Defining a "Normal Mind"

[TommyB]

What is a reasonable definition of a concept of a "normal mind"?

My neighbor, Guy Casey, died on October 10, 2023. My experience getting to know him prompts this question.

For more than ten years he occupied the small studio apartment (B710) next to my one bedroom apartment (B709). I moved in on June 15, 2021.

We both graduated from the William Mitchell College of Law, about twelve years apart, and both practiced law in Minnesota: Guy in Saint Paul, I in Duluth.

One day shortly after I moved in, I started to recommend an essay published on Professor of Law Jonathan Turley's blog which I read regularly. Hearing " Turley, ", Guy interrupted me and stated that " Tueley was a whore, and that his opinion was available to the highest bidder!" Shocked, I asked if he read the blog. He said no and gave a trivial source for his opinion.

On another visit to my apartment he noticed a book that I had just purchased and picked it up. The book has a beautiful cover, the art of Master Bertram, entitled and depicting God's act, in "The Creation of the Animals"

The book is "THE ORDER Of THINGS" (2007, Ignatius Press, San Francisco) by the late, great teacher, James V. Schall, S. J.

Guy put the book back, sat down, and then stated that one day, when he was 14,
he came home and told his parents that he was no longer going to go to church.

These disclosures, and others, prompted me to wonder what was his fundamental philosophy of life.

After much thought, I finally concluded that philosophically, he was a cynic.

So, did Guy have a "normal mind"?

[Impenitent]

each mind is unique

cynic? it takes much more than apparent atheism and his disagreement with Turley to render that conclusion...

some people don't like the fragrance of lavender, but I don't normally mind

-Imp

[TommyB]

What is your definition of "mind"?

I have not stated all the facts that made me conclude that Guy was a cynic.

[Walker]

What is a reasonable definition of a concept of a "normal mind"?

Normal mind defines the human portal to universal mind. Question?

[phyllo]

So, did Guy have a "normal mind"?

There is a real danger that we might define "normal mind" as 'thinking like us' and 'believing what we believe'.

Nothing that this Guy did, indicates an abnormal mind. IOW, it was all in a reasonable range.

Of course, my 'range' could be much different from another person's 'range'.

[Iwannaplato]

What is a reasonable definition of a concept of a "normal mind"?

My neighbor, Guy Casey, died on October 10, 2023. My experience getting to know him prompts this question.

For more than ten years he occupied the small studio apartment (B710) next to my one bedroom apartment (B709). I moved in on June 15, 2021.

We both graduated from the William Mitchell College of Law, about twelve years apart, and both practiced law in Minnesota: Guy in Saint Paul, I in Duluth.

One day shortly after I moved in, I started to recommend an essay published on Professor of Law Jonathan Turley's blog which I read regularly. Hearing " Turley, ", Guy interrupted me and stated that " Tueley was a whore, and that his opinion was available to the highest bidder!" Shocked, I asked if he read the blog. He said no and gave a trivial source for his opinion.

On another visit to my apartment he noticed a book that I had just purchased and picked it up. The book has a beautiful cover, the art of Master Bertram, entitled and depicting God's act, in "The Creation of the Animals"

The book is "THE ORDER Of THINGS" (2007, Ignatius Press, San Francisco) by the late, great teacher, James V. Schall, S. J.

Guy put the book back, sat down, and then stated that one day, when he was 14,
he came home and told his parents that he was no longer going to go to church.

These disclosures, and others, prompted me to wonder what was his fundamental philosophy of life.

After much thought, I finally concluded that philosophically, he was a cynic.

So, did Guy have a "normal mind"?

So far there's nothing that makes me think he's not normal, unless we get some agreed definition of that. He sounds a bit cranky and blunt and perhaps cranky and blunt when he was a kid also. Cranky and blunt people seem to me to fall into the range of possible normals. He practiced law, so it sounds like he managed to navigate the volatile and complicated and boring world of the law. Which means he had to interact with clients, judges, other lawyers, dress himself minimally well and so on. Which means he could navigate the norms of everyday life and the weird subculture of the law, well enough to survive.

I mean, who knows maybe he was eating human body parts, but nothing you've said make him sound out of the ordinary range of human characters.

[Impenitent]

What is your definition of "mind"?

I have not stated all the facts that made me conclude that Guy was a cynic.

the definition is in it's use

-Imp

[TommyB]

What is a reasonable definition of a concept of a "normal mind"?

My neighbor, Guy Casey, died on October 10, 2023. My experience getting to know him prompts this question.

For more than ten years he occupied the small studio apartment (B710) next to my one bedroom apartment (B709). I moved in on June 15, 2021.

We both graduated from the William Mitchell College of Law, about twelve years apart, and both practiced law in Minnesota: Guy in Saint Paul, I in Duluth.

One day shortly after I moved in, I started to recommend an essay published on Professor of Law Jonathan Turley's blog which I read regularly. Hearing " Turley, ", Guy interrupted me and stated that " Tueley was a whore, and that his opinion was available to the highest bidder!" Shocked, I asked if he read the blog. He said no and gave a trivial source for his opinion.

On another visit to my apartment he noticed a book that I had just purchased and picked it up. The book has a beautiful cover, the art of Master Bertram, entitled and depicting God's act, in "The Creation of the Animals"

The book is "THE ORDER Of THINGS" (2007, Ignatius Press, San Francisco) by the late, great teacher, James V. Schall, S. J.

Guy put the book back, sat down, and then stated that one day, when he was 14,
he came home and told his parents that he was no longer going to go to church.

These disclosures, and others, prompted me to wonder what was his fundamental philosophy of life.

After much thought, I finally concluded that philosophically, he was a cynic.

So, did Guy have a "normal mind"?

One of the influences forming my opinion of the concept of " normality" is Russell Kirk's classic, "Enemies of the Permanent Things" - OBSERVATIONS OF ABNORMALITY IN LITERATURE AND POLITICS", (Cluny Media edition, 2016)

Kirk states the definition of normality as "...the character or state of being normal - of according with a rule or standard. The term implies the existence of " norms," or authoritative principles and models. Derived from the Latin norma, a carpenter's square, "norm" signifies a measure generally accepted and virtually immutable ." p. 172

[Lacewing]

Kirk states the definition of normality as "...the character or state of being normal - of according with a rule or standard.

I think "normal" is to each person what they're used to.

[phyllo]

What is a reasonable definition of a concept of a "normal mind"?

My neighbor, Guy Casey, died on October 10, 2023. My experience getting to know him prompts this question.

For more than ten years he occupied the small studio apartment (B710) next to my one bedroom apartment (B709). I moved in on June 15, 2021.

We both graduated from the William Mitchell College of Law, about twelve years apart, and both practiced law in Minnesota: Guy in Saint Paul, I in Duluth.

One day shortly after I moved in, I started to recommend an essay published on Professor of Law Jonathan Turley's blog which I read regularly. Hearing " Turley, ", Guy interrupted me and stated that " Tueley was a whore, and that his opinion was available to the highest bidder!" Shocked, I asked if he read the blog. He said no and gave a trivial source for his opinion.

On another visit to my apartment he noticed a book that I had just purchased and picked it up. The book has a beautiful cover, the art of Master Bertram, entitled and depicting God's act, in "The Creation of the Animals"

The book is "THE ORDER Of THINGS" (2007, Ignatius Press, San Francisco) by the late, great teacher, James V. Schall, S. J.

Guy put the book back, sat down, and then stated that one day, when he was 14,
he came home and told his parents that he was no longer going to go to church.

These disclosures, and others, prompted me to wonder what was his fundamental philosophy of life.

After much thought, I finally concluded that philosophically, he was a cynic.

So, did Guy have a "normal mind"?

One of the influences forming my opinion of the concept of " normality" is Russell Kirk's classic, "Enemies of the Permanent Things" - OBSERVATIONS OF ABNORMALITY IN LITERATURE AND POLITICS", (Cluny Media edition, 2016)

Kirk states the definition of normality as "...the character or state of being normal - of according with a rule or standard. The term implies the existence of " norms," or authoritative principles and models. Derived from the Latin norma, a carpenter's square, "norm" signifies a measure generally accepted and virtually immutable ." p. 172

But what was not normal about what Guy said?

[Sculptor]

What is a reasonable definition of a concept of a "normal mind"?

My neighbor, Guy Casey, died on October 10, 2023. My experience getting to know him prompts this question.

For more than ten years he occupied the small studio apartment (B710) next to my one bedroom apartment (B709). I moved in on June 15, 2021.

We both graduated from the William Mitchell College of Law, about twelve years apart, and both practiced law in Minnesota: Guy in Saint Paul, I in Duluth.

One day shortly after I moved in, I started to recommend an essay published on Professor of Law Jonathan Turley's blog which I read regularly. Hearing " Turley, ", Guy interrupted me and stated that " Tueley was a whore, and that his opinion was available to the highest bidder!" Shocked, I asked if he read the blog. He said no and gave a trivial source for his opinion.

On another visit to my apartment he noticed a book that I had just purchased and picked it up. The book has a beautiful cover, the art of Master Bertram, entitled and depicting God's act, in "The Creation of the Animals"

The book is "THE ORDER Of THINGS" (2007, Ignatius Press, San Francisco) by the late, great teacher, James V. Schall, S. J.

Guy put the book back, sat down, and then stated that one day, when he was 14,
he came home and told his parents that he was no longer going to go to church.

These disclosures, and others, prompted me to wonder what was his fundamental philosophy of life.

After much thought, I finally concluded that philosophically, he was a cynic.

So, did Guy have a "normal mind"?

I'm pretty sure you do not have a normal mind.
If you are serious about this question you might be well advised to examine your terms.
You can never know another mind except by the actions of the person in whom the mind consists.
Then you might want to pause and aks what is "normal"? Is that desirable, Statistically it would be characteristic of average abilities, capacities or capabilities. Can such a linear terms be attributed to such a mulitfaceted phenomenon as a mind. Could it be above normal in intellect, normal in emotion but sub-normal in the practical capabilities?

A person who decides he no longer go to church would only be normal should most people do the same. In the UK he would be thought normal on that basis. Maybe not so much in Egypt, Pakistan, USA or other backward countries.

I do not think it naturally means he is cynical. Skeptical might be a better word to use. Better still, simply rational.
You did not state what church, but I doubt that most people in the world go to that church or one like it. In that respect it would be his parents, who still attend who were abnormal, not him. He would be simply complying to a norm whereby most people do not attend that church.

[Age]

There is NO such 'thing' as a 'human mind' NOR many 'minds'.

Also, the word 'normal', without an agreed upon classification or definition here, is far to subjective to be of ANY REAL USE here.

[Gary Childress]

So, did Guy have a "normal mind"?

Who cares. He's dead. It's the same thing that's going to happen to all of us.

[Walker]

There is NO such 'thing' as a 'human mind' NOR many 'minds'.

Also, the word 'normal', without an agreed upon classification or definition here, is far to subjective to be of ANY REAL USE here.

I agree. Each living thing has access to the same mind, however the extent of the access varies amongst each living thing, and there are identifiable causes that limit access.

[Walker]

So, did Guy have a "normal mind"?

Who cares. He's dead. It's the same thing that's going to happen to all of us.

The Way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGcvBqRgaH0

Great Film Theme Song!

Let it surround you to know why. (The wind, the rain.)