There is an old medical joke that "there are no healthy people, there are only under-examined people." Alfred Adler, one of the leading German psychologists of the early 20th century, formulated a similar statement regarding personality psychology. From a certain point of view, this statement really deserves attention.
The definition of a normal person
"Normal people are only those whom you know little," Adler said. Considering that Alfred Adler is the founder of the system of individual psychology, it makes sense to listen to his point of view. However, first of all, it is necessary to determine the terminology, and, in particular, with the very concept of normality. In medicine (and in psychology as well), the norm is understood as a certain state of the body that does not harm its functions. Psychiatrists, on the other hand, define the normal state as a set of indicators that correspond to certain expectations and perceptions.
Sigmund Freud's attitude to Alfred Adler was initially quite loyal, but in later letters the founder of psychoanalysis called Adler paranoid, claiming that he advanced "incomprehensible" theories.
In principle, on the basis of this, we can say that "a normal person" is a rather flexible definition, largely dependent on the value judgments of other people who consider themselves normal. Of course, since we are talking about social interactions, the opinion of society must be taken into account, but we must not forget that even a very large number of people are capable of making mistakes. This is especially noticeable in the example of medieval scientists, who faced severe rejection of their discoveries and ideas, and some were even executed.
Adler was right
However, if you still imagine that there are relatively objective criteria for the normality of this or that person, Adler's statement will indeed be true. It means that the less is known about a person, the less manifestations of his individuality, by which it is possible to form an idea of whether he is normal. In addition, insufficiently close acquaintance deprives you of not only information about significant events and actions in this person's life, but also information about his motives, experiences, emotions and desires, both explicit and hidden, suppressed.
It is necessary to understand the difference between the social concept of the norm and the individual. In many cases, people who transcend social norms are excellent subjects for interpersonal communication.
At the same time, most people unconsciously profess the concept of positive thinking, in other words, proceed from the fact that a person is normal until proven otherwise. Naturally, the more formal the communication, the lower the probability of obtaining evidence of one deviation or another. On the other hand, one should not go to extremes and generalizations and suspect everyone in a row of psychological deviations, based on one quote from a German psychologist. Do not forget that the generally accepted definition of the norm may well differ from your own, especially since it is very vague, and what was considered abnormal fifty years ago, today no longer surprises anyone. Of course, in cases where mental abnormalities are obvious and dangerous to others, urgent measures must be taken, but a harmless hobby for African butterflies, for example, is hardly a cause for concern.
