Crazy is that which defies social norms...

[Demon]

If I were to say that to be "crazy" was to defy what society considers to be normal, what arguments would you have against me?

For example, let's say that a modern-day caveman were to walk into a city. He would be considered crazy. However perhaps said caveman knew how to hunt, catch food, etc. better than everyone else and had a few more practical life-skills (aside from technological know-how).

 

[GalaxyFlare]

Social norms?

Like abiding the law? were are free up to the point where we violate the law, and when we do step over this mark does that make us crazy?>------like murder or rape, ostensibly rape is associated more closely with being "crazy".

Murder can be Justified even if it breaks thew law, rape cannot under any circumstances it is not required in any way, murder can be, there from a certain POV committing rape makes you crazy.

Crazy is what in definition of this thread?
Acting irrational? going on a killing spree? stalking most definitely is crazy, stealing?
drink driving? that is against social norms yet drinking is considered to be normal is it only a Crazy thing when you get behind the wheel of car?

A modern cave man? what is that exactly some dude who lives in a cave in the 21st century? Or do you mean Blade a stone age humaniod He would not be considered
he would be acting with in his limits..........of a cave man.

Different is not crazy.

For example I collect swords this alone does not make me crazy not everybody does this in society, does this not by definition of this thread make me a Nutjob? No it doesn't the dude I know who had to break the wrist of another dude I know that was cutting and stabbing people at 1 in the mourning on main street witha samuria sword:THATS FUCKING CRAZY!
I just have an appreciation for the weapon like a gun collector.

Lets take smoking THATS CRAZY, yet a lot of people do that, its not so much a social norm as it once was but its still acceptable, are people who steal, are they crazy? not really some of the are very smart, But there is a rule about criminals; there not all that intelligent.

Crazy is not that which exists out side of social norms, because not all things that exist outside of those norms can be judged as crazy, to go a step further societal norms fluctuate so does the definition of crazy from person to person.

Its not a bad argument Blade, but its not a broad enough term to cover "Crazy"

A modern day cave man

 

[Sum1sgruj]

To be crazy is to not have rationality. A caveman walking into a city certainly has some degree of rationality, they just have no idea where they have stumbled upon.
People loosely use the term crazy to compare oppositions between themselves and something else.
In philosophy, it has been argued that sane people with mental conditions such as bi-polar, anger issues, etc. could be the ones that are justified, and we simply are the ones with mental conditions.
This, however, is not to be confused with insanity. 1 in every 4 people have some sort of mental illness. This cannot be said about sane/insane people.
Of course, not all people who are deemed insane are actually insane. People just reach that conclusion when they can't figure out their rationale.

 

[Shu]

To be crazy it have a skewed view of what reality really is. The inability to grasp what is mentally occurring to you. The brain turning against itself due to something ingrained turning everything either inside out or backwards. Now you can still be deemed crazy, but to you, you are normal. For instance, if you hate certain music, folks might deem you as crazy. It might be quirky, but it's not crazy.

 

[Jquestionmark]

To be crazy it have a skewed view of what reality really is.

This is it. That's the one. Sums it up pretty solid right there.

What society considers normal doesn't directly relate to what society thinks is crazy. Generally, societies are aware that other societies have different measures of normal, and account for that. Where it breaks down is when people define reality in a different way. When one person says there's a tree there, and another says there isn't, then it becomes a problem.

The caveman wouldn't be considered crazy, because people would understand that he has a different skill set and his society was completely different. His perception of physical objects would be the same, though, and that's what really counts.

 

[SangueLuna]

I am into gore, like to watch movies with violence, enjoys cute things with butcher knives, listens to some heavy music and just over all likes some crazy stuff... But I am not crazy. It is normal to enjoy things in a fantasy perspective... But the actual act makes an individual socially abnormal. That means they actually have an issue that can be deemed unacceptable by society and "crazy". You have you eccentrics out there who may do things that normal society deems abnormal but it follows the law of society. However, actually committing violent acts to prove some point or doing it because a voice tells you or anything immoral or repulsive to even the most eccentrics is "crazy"... insane and purely against the exact laws that protects us.

A caveman is completely different. A caveman is a primitive individual and cannot be deemed crazy in modern standards. That is because we understand the difference between modern man and primitive man. We know the social norms of a primitive man verses a modern man. It is different to dispute such facts because most of humanity (or at least some of us) understand the difference.