Consider the title of the post for a moment.
Yes, I am a philosopher, so it is kind of my job to ask questions like “What is Beauty?” and “What is Intelligence.” Philosophers love these types of questions because everyone “knows” the answer, but no one can give a coherent definition without a ton of classifiers and exceptions.
What is Weird?
Something that is not normal? That just begs the question “What is Normal?”
Something that is unusual? A lot of Americans would consider a person who eats insects “weird,” but there are entire communities who do it. In this sense, it is perfectly usual.
Perhaps we need to be more specific. Maybe Weird is something that is considered “marginal” to the majority of a community at a particular time. This seems to hit it a little closer, but this also means anything can be seen as weird depending on who’s looking at it.
And maybe that is what Weird is. Maybe it’s just a relative thing.
But then why is so much emphasis placed on normality? Why do most people so desperately avoid being seen as weird or odd?
I like to talk to myself to help organize my thoughts, but I would never do it in public. That would be weird.
Most people like hugs, and a lot of people would love to offer a hug to a person in need. Why not? But few people would ask a stranger for a hug, or offer a hug to a stranger. That would be weird.
I know a ton of friends who hesitate to play music they enjoy at a party, because they think others will criticize their preferences. People would think they are weird.
What’s Wrong With Weird?
Thinking on all of the above scenarios, I can’t really blame people for making certain choices. The fact of the matter is, many times people will actually think you are weird if you partake in certain behaviors. And depending on how weird the person is perceived to be, some people will have extreme reactions to him/her. These reactions could be gossip or criticism, but could even be verbal or physical assault.
My question is, “WHY?!” Why on Earth would anyone want to attack another person for being weird, when (as mentioned above) everyone can be considered weird? There is not a single person in this world that can truly and without debate be called “normal” or “not weird.” It is virtually impossible (and I’m certainly not one who speaks in absolutes).
Despite this, people are chastised, criticized, insulted, belittled, and physically attacked for being “weird.” Or different. Or unusual. Or strange. There is a reason that several spiritual as well as secular traditions have adopted the ideology of “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” In other words, it simply does not make sense for a person to ridicule or abuse another unless that person is him/herself free of vice. And since no one really is, no one should ever feel empowered to be abusive.
Yet it is often the practitioners and followers of these ideologies that engage in this type of marginalizing behavior. These beliefs sound great on paper, but seem to go against our natural human desire to categorize and discriminate. Who isn’t going to want to make the guy eating gum off the bottom of a chair stop? Well, probably the people who also like the idea of eating gum off chairs.
You know you are not “normal,” so why judge anybody else for failing to be?
::The above comic, originally by Virus Comix, was found on Make My Mood::
Related posts:
