No one wants to be “crazy,” and most of us would prefer to be considered normal. On the other hand, most people want to be “unique,” not a cookie-cutter clone of some middle-gray cardboard portrait of normalcy. But how do we determine what is psychologically normal? What is mental illness? Most angles on this issue are quite subjective, involving obvious or subtle value judgments. We can distinguish between statistical normal and healthy normal, but common behavior (e.g., Nazi compliance) is not necessarily healthy, and the context of your unhealthy or atypical behavior (e.g., a history of trauma) is also relevant. Your degree of control over your mind and emotions, your ability to adapt to various situations, and your internal and external connectedness are also relevant. Ultimately, mental health is just as much a social value judgment as a psychological fact, and compassion serves us well when we are judging our self or others.

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