the notion that normal and abnormal behaviour are basically similar (differing only in degree) is central to Freud’s theory. do you accept this idea? Freud’s view was based on beliefs about the...

the notion that normal and abnormal behaviour are basically similar (differing only in degree) is central to Freud’s theory. do you accept this idea? Freud’s view was based on beliefs about the underlying processes that govern behaviour, not on social judgements of normality, but our own perspective is likely infl uenced by social attitudes. consider the following examples.

■ do you ever talk to yourself? ‘oh, Marilyn, be more careful!’ mutters Mh as she fi nds herself making typographical errors in preparing this text. compare this to someone walking down the street while speaking loudly to themselves about their distaste for the government’s latest policy. is one instance normal and the other abnormal? Where is the cutoff point?

■ Marjorie and simone both keep an immaculate home. Marjorie enjoys having her grandchildren visit, but when they leave, she spends a great deal of time cleaning up after them. simone, on the other hand, cleans every inch of her home with disinfectant before her grandchildren visit so they won’t ‘pick up germs’. When the grandchildren leave, simone repeats this procedure, and sterilizes the glasses and dishes the children have used to remove any germs they may have deposited. Which woman would society consider a good housekeeper and which would be suspected of having an unhealthy preoccupation with cleanliness?

If we cannot readily draw a line between what is normal and what is abnormal, does that make Freud’s assumption more plausible?