30 Philosophers, Chapter 5, Confucius, Touchstone 13: Normalcy.
Normalcy refers to the patterns established through repeated experiences. It also serves as a baseline for judging deviations. Our concept of “normal” influences how we label and react to the world, shaping our perceptions of what is good, bad, and different. These norms are formed from personal and collective experiences, and they can evolve as we challenge ingrained prejudices and expand our acceptance of diversity. Understanding normalcy helps us recognize how our labels impact our interactions and views of the world.
Normalcy belongs largely to the layer of ideas, but it begins with repeated experiences in the material world, and it evolved. If someone kicks a dog once, it can remember that person’s act for up to years. Even without language, animals remember repeated behavior of other animals which then becomes the normal for those animals.
From these patterns, we form ideas about what is expected. Over time, these ideas harden into labels like normal and abnormal. That matters because the world itself does not come pre-labeled. Minds do that. Communities do that. So normalcy is not reality itself, but our interpretation of recurring reality shaped by habit and social reinforcement.
This view of normal overlaps with existing ideas, including David Hume’s account of custom and habit:
Repeated experiences shape what the mind comes to expect.
This matters ethically too. In TST Philosophy, the goal is to cultivate a normal that supports flourishing for all. Something may be common and still be harmful. Something may be unusual and still be good, healthy, or wise. That means “normal” should never be confused with “right.” On your journey, don’t merely ask whether something fits the norm, ask whether it supports flourishing for all, fairness, and a life well lived.
