerful flight of the imagination . . . an entirely enjoyable reading experience, wrought by a pair of writers noted for excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/a-powerful-flight-of-the-imagination-an-entirely-enjoyable-reading/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [The function of criticism should not be confused with the function of reform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/the-function-of-criticism-should-not-be-confused-with-the-function-of/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I always wanted to write, ever since I was a kid. I started writing at the age of 11. All I wanted to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-always-wanted-to-write-ever-since-i-was-a-kid-i-started-writing-at/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [While I had often said that I wanted to die in bed, what I really meant was that in my old age I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/while-i-had-often-said-that-i-wanted-to-die-in-bed-what-i-really/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“That was the first time in my life that I knew the meaning of despair. I read, I worked, I drank, I whored, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/that-was-the-first-time-in-my-life-that-i-knew-the-meaning-of-despair/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [“I watched until the sizzlecloud drew its legs up into itself, hung like a burning cocoon, then died like an ember retreating into ash.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-watched-until-the-sizzlecloud-drew-its-legs-up-into-itself-hung/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [To waste! You are unknown and unwanted, save by me. This, because you are fairly adept at the various embalming arts and you occasionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/to-waste-you-are-unknown-and-unwanted-save-by-me-this-because-you-are/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) > [I watched the spinning stars, grateful, sad and proud, as only a man who has outlived his destiny and realizes he might yet forge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/i-watched-the-spinning-stars-grateful-sad-and-proud-as-only-a-man-who/) [Roger Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) [Explore all 220 Roger Zelazny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/) ## More Humour quotes > [“law that stated you didn't advertise any event you hadn't attended, any place you'd never been, or any band you didn't really listen to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mhairi-mcfarlane/law-that-stated-you-didn-t-advertise-any-event-you-hadn-t-attended/) [Mhairi McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mhairi-mcfarlane/) > [To refer even in passing to unpublished or struggling authors and their problems is to put oneself at some risk, so I will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kingsley-amis/to-refer-even-in-passing-to-unpublished-or-struggling-authors-and/) [Kingsley Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kingsley-amis/) > [“Wish in one hand, shit in the other, see which one fills up faster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noelle-oxenhandler/wish-in-one-hand-shit-in-the-other-see-which-one-fills-up-faster/) Noelle Oxenhandler > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [“What if," replied Inspector Fry in the same maddeningly curteous tone, "we were all to construct daisy chains and drape them so as to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndsay-faye/what-if-replied-inspector-fry-in-the-same-maddeningly-curteous-tone/) [Lyndsay Faye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndsay-faye/) > [You owe me a drink, you're so ugly I dropped mine when I saw you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-owe-me-a-drink-you-re-so-ugly-i-dropped-mine-when-i-saw-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No woman ever yet either reasoned or acted long together consequentially; but some little thing, some love, some resentment, somepresent momentary interest, some supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/no-woman-ever-yet-either-reasoned-or-acted-long-together/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [“Holy shit," somebody muttered in the dark. "A virgin," sputtered another. "I didn't know they still made them." "He just did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/holy-shit-somebody-muttered-in-the-dark-a-virgin-sputtered-another-i/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [“True, science has conquered many diseases, broken the genetic code, and even placed human beings on the moon, and yet when a man of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/true-science-has-conquered-many-diseases-broken-the-genetic-code-and/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [“John, let me make one thing clear,” Jim said, cutting me off in his most stern, evangelical voice. “Every man is blessed with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/john-let-me-make-one-thing-clear-jim-said-cutting-me-off-in-his-most/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [Self-deprecating humour is a common form of comedy and it helps get the audience on side because you're being vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-brooker/self-deprecating-humour-is-a-common-form-of-comedy-and-it-helps-get/) [Alex Brooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-brooker/) > [“Life is like yoga; the only way you can enjoy it is by relaxing into any position you happen to find yourself in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-wakeham/life-is-like-yoga-the-only-way-you-can-enjoy-it-is-by-relaxing-into/) Jon Wakeham > [“Charlotte Richmond says of herself: “I have few ladylike accomplishments. I cannot sing, I cannot draw, I cannot play the pianoforte or the harp…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-slade/charlotte-richmond-says-of-herself-i-have-few-ladylike/) Nicola Slade > [“But even if they could go home it would be difficult for me to tell you what the moral of the story is. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemony-snicket/but-even-if-they-could-go-home-it-would-be-difficult-for-me-to-tell/) [Lemony Snicket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemony-snicket/) [Browse all 3,815 Humour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humour/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You are a deviant from the social norm!\" \"Is that an insult or a diagnosis?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roger Zelazny" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-is-that-an-insult-or-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Humour" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-is-that-an-insult-or-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/roger-zelazny-1604_humour_you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-i_1225376.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/roger-zelazny-1604_humour_you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-i_1225376.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/roger-zelazny-1604_humour_you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-i_1225376.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You are a deviant from the social norm!\" \"Is that an insult or a diagnosis?” — Roger Zelazny", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Roger Zelazny", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-zelazny/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You are a deviant from the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-is-that-an-insult-or-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-zelazny/you-are-a-deviant-from-the-social-norm-is-that-an-insult-or-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```