How much effort do you put into being "normal"?

[babinro]

I don't wear jogging pants in public 7 days a week despite the fact they are far more comfortable then any other pants I wear. I don't say everything that comes to mind when talking to people so as to not offend them and maintain respect.

By holding back on natural urges like those above I'd say I put an effort into conforming to social norms. No more than the average person would though.

I don't hold back on my opinions when asked...nor do I try and hide my hobbies and who I am from people. I try to maintain a genuine honesty and stay true to myself as much as possible without deliberately offending or embarrassing others.

 

[AngloDoom]

None. I find that it's actually what makes people like me all the more.

A good example is I recently went to a café with a friend. When I arrived I knew exactly what I wanted, but when I went to speak I just went ahead and forgot the whole thing. I stood there gawking at the sign for a moment before I just pretty much yelled "I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I WANT, BUT IT HAS CHOCOLATE IN IT!"

The person serving me had a laugh, was making me a mocha, and when my friend went to order a coffee without falling to pieces I told him he was a traitor for "Swaggering in and knowing exactly what you want, and looking like a suave gentleman after I fell to pieces." We all had a bit of a laugh, person serving me waved goodbye as we later left and I think I made a friend. Win-win.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

I suppose my clothing is relatively innocuous, but that's more of effort to be inconspicuous as opposed to normal. Other than that I don't do anything to try and assimilate myself with the masses, no. I'm not normal and I'm going to try or pretend to be.

 

[Dethenger]

I don't, really, but I also don't do anything that might draw attention. I'm quiet around most people.

 

[Doclector]

And by that I mean, how much effort do you put into covering up your little idiosyncrasies and personality quirks to fit in with your peers, not get funny looks at the grocery store, get along with your parents, etc.

Spoiler: My Example

For me, a big one is talking to myself. Not like a schizophrenic talks to themselves, like there's another person inside their head (though the association with mental illness seems to be why it's such a cultural taboo). Most of the time, I'm either trying to work through some problem in my head and talking myself through it, or I'm imagining myself in some type of social situation and rehearsing what I would say out loud. Sometimes, it's just muttering a song to myself while I'm running errands. I try to avoid doing it as much as possible, but sometimes I wonder if more people don't do it when they think nobody's looking.

I do that an awful lot. Things just make more sense when you say them out loud.

I don't make much effort to be normal because there's simply not much point, I'm far too wierd to (live much too rare to die)be able to cover it up.

And besides, normal people tend to have rather boring ideas, and seeing as I want to work in film, I may want to stray as far from normal as possible.

 

[Arrogancy]

Almost certainly too much. At least initially around people. As I get to know people better I steadily let them see more of the nerdy me.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well there isn't much work as it's a standard routine, pretty much have a private / public / work / Father John personality split.

At work I am the epitome of serious, as far as my bosses are concerned my vocabulary does not contain the word shenanigans... I know, these corporate charades we play are hilarious.

And in private I am a complete child, I like to run around the house naked, play games, play with toys, build stupid stuff every time I get a new idea, sing like an ass, eat the worst possible food, watch silly cartoons,... and if anyone ever asks me about it I have no clue what you are on about, you can't handle the truth!

Public life (friends, family, partners,...) is about a 50/50 mix of the above, some like shenanigans and others can't handle it so it's mix and match for the appropriate occasion.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Yeah, I talk to myself a lot too. I jsut find that saying my thoughts out loud helps me categorize them better. Also, sometimes I know that no one would listen to me ramble on about all the details of *insert subject here*, so I just say it aloud when no one can hear me so that I can at least have said it.

I also try to NOT do that when around other people. At least, people that I know. It's kind of rude to talk to yourself when there are actual PEOPLE to talk to. Plus it can confuse and weird them out if they don't know who you're talking to. Although Sometimes I'm walking down one of the streets near my house, ipod blasting, and I'm talking to myself about something, and then someone passes me, and I think "oh crap were they listening? Was I talking out loud? Do they think I'm crazy? ....ahh, screw it, it doesn't matter".

Soo....I put medium effort into "looking normal". I'm not that concerned with it, but I don't want to look totally crazy either.

Captcha: "redsaws action"? Is that some kind of new horror flick?

 

[Blow_Pop]

no effort at all. Unless I am at a job or an interview then I tone down just about all of mine(and there is quite a few). I will even tone down as much as I can my oral fixation.....which that one alone is a pain in the arse not to show. especially when my lip piercing is in and when it isn't.....it drives me insane.

