--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...I was normal until society told me…" description: "\"“...I was normal until society told me they didn't think I was normal.”\" — Zach Wahls" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/zach-wahls-43638_community_i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they_739894.jpg" --- # ...I was normal until society told me they didn't think I… ![“...I was normal until society told me they didn't think I was normal.” quote by Zach Wahls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/zach-wahls-43638_community_i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they_739894.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/zach-wahls-43638_community_i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they_739894.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/zach-wahls-43638_community_i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they_739894.jpg) > ““...I was normal until society told me they didn't think I was normal.”” [Zach Wahls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societal labels can distort self‑perception, leading to feelings of abnormality. **In simple terms:** Society can make you feel abnormal. Key Takeaway Reject limiting labels. Themes identity society self‑acceptance Mood empowering defiant Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal narrative - public speaking - advocacy Key Concepts psychology social conformity Questions to Reflect On - How do you define your own normal? - What steps help you resist external judgments? A Different Perspective Some may find comfort in community labels. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Normal Society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-society-297235/) [Society Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/society-told-1088671/) [Think Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-normal/) [Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told/) [Told Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-didn-829736/) ## Related quotes > [“I told you because I didn't know how not to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-told-you-because-i-didn-t-know-how-not-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [If we didn't live in a society that told us we're not OK if we're not making 100 grand a year, I think we'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-brooks/if-we-didn-t-live-in-a-society-that-told-us-we-re-not-ok-if-we-re-not/) [Meredith Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-brooks/) > [I felt that society had told me out loud clearly and in no unclear terms, that there were several aspects of my personality, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-the-drag-queen/i-felt-that-society-had-told-me-out-loud-clearly-and-in-no-unclear/) [Bob the Drag Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-the-drag-queen/) > [I asked you, baby, If you understood- You told me that you didn't, But you thought you would.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langston-hughes/i-asked-you-baby-if-you-understood-you-told-me-that-you-didn-t-but/) [Langston Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langston-hughes/) > [“That's the problem with trying to fit into normal society, isn't it? After you've walked a crazy high-wire like the one we were on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-kae-myers/that-s-the-problem-with-trying-to-fit-into-normal-society-isn-t-it/) [Kate Kae Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-kae-myers/) > [Bisexuality is normal in our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madelaine-petsch/bisexuality-is-normal-in-our-society/) [Madelaine Petsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madelaine-petsch/) > [Sure I may look adjusted, but I can't function in normal society because most of you are too stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tosh/sure-i-may-look-adjusted-but-i-can-t-function-in-normal-society/) [Daniel Tosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tosh/) > [“There is Normal Society and then there is the Abnormal Freaks Who Deserve Our Public Pity and Private Ridicule Society. The first is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/there-is-normal-society-and-then-there-is-the-abnormal-freaks-who/) [David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/) > [“Most people in this "normal" society of ours begin sitting still in a room for six to eight hours beginning in childhood. They continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-b-truant/most-people-in-this-normal-society-of-ours-begin-sitting-still-in-a/) [Johnny B. Truant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-b-truant/) > [I live life in the margins of society, and the rules of normal society don't apply to those who live on the fringe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-de-lempicka/i-live-life-in-the-margins-of-society-and-the-rules-of-normal-society/) [Tamara de Lempicka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-de-lempicka/) > [Being "weird" by the norm of normal society is a work of art. Stay weird, wonderful souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-weird-by-the-norm-of-normal-society-is-a-work-of-art-stay-weird/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When he told me that he didn't love me, you were there to tell me that you did...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-he-told-me-that-he-didn-t-love-me-you-were-there-to-tell-me-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [And I really also wanted to have the full-body scans to learn if it was anywhere else - and it wasn't - before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-redgrave/and-i-really-also-wanted-to-have-the-full-body-scans-to-learn-if-it/) [Lynn Redgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-redgrave/) > [A "Bay Area Bisexual" told me I didn't quite coincide with either of her desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/a-bay-area-bisexual-told-me-i-didn-t-quite-coincide-with-either-of/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Perhaps it would be simpler if you just did what you're told and didn't try to understand things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/perhaps-it-would-be-simpler-if-you-just-did-what-you-re-told-and-didn/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by Zach Wahls > [Gov. Romney says he's against same-sex marriage because every child deserves a mother and a father. I think every child deserves a family as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/gov-romney-says-he-s-against-same-sex-marriage-because-every-child/) [Zach Wahls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/) > [I think every child deserves a family as loving and committed as mine. Because the sense of family comes from the commitment we make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/i-think-every-child-deserves-a-family-as-loving-and-committed-as-mine/) [Zach Wahls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/) > [Religious beliefs...should never be an excuse to treat people badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/religious-beliefs-should-never-be-an-excuse-to-treat-people-badly/) [Zach Wahls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/) > [“It’s not like I woke up one morning, cracked my knuckles and thought, All right, time to pick a sexuality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/it-s-not-like-i-woke-up-one-morning-cracked-my-knuckles-and-thought/) [Zach Wahls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/) > [“...a dozen hands engaged in hard, charitable work will change more lives than thousands of hands clasped in prayer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/a-dozen-hands-engaged-in-hard-charitable-work-will-change-more-lives/) [Zach Wahls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/) > [Courage is knowing that you're beaten and forging ahead anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/courage-is-knowing-that-you-re-beaten-and-forging-ahead-anyway/) [Zach Wahls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/) > [“We should NOT try to change other peoples' systems against their wills, and we should not inflict our systems on others if such infliction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/we-should-not-try-to-change-other-peoples-systems-against-their-wills/) [Zach Wahls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/) > [The sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/the-sexual-orientation-of-my-parents-has-had-zero-effect-on-the/) [Zach Wahls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/) [Explore all 9 Zach Wahls quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/) ## More Community quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [The strains and stresses suffered by the individual in society are grounded in the normal functioning of that society (and of the individual!) rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/the-strains-and-stresses-suffered-by-the-individual-in-society-are/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) > [Hackney gets a bit of a bad rap, but it's the only place I've ever lived that felt like a community. I know my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-horgan/hackney-gets-a-bit-of-a-bad-rap-but-it-s-the-only-place-i-ve-ever/) [Sharon Horgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-horgan/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/we-re-at-a-point-in-history-were-we-have-to-become-a-part-of-the/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [It rolls off my back. Ridicule doesn't mean anything - even from people you're supposed to wear knee pads around, like the scientific community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-schultz/it-rolls-off-my-back-ridicule-doesn-t-mean-anything-even-from-people/) [Dwight Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-schultz/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) [Sheila Kamerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kamerman/) > [I think what was special about 'Music by Prudence' was the classic story of the title subject's life path - from being an outcast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-think-what-was-special-about-music-by-prudence-was-the-classic/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [Perhaps the greatest and least visible form of impoverishment caused by the Corporate State is the destruction of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-reich/perhaps-the-greatest-and-least-visible-form-of-impoverishment-caused/) [Charles A. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/) [Browse all 13,840 Community quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...I was normal until society told me they didn't think I was normal.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zach Wahls" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they-didn-t-think-i-was-normal/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Community" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they-didn-t-think-i-was-normal/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/zach-wahls-43638_community_i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they_739894.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/zach-wahls-43638_community_i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they_739894.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/zach-wahls-43638_community_i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they_739894.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...I was normal until society told me they didn't think I was normal.” — Zach Wahls", "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": "Zach Wahls", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wahls/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...I was normal until society told...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they-didn-t-think-i-was-normal/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wahls/i-was-normal-until-society-told-me-they-didn-t-think-i-was-normal/#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 } } ] } ```