Christman writes, “What does it do to people to see themselves as normal? On the one hand, one might adopt a posture of vigilant defense, both internal and external, against anything that might...

Christman writes, “What does it do to people to see themselves as normal? On the one hand, one might adopt a posture of vigilant defense, both internal and external, against anything that might detract from such a fully, finally achieved humanness. On the other hand, a person might feel intense alienation and disgust, which one might project inward — What is wrong with me? — or outward, in a kind of bomb-the suburbs reflex” (par. 5). Thinking about a previous life experience or your current college experience, which social groups seem to be thought of as most “normal” and most “abnormal?” Who determines these classifications and who gets to belong to each group?