Is it normal to think that people on this site don't use it properly?

78% Normal
39 Comments

After having read a number of the questions, it seems that many people are voting (yes/no) based on whether they think the thing in question (action/belief) is right or wrong. Something being right or morally permissible does not necessarily entail that it is normal. And, conversely, something being wrong or immoral does not make it abnormal. I think the more interesting use or purpose of voting on these sorts of questions is to get away from our own ethical opinions and try to reflect our sense of what the general view (among humans) might be on given topic.

Voting Results
78% Normal
Based on 64 votes (50 yes)
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Comments ( 39 )
  • chubbawubba69
    11 years ago

    I know exactly what you mean. I sort of look at it and ask myself if it is common or not. If someone says they like putting cottage cheese on their hotdog, chances are it will be voted as "normal". There's nothing wrong with putting cottage cheese on your hotdog, but for fuck's sake it isn't normal!

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      Well said!

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  • chewy
    11 years ago

    I rarely click yes or no but normal or not is based on opinion. I use to think I was a weird mother fucker but after reading the stuff members post here I look like I'm sane.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      What does sanity have to do with this?

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      • chewy
        11 years ago

        It doesn't.

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  • Dot123
    11 years ago

    Fuck that shit people can use this site how ever they want! It's the fucking internet! Anything is possible online!

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      Hey, that's true! People will do what they want. And I'm going to say "Shame on you for abusing this website!" and you have to support my right to do so!

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      • JustinBiebsFan#1
        11 years ago

        i just laughed so hard my cunt hairs fell out lol

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        • [Old Memory]
          11 years ago

          Finally, a fun way to get rid of pubic hair.

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    IsItNormal has changed, and it continues to change. It's one of the reasons I'm considering leaving at some point.

    This site is turning in to a morality over logic site, which is something I don't want to be a part of.

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    • Shackleford96
      11 years ago

      We would be sad to see you go, and you would not soon be forgotten old acquaintance, but you should do what you must if that is how you feel...

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      I must say, it is rather entertaining.

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    I respond how I wish to respond.

    If this site were to water down how we are meant to respond and make it far too sterile and allow no room whatsoever for personal opinions, how can you expect to get a true result?

    You would be tampering with the means.

    Basically, I will vote if I find something morally wrong or offensive to myself because I find it not normal to me.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      I think you've misunderstood my intention in posting this question. Let me ask you this:

      Let's say that your friend admits that he/she enjoys anal sex and that you find that offensive or wrong. Then you read reliable statistics showing that 25-50% of heterosexual people of both sexes enjoy anal sex. In this case, what would you vote on an INN that asked, "IIN to enjoy anal sex?" -- yes or no?

      I'm not disputing your right to respond how you wish. I'm just trying to get people to think about why they would come to this site to give their moral opinions on something when the people asking the questions aren't looking for that.

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  • porkchop
    11 years ago

    I admit to using it this way. But who wants to send the message, "it's totally normal to hit your girlfriend, buddy!"

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      Good point.

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  • blaster
    11 years ago

    Who gives a damn , more fun police. My God I can't believe how petty some people are.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      You should really think about that comment and let me know if you can see the irony in it.

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    i answer or vote how i please i dont understand the question

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      Did you vote on this question?

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      • [Old Memory]
        11 years ago

        no

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  • Shackleford96
    11 years ago

    The bottom line is that, however you reason it, voting on whether something is normal or not is subjective. So, I vote how I think is best, and I think that works just fine.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      Of course it is subjective, and I believe that that is what IIN is after: collective, subjective opinions on normalcy.

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      • Shackleford96
        11 years ago

        So, that being said, there is no "proper" way to vote.

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  • dom180
    11 years ago

    Personally