Standards, – what is normal?

When you ask someone what is normal, then he will probably describe the present time with all its conditions as normal. This is the general standard. This general standard changes already when we move into a different country. And as we have a lot of different countries and cultures, we have a lot of different standards, – what people call normal. When people go on holidays in a foreign country then they wonder a lot about the differences. “How can they behave like this? How can they eat that? And so on.” Now, the funny things it that people do not question their own standards, only those of other people.

Besides these things, the understanding of standards is a psychological phenomenon. What do you feel is normal and with this the standard?

Imagine that you grow up in a happy family with a lot of love, compassion, etc. Then these experiences are the standard for you in your own perception and behavior. You simply cannot imagine that it could be different.

Now imagine that you grow up in a violent family where it is normal to be slap children and to punish them for small mistakes. It is also normal to curse a lot and to speak bad about others. As you know nothing else, you take this for normal, for your standard. And if you do not make other experiences, you will go on like this with your own family.

In conclusion, good conditions as well as bad conditions in life can be perceived as normal, as the standard. And when something is normal, then it is accepted. And this is a very important point. Evil can easily be accepted and maintained just because it is set as the standard.

So, when you live in a society where violence, torture, death penalties, etc. are “normal”, then it is accepted and maintained. “We have done it like that throughout centuries. My forefathers did it. It is culture, religion and tradition. It is normal. Why should we change anything?”

Especially, when there is no possibility for comparing your standard with different standards, you believe all is fine.

In conclusion, what you believe is normal, the standard, and this can be quite dangerous. This is valid for all fields of life. We are conditioned on a subconscious level and we should, – must question everything to escape the prisons of society and belief. Freedom lies beyond the blind conditioning of society.