Ubuntu

There’s No Such Thing as Normal

What is ‘NORMAL,’ really? The idea often feels like a moving target, shaped by culture, context, and conformity. When we pause to question it, we see that ‘normal’ doesn’t truly exist as a fixed standard. Instead, it’s a narrow box that fails to hold the complexity of human experience.

Each of us carries a different rhythm, a unique way of seeing, feeling, and interacting with the world. This diversity is not an exception to normalcy, it is normal. Whether our minds move fast or slow, whether we speak loudly or quietly, whether we process emotions deeply or more logically,
WE ARE ALL DIFFERENTLY NORMAL

Conditions like autism, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, and many others are often framed as ‘disorders,’ yet they are also variations of the human brain, different operating systems, not faulty ones

These ways of BEING deserve understanding, not stigma. They bring creativity, insight, resilience, and new ways of thinking into a world that needs all kinds of minds.

When we judge people based on whether they fit into a narrow mold, we all lose something. We overlook talents, silence voices, and create shame where there could be celebration

It’s time to broaden our idea of what it means to be human, and honour every variation within that spectrum.

So, let us remember: there’s no single blueprint for being OKAY, for being WHOLE, or for being RIGHT.

There is no such thing as ‘normal’ that fits us all, but there is a powerful, inclusive normalcy in our differences. And that’s something worth embracing

What would change if we stopped asking, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ and started asking, ‘What’s your way of being in the world?’

Reflect and Act

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This reflection is shared in honour of Mental Health Awareness Month (May), a time to challenge stigma, open up honest conversations, and recognize that mental health is health. Celebrating the beautifully varied ways we all experience the world reminds us that difference is not disorder, and understanding is the first step to acceptance.

Let’s make space for every mind, every story, every voice

Edinburgh, Scotland (2nd of May, 2025)

Ubuntu- a Nguni Bantu term from Southern Africa meaning ‘I am because we are.’

It reflects interconnectedness, shared humanity, and the idea that everyone’s way of being contributes to the whole

10 thoughts on “Ubuntu”

  3. agree to a certain degree. — I have a friend with schizophrenia who said the other day that he doesnt want to be friends with people like himself and that someday he wants to marry a normal person. I was disappointed but didnt tell him anything. — It’s within the norm to be odd cuz so many of us are. It’s not normal to be perfect; we all have some deviance from being emotionally and psychologically stable. — I find it difficult to find anyone whom I consider completely wholesome. We all have hang-ups, phobias, quirks and iq glitches. — BUT, it’s not entirely good to completely accept our illnesses if they can be helped because to consider them ok might defeat our efforts to make inroads to our problems. Maybe, let’s encourage acceptance of the health issue and yet not complete acceptance and maintain wishes to improve the symptoms by perhaps being courageous and trying a new medication. — p.s. I have two relatives with schizophrenia and one has made great improvement with meds. He truly is more stable than the rest of us. 🙂 not kidding.

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      1. I have learned to live with my own anxieties but doesnt mean that I dont hate them. But i dont hate myself. Just feel cursed and do my best to work with the symptoms.

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