I am me. If people don't like it they can piss off. I shouldn't have to change me just so that people like me. If I have to then they aren't worth my time.(unless it is a job/professional thing then that has a whole different set of rules)

 

[FamoFunk]

No effort, I really don't give a shit or notice my, "Quirks" they just happen. No one seems to comment or care, though!

 

[Rinshan Kaihou]

Minimal to no effort. What's the point?

 

[teisjm]

Not a lot.
I try to keep the sides of myself specific people don't appreciate when around them (no way beyond dirty jokes when visiting grandparents)
I try not to get caught up talking about really nerdy stuff when around people who's not in on it, unless they're talking to someone else. Not to seem normal, they all know me anyways, but so they don't feel left out when me and the others start discussing MTG decks or somethign like that, and they understand as little as if we spoke in an alien language.

Apart from that, which is more for the sake of other people and not really to try to appear normal, i don't really do a lot. I dress as i please, big baggy stuff, cause it's comfortable. I care little enough for my appearance, so if my hair looks messy when i wake up, it'll probably end up looking like that for the rest of the day, unless my hat fixes it, and that only happens when it's cold. I don't try to hide interrests, points of view etc. whether or not they're shared with others.

As for talking to myself, as the OP talked about, i rarely do that, i keep it inside my head nearly all the time, not because of what others might think, but because it's just the way i prefer to do it. I can think faster than i can speak anyways. Ocationally i'll be mumbling to myself, especially if i'm really caught up in something, especially video-games.

 

[Mictarmite]

Yeah, I like talking to myself too, & walking around in circles for minutes (hours) on end just thinking; now that's awkward when someone walks in.
OT: I've found out that i'm pretty bad at fitting with "normal" people, i would like to say i've stopped trying too, but i find the concept of them quite intriguing; though that's probably what's hindering me, the 'Them & I' type of thinking.

 

[Scarim Coral]

None since I don't give a danm what sociality views on "normal" is. Beside what's the point covering my true self with a false me which I'm only to lying to myself? Sure this can be about acceptance but really they should be the one who accept the true me, not the other way around.

 

[DonMartin]

"No, listen, here's what you do. You go out into the street. At noon, or when it's the most crowded. Now look all around you. Everyone you see is right now, or will at some point not long from now think to themselves: 'Im special. Im not a part of the herd.' Everyone thinks this. Just as everyone estimates their intelligence to be higher than everyone elses. If I ever said this in front of an audience during a routine, people would laugh. First at the joke, and then at everyone else, because that's who the joke was aimed at. Get it?

I mean, there's nothing wrong with this. It's probably just great. I just think we should remember that if were all unique, no one is. We shouldnt care about that. We should second-guess ourselves and be comfortable with the thought that there always is someone who is better than us at something we think were really good at. Maybe even we think were the best at something. In our town, in our country. Maybe we have an award that proves that. But I assure you, there's always someone who's better than you. Or not better, really. Just more skilled. 'Better' is a word we should try to get rid of. Anyway, I dont know. Im sure there's someone who could say this way better than I can."


- God damn it if I could remember who said this and how they said it. Some stand-up comedian in an interview.

It's an interesting point, I think. Just to think about, I guess.

 

[Zen Toombs]

And by that I mean, how much effort do you put into covering up your little idiosyncrasies and personality quirks to fit in with your peers, not get funny looks at the grocery store, get along with your parents, etc.

Absolutely Zero. I'm completely mad and I love every minute of it.

Most people seem to enjoy it as well, so there's that too.

EDIT: Although, it would seem I'm not the only one. I assume then that my madness is actually what you plebeians refer to as "normal".

 

[DonMartin]

I remember going for a walk with my closest friend once, before I actually knew him that well. At one point, he stopped, and walked up to a hedge. He continued by unzipping his pants and started pissing on the hedge. I was rather surprised at first. We were completely visible from the street, which was just a few metres from the hedge. I told him, while laughing, "Come on", or something like that. He just turned his head and said "Everyone pees. Think about it."

It's really something quite obvious. Of course everyone does. There's really no shame in it.

Now, at that point I actually hadnt realized that. I was stuck in thinking that peeing in public is wrong and shouldnt be done. That it was somehow wrong. Now, of course it is, in some situations. But peeing into a hedge? I remember saying "You know, everyone can see you?" to him. He simply replied: "What? They pee too.

Strive for a world where anyone who walks by a guy pissing on a hedge just thinks "Oh, he's peeing." And nothing more."

Then he just started laughing and I joined in. Both in pissing and in laughing.

 

[sdfdgdfg]

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