Being Abnormal

HOW is it that 'norms' can often make the rest of us feel as though we are shouting into the void, even when those of us who are less 'normal' are perfectly capable of communicating? The mere mention of a topic that is slightly unfamiliar or out of the ordinary - and I MEAN slightly, rather than anything remotely shocking or extreme - is greeted by such people with a form of blindness. It could be a reference to a genre of music they're unfamiliar with, or a minor detail about the cultural sensibilities of a North African footballer, but for some reason the information simply doesn't compute and is therefore ignored.

This has happened to me on a number of occasions, with the observation being remarkably circumnavigated as though it didn't even exist. Not out of pure rudeness, of course, but on account of the recipient being incapable of stepping outside his or her cultural bubble in an effort to broaden their personal horizons. Nearly all of the people who behave in this way seem obsessed with mainstream trivia from the 60s or 70s, yet find it impossible to cope with something more contemporary that hasn't already appeared on their cultural radar.

Although it has rightly been said that one cannot teach an old dog new tricks, what possible hope is there for such people when they cannot deal with information that hasn't already been rubber-stamped by the overlords of civilisation? No wonder they're queuing up in their millions to be skewered because that nice man on the evening news told them it's in their best interests.

Interactions of this kind can be incredibly frustrating, especially when it involves family and friends, but I think we need to remind ourselves that we are fundamentally 'abnormal' in many respects. Normal to ourselves, perhaps, but comprising a tiny minority of people who can actually see the wood for the trees in these dark times. It's important to avoid becoming arrogant, however, simply because overcoming such blindness has far more value than becoming puffed-up on our own perceived superiority.