Abnormal Quote by Walter Truett Anderson
“I have been putting words like 'abnormal' and 'deviant' in quotes because those categorizations are under fire now, the boundary between normal and abnormal as questionable now as are all the other boundaries that once defined social reality.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Future of the Mind, 1998
He notes that labels like “abnormal” are being questioned, blurring the line between normal and abnormal and challenging social boundaries.
In simple terms: Labels of normality are under scrutiny.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about social categories.
Themes
identity
norms
social constructs
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- mental health diagnosis
- policy making
- cultural analysis
- education curricula
Key Concepts
sociology
philosophy
psychiatry
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines “normal” in your community?
- How do shifting boundaries affect personal identity?
A Different Perspective
Changing definitions can cause confusion or resistance.
![“ABNORMAL, adj. Not conforming to standard. In matters of thought and conduct, to be independent is to be abnormal, to be abnormal is to be detested. Wherefore the lexicographer adviseth a striving toward the straiter [sic] resemblance of the Average Man than he hath to himself. Whoso attaineth…” quote by Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/029/ambrose-bierce-140_abnormal_abnormal-adj-not-conforming-to-standard_793483.jpg)
