Different, abnormal, something else? (linguistics)

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Here's my dilema: I'm interested in abnormal psychology, which includes me and other aspies. Problem is, 'Abnormal' is a considered pejorative term; no one likes being called abnormal (except for me, for complex reasons). However, the other term 'different' is so bloody vague it just so happens to encompass the entire human race. No two people are the same, hence different.

You can be different within socially accepted parameters (between a chav and a regular guy), and different without those parameters (into the abnormal zone; aspies and such) but it's still the same word.

Other terms like 'atypical' or 'nonstandard' implies that the abnormal chap is superior, as it implies that the non-abnormals are all the same, giving associations to the horrible 'sheeple' word... (did you know even the flat earthists call others sheeple for not believing in their crap? Meaningless word. If you ever use it, I will ignore your arguments for ever and ever.)


Is there no word I can use without being insulting or being vague?

unique.,

Same damn problem; it implies that the 'unique' person is superior.

English doesn't have a word that you're looking for, so you'll have to make one up.

Question

What is sheeple?

and most of those terms don't make since even though I see them all the time.

No pun intended but I think we're coming up with way too many labels even though they may be helpful for some things.

Coming from a common point of view, analyzing and making more categorizations can be deceitful as well as helpful.

If you personally feel the need to make a name for a medical term I would study latin as it is the universal language to terminology. If it's just something you feel you need a name for well, anyone could help you with that.

I can't think of a word, and the problem with finding a word is that certain words do tend to take on more and more pejorative connotations. For example, "ret*d" once just meant "slowed down", but it is now used as an insult. (Source: One of my linguistics books, can't remember which one.)

So, for example, if you coined the word "xeranacious" to mean different, not necessarily in a socially accepted way but not meant as an insult, with time it will get overtones of "creepy freak who should be locked up and possibly chelated ".

Actually, the word 'atypical' is quite neutral, whereas 'nonstandard' edges more toward a euphemistic pejorative (to my weird and abnormal way of thinking )

I would go ahead and use 'atypical'.

(Maybe I am totally wrong about this )


That is a spectacular and potentially very useful word!

Sheeple is the, oh so witty, combination of the words sheep and people, and is used to imply that people in general are as dumb as heard animals. It is a grosely generalising and not a very nice word to use about people.

What about "rare" it isn't nessesarily a positive word, (Rare diseases for instance are to be avoided.)

How about quasi-normal? Or pseudo-wacko? Or miso-conformist?

Miss Construe, you've forgotten about Greek.

MissConstrue has gotta be sleeping by now - she has been up for days!

^ I hope she is. As long as she has been up, she really needs to sleep a whole day at least.

Anyway, there are no two people that are exactly alike but so many people try to be like everyone else. It's like they can't feel good about themselves without fitting in. I realized fitting in with my peers was overrated years ago. I sometimes wonder if I am the only person at my college that is happy with being their own person.

I'm up unfortunately, whoops forgot about greek and love greek mythology.