{"id":134600,"date":"2024-11-17T11:05:26","date_gmt":"2024-11-17T15:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=134600"},"modified":"2026-01-20T15:27:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T19:27:17","slug":"there-is-no-such-thing-as-normal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/there-is-no-such-thing-as-normal\/","title":{"rendered":"Why There Is No Such Thing as Normal or Abnormal (Mat\u00e9)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How do societal norms<\/a> perpetuate unhealthy standards? Where do “abnormal” behaviors stem from? Are the mind and body one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In The Myth of Normal<\/em>, physician and trauma expert Gabor Mat\u00e9 says that there is no such thing as normal when it comes to health and behaviors. Mat\u00e9 argues that the biomedical model fails to understand health holistically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s why “abnormal” behaviors are actually normal responses to one’s environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Rethinking Health and Normalcy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gabor Mat\u00e9 notes that what we define as \u201cnormal\u201d health and behaviors are determined by our social, economic, and cultural systems. <\/strong>Mat\u00e9 believes there is no such thing as normal. <\/strong>In this article, we\u2019ll explore how societal norms perpetuate unhealthy standards, the shortcomings of the conventional biomedical model of health, and how the mind and body can\u2019t be separated when thinking about human health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Societal Norms Perpetuate Unhealthy Standards<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mat\u00e9 argues that many behaviors labeled as abnormal or pathological are reasonable responses to the conditions and stresses imposed by our society<\/strong>. Society, he writes, values productivity over well-being, material wealth over connections with others, and conformity over individuality. When people can\u2019t or don\u2019t conform<\/a> to these standards, they experience discomfort, disconnection, and distress. Their behavior is then labeled as \u201cabnormal\u201d\u2014even though what they\u2019re actually exhibiting are natural reactions to unhealthy societal pressures<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a child diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is conventionally viewed as having a brain disorder that needs to be managed with medication and behavioral therapy. However, the child\u2019s inability to follow classroom rules may be a reasonable response to an education system that requires young people to remain sedentary and suppress their natural energy levels. The \u201cabnormal\u201d behaviors represent a child\u2019s healthy resistance to an overly restrictive model of schooling that\u2019s out of tune with her developmental needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Link Between Depression and Social Status<\/strong>

In Lost Connections<\/em><\/a>, author Johann Hari similarly explores the connection between socially conditioned stress and so-called \u201cabnormal\u201d behavior. He specifically focuses on human depression, writing that it\u2019s a natural stress response we\u2019ve evolved<\/a> in response to a feeling of low social status. According to Hari, researchers discovered this effect by studying the social hierarchies of baboons. For male baboons in particular, competition for the top spots is brutal. To avoid being ripped apart, low-status baboons make themselves as nonthreatening as possible<\/a> by lowering and submitting themselves physically to higher-status baboons. Hari writes that this posture and behavior mimics that of severely depressed people. 

Common life hardships like financial insecurity, lack of control over your daily life, and fractured relationships can inflict as much pain on a person as an alpha baboon inflicts on a  weaker male, and can make us feel that we\u2019re \u201cworse\u201d or lower-status than other people. So, we react with the same submission response. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Conventional Biomedical Model<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Given that many so-called \u201cabnormal\u201d behaviors are actually just responses to societal pressures, Mat\u00e9 goes on to criticize the dominant biomedical model of health for its limited perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mat\u00e9 argues that the biomedical model fails to understand health holistically, <\/strong>instead viewing health and illness almost exclusively as the result of the physical processes of biochemistry, pathology, and physiology. As such, it doesn\u2019t consider the broader social, psychological, and environmental influencers of health. He writes that this reduces complex human conditions to mere symptoms that need to be treated or managed, often through intrusive and unnecessary pharmaceuticals or surgical procedures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The George Brown Study and the Myth of Endogenous Depression<\/strong>

In Lost Connections<\/em><\/a>, Hari describes a study that exposed the weaknesses of the biomedical model explored by Mat\u00e9. In the 1970s, anthropologist George Brown and his team conducted one of the first longitudinal studies looking at the psychological and social predictors of depression. They interviewed hundreds of women (some with diagnosed depression and others with no diagnosis), looking for various factors: severe losses or traumatic events in the previous year, chronic stressors, and \u201cstabilizers,\u201d or positive relationships that counterbalance negative events. 

The idea was that if depression was truly <\/em>a brain malfunction, there should be no correlation between life experience and depression. But the results showed a clear distinction between the women with depression and those without it: Only 20% of nondepressed women had experienced a traumatic event in the previous year, compared to 68% of the depressed group<\/strong><\/a>. Women with depression were also three times more likely to have chronic stressors in their lives compared to women who weren\u2019t depressed. The study also found that stabilizers had a significant effect on whether the women were depressed: Having a supportive partner and a tight network of close friends was shown to significantly reduce the risk of depression<\/a>. 

Today, most psychiatrists agree that endogenous depression\u2014that arising from internal, biological factors rather than external circumstances or life events\u2014is a myth.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Conventional Medicine\u2019s Paternalistic Model<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Mat\u00e9 further critiques conventional medicine for its tendency to place doctors in an elevated position <\/strong>that significantly reduces the agency of patients in their own health and healing process. He warns that this can lead patients to feel disempowered or even invisible\u2014hesitant to voice concerns, question treatment options, or share insights about their bodies and conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ethical Trade-offs of Involuntary Treatment<\/strong>

Despite Mat\u00e9\u2019s concerns about patient empowerment and agency, some medical experts argue that it may sometimes be necessary for doctors to override the wishes of patients<\/a> when those patients lack the capacity to make informed decisions about their health. In many US states, providing such involuntary treatment requires doctors to obtain permission from the courts. However, while the judicial system does play an important role in preventing paternalistic abuses in medical treatment and safeguarding patients\u2019 rights, medical experts note that judges seldom have the necessary expertise and training to make timely and informed medical decisions<\/a> on behalf of patients. 

One proposal to strike the right balance between acting on doctors\u2019 expertise and protecting the privacy rights of vulnerable patients could be to have independent committees of medical providers and ethicists work with patients\u2019 families to expedite decisions in cases where involuntary treatment is being considered.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mind and Body Are Interconnected<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mat\u00e9 emphasizes that mind, spirit, and body are interconnected and inseparable at the root of your well-being<\/strong>. This interconnectedness means that your psychological and emotional experiences have direct, tangible effects on your physical health. Thus, chronic stress<\/a> or unresolved emotional issues can lead to physical ailments, from increased susceptibility to infections and even chronic conditions like heart disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Historical Roots of the Mind-Body Connection<\/strong>

Mat\u00e9\u2019s idea of an inseparable mind-body connection<\/a> has deep historical roots. The idea that the mind and body are separate\u2014a theory known as mind-body dualism<\/a><\/em>\u2014is a relatively modern one, often credited to 17th-century philosopher Ren\u00e9 Descartes<\/a>.\u00a0

Prior to the popularization of this theory, the general view was that the mind and body were indistinguishable, in accordance with traditional Christian thinking. This view also held that the body had to be intact for a person to go to heaven, meaning dissection of human bodies was taboo. Some experts today advocate for a return to the older mind-body theory, arguing that clinging to the modern mind-body dualism model limits medical science<\/a> and gives us a fractured view of health that disregards the role of the mind.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How do societal norms perpetuate unhealthy standards? Where do “abnormal” behaviors stem from? Are the mind and body one? In The Myth of Normal, physician and trauma expert Gabor Mat\u00e9 says that there is no such thing as normal when it comes to health and behaviors. Mat\u00e9 argues that the biomedical model fails to understand health holistically. Here’s why “abnormal” behaviors are actually normal responses to one’s environment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":134715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,24],"tags":[1651],"class_list":["post-134600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-society","tag-the-myth-of-normal","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy There Is No Such Thing as Normal or Abnormal (Mat\u00e9) - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Physician and trauma expert Gabor Mat\u00e9 says that there is no such thing as normal. 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