Just Because It's Common Doesn't Mean It's Normal

It’s human nature to follow the crowd. We trust restaurants more people are sitting at, go down roads we see other people turn on, and make choices that don’t draw attention to ourselves. We have an unconscious bias toward it and in many ways, it steers our life.

But here’s something to consider: Just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s normal. And the difference is subtle…

If something is common, it means that it happens a lot. It’s the exposure to the many instances of this thing happening that makes it common. It’s common to get divorced, be overweight, get less than 7 hours of sleep, and not like what you do for work.

But that doesn’t mean it’s normal. When something is normal it means that it’s the way it’s intended to be. Normal doesn’t deviate too far from how things are supposed to go. Normal isn’t an outlier or noteworthy. 

And the problem is normal has become uncommon. A long and healthy marriage is now considered to be an exception to the rule. Many people are overweight but that’s not how the human body is intended to work. We’re not supposed to be unhappy and stressed in our work, it’s meant to be something we find meaning and purpose in.

These days, following the crowd gets us doing common things that lead to not normal results. And many people have no awareness to question it because they’ve chosen to accept the abnormal, unhealthy, poor lifestyle that comes with it. This thought is captured well in what Jiddu Krishnamurti says “It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

To set yourself on the right path, be uncommon. Do things your way, the way you know they need to be done and not the way everyone else is doing it. Challenge the assumptions you have about the world to broaden your understanding.

When you live an uncommon life, not everyone is going to understand. They don’t see the harm in having a few bites of greasy appetizers or indulging in dessert, but you prioritizing your nutrition will help you keep your body fueled instead of fat. They might give you a hard time when you decline an invitation to something fun, but they aren’t thinking through the added pressure it puts on a relationship to be out of the house so often.

Question the common path because if you look around, you’ll see where it’s headed. And for many it’s a level of financial strain, unhealthiness, lack of deep relationships and lack of purpose that make many people less happy than they could be.

But not you, not us! Keep doing the work and you’ll be one of the few who feels inspired by how they’re maximizing their potential every day.