Ugh ok so in Psychology we've just started the new topic which is psychopathology (abnormality) and as a started we had a list of people we had to label as normal or abnormal. This was the list: 1. Hitler 2. Einstein 3. (I've forgotten her name, but she was a partner to a man who killed a load of children with her) 4. A woman who was MtF transsexual. So we'd gone through the whole list, putting all of them in abnormal, though Einstein was kind of in the middle, because he hadn't actually killed anyone, idk the classes choice, not mine.. But whatever, we got to the trans woman (I've forgotten her name too oops) and this guy puts his hand up and says "she's definitely abnormal" so our teacher asks why, and he says something along the lines of "because it's just not normal. Normal people don't do that, they don't just chose to change sex. He-she-whatever is like really weird.." KDSHGDKGJS I just sat there silently raging because he said it in the most offensive and non-understanding way possible. Like "he-she" really? She's obviously a woman. She presents as a woman, it's not that hard. She even looked like a woman! Not that that really matters, but surely it was obvious what gender she was?! And ugh he was just so ignorant and cocky I wanted to stab him with my pencil.... Sorry for the rant guys!
Well, I must say it's not normal. Normal is usually defined as following the average psychology of your gender, class, and culture. That in no way means it's bad or wrong, unless it impedes your ability to function in society (as in, you haven't accepted your gender identity/feel ashamed of it). If you feel good about yourself, if you can be happy and live a good life as a trans person, it's just a developmental aberration, not a pathology. I'm gayleaning-bisexual, which is also abnormal (normal being heterosexuality), however I like who I am, and it doesn't prevent me from feeling good about myself. Therefore, it's just an abnormality, not a disorder.
I would have to disagree about the homosexuality bit. There is a difference between abnormal and uncommon. It is found in many other species, and it isn't caused (as far as we know) by a birth defect or traumatic experience. As for transsexuality: IMO, its a medical condition to be treated with transition, hormones and surgery. Not a mental condition. It certainly isn't something to 'cure' (as in, force someone to remain their birth gender). But my point is, it isn't psychological. There are real, physical brain differences in transpeople which lead to transsexuality, and I wouldn't class it as an abnormal psychological condition. I know how you feel. Didn't your teacher get involved at all?
Out of curiosity was the point of the lecture to show that what we call "normal" is highly subjective? If so, the exercise was a success. In fact if I went through the list I would probably have different answers to someone else. You have to understand that peoples views of normal depends on so many different things. I tend to use objective reasoning, where as some might use their experiences to define what normal is. I find the trick is to understand where they are coming from. For example whenever a religious person tries to convince me that the idea of evolution doesn't work because it breaks the second law of thermal dynamics, I understand that they haven't understood the second law and I forgive them. Note i'm not trying to start any type of war here so please don't start one. Try understanding it from the perspective of a most likely heterosexual person who probably hasn't even tried to understand any other types of sexual orientations because he thinks he is a typical normal man. A transexual would probably indeed seem abnormal.
I guess it's not 'average' or common but it's certainly not abnormal. People like the guy you describe are dealing with their own abnormal problems, called being a raging d-wad with no sense of propriety. I told a friend of mine a few years back that I was seriously struggling with my gender identity and that I was likely trans. The first thing he said to me: "You're normal." so yeah, you're normal too.
It wasn't lecture, it was just a discussion in class. I wasn't disputing the normalcy of trans* people, it was just the way he said it, it was really nasty and rude and I took offense. Like when people call me "he/she" I want to punch them. I make my gender clear and the pronouns I want to be called by clear. So if someone says that, I'm just like "really, bitch? Really?"
sorry to go off tangent, but I want to know more in details about the evolution doesnt work because of second law of thermodynamics. whisper me maybe? EDIT: nevermind. Google has a lot of hilarious response.
this is someone talking about something they don't, or can't, understand so it's not surprising he doesn't understand. People tend to judge what they don't get, funny since they have nothing the base their opinion on. ---------- Post added 11th Jan 2013 at 12:58 PM ---------- Also what did the Prof. have to say about this?
My teacher didn't really say much, she just asked him a few questions on his view and moved on. She tries to be as neutral as possible, which is good, as psychology can be a bit controversial at times.
Whether being transgender is normal or not is entirely subjective, it's certainly not common but then so are lots of other things we don't consider abnormal. In general abnormal is almost exclusively used to describe characteristics perceived as negative, not just uncommon. Maybe this isn't strictly the case when you're a psychologist though I'm not sure. Either way I can see why you found that offensive, I guess it's not nice being called weird and abnormal. The suggestion that there was a choice involved in the woman being transgender is pretty offensive also. Like INTJ said though, people who say this sort of thing normally do so out of ignorance rather than genuine malice. You should pity their ignorance rather than let it wind you up :icon_bigg Also, I'm guessing specimen three was Myra Hindley?
It isn't normal, though. The hard part is that we have to pick a side. We obviously don't pick this life, so we don't want to say that. What you are angry about is how that person reacted. Yes, we are are different. But it doesn't make us bad. To put transgendered people in this group is an insult (minus Einstein - he was wacky but in a great way.) Next time, why not state logical reasons for why this happens. It is abnormal, but don't like dipsh*ts make we different people out to be bad.
Only reason it's not normal is because society chooses not to accept it, for the most part. It's just something that people aren't used to seeing. In reality, everything can be both abnormal as well as normal, depending on the person's perspective on the situation. I would understand the frustration out of someone saying that it's not normal, but that's just their perspective. Most people can't accept the things they don't see often. People don't like new things. People don't like change. Anything that's different is almost always considered abnormal. The person who made the statement about it not being normal though, had no information to back up their point, and provided only ignorant opinions. It's one thing to think something is normal, but it's not even acceptable to go and verbally call out a group of people in such a manner as they did. His comment sounded ignorant, and if he would've elaborated, it would've actually made his opinion slightly valid. It's okay to think something is normal, abnormal, but at least back it up and be respectful. People need to learn how to be more understanding over things like that.
What is normal? Average. Something characteristic of the majority of a group or set. Being transgender or anything that isn't cis gendered and heterosexual is not normal. I don't see how not being normal implies that something is bad or undesirable.