Do people act abnormally when they're alone?

Unless people would have a problem watching me sit on my ass and read a book, or veg out watching movies or surfing the Web, then break a leg. What’s abnormal about being a semi lazy couch potato? I rarely have time to myself as it is. Now back in the day, it might have been a problem, I had a tendency to sit around and get stoned out of my mind. And I was too paranoid about what I was doing to even allow my then girlfriend to know about it.

I act perfectly normally for me when I’m alone. As long as I’m not negatively affecting anyone else, it’s not weird or gross for me. Things done in company are different. Don’t find your alonetime behavior (unless it’s harmful) to be gross. Just do what you want.

People may act differently when they are alone but not usually ‘abnormally’. I am a bit lazier when I am alone but not to an abnormal extent. If I was to find out that my webcam had been observing my every move for the past 5 years I would not be unduly concerned.

You never pick your nose, fart or pick on your butthole hair?

^^^ That isn’t abnormal. It’s bad manners to do so in public, according to our culture, but it certainly isn’t abnormal.

What? I have butthole hair?

I wondered about that too @chyna! As far as I know I have none either! And why the hell would I pick at it if I did have it?

Relevant: An excerpt from “The Miller’s Tale” in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (written late 14th century).

“Alas,” said Absalon, “and welladay,
That my true love is ever so beset!
At least then kiss me, if that’s all I get,
For Jesus’ love and for the love of me.”
“Will you then go,” she said, “and let me be?”
“Yes, darling, surely,” he was quick to say.
“Get ready, then,” she said, “I’m on my way.”
To Nicholas she whispered, “Shh, be still;
Of laughter you’re about to get your fill.”
Now Absalon got down upon his knees
And said, “I am a lord by all degrees,
For after this I hope there’s more to follow.
Come, grace me, darling, my sweet little swallow!”
She opened up the window then with haste.
“Come on,” she said, “be quick, no time to waste,
We don’t want neighbors seeing you’ve come by.”
Absalon wiped his mouth till it was dry.
The night was dark as pitch, as black as coal,
And from the window she stuck out her hole;
And Absalon, not knowing north from south,
Then kissed her naked ass with eager mouth
Before he was aware of all of this.
Then back he started, something seemed amiss:
A woman has no beard, he knew as much,
Yet this was rough and hairy to the touch.
“O fie!” he said. “Alas! what did I do?”
“Tee hee,” said she, and clapt the window to. (lines 3714 – 3740)

Ew! Must be a guy thing!

What’s “abnormal”?

I don’t wear a bra at home, or underwear, I sleep naked, I walk around my house naked, I dip Pepperidge Farms Apricot and Raspberry cookies in Vanilla yogurt, while naked. I make dinner naked sometimes and I talk to my Alligator Lizard friend that lives in the bushes on my patio. Usually not naked. Probably wouldn’t do these things in public, talk to lizards or be naked. LOL

I would never talk to a lizard in public. That would be totally abnormal! I would, and have, had soul searching conversations with a guinea pig.

^ LOL

I do gross and weird stuff when I’m alone, but I don’t think that’s abnormal. Not everything that doesn’t follow strict social conventions is abnormal. Especially things like farting – come on, that’s a natural bodily process.

I know I sure do. That’s when I fluther.

@dopeguru, see? We’re all “off” at times when we’re alone, that’s what alone is about, so we can small bad, pick stuff, scratch ourselves, do whatever. Be assured, you’re not any weirder than the rest of us.

I KNEW it was weird that they made us read Canterbury Tales.

the sensible thing would be to consider whatever you do alone but never in public to be part of the “normal” you.

Yes, because we’re people.

I spend much of my home time nekkid. Not so much abnormal as frightening.

My friend farts on his hand and smells it when be is alone. I dont know. Dont we change how we walk and move when we are alone too?

How do you know this @dopeguru?

I don’t change. I still walk on two legs. Now, what I’m wearing when I’m out may affect how I walk and move. If I’m wearing a short dress and heels, going clubbing I walk and move very differently than I did on campus between classes.

I know for a fact that when societal norms are removed people’s behaviors change and they can act what we would call abnormally. How do I know this? Because I spent 4 years on a submarine. We were in an environment in which normal society taboos were removed and you could see some pretty odd things, things that if you saw someone doing them in public you would think they were weird and would cross the street.

Abnormal means, out of the norm.
So, anything one does which they ordinarily do not do, by definition is abnormal.

But what is our norm? Is it when we are alone or is it when we are in company?

Aaaaand…here comes that existential crisis!

Ha HA! Good question @flutherother!

it’s when we are alone. An audience requires the erection of inhibitions against “what comes naturally”.

I straight up have conversations with myself, or practice conversations with other people when I’m alone. Like I pretend I’m talking to someone I’m nervous to talk to and plan out everything I’m going to say and how I’m going to say it. I literally plan out 99% of conversations and things I’m going to do/say at an event. I hate unplanned things.

I also sing and dance to music with headphones on.

Oh yeah! I work so much shit out by counseling myself, playing both sides. Having a guinea pig to talk to does help some.

If you are alone, i.e. not factored into a group of data, normal has no meaning.
You are only a single datum.
At that point, you arguably ARE the normal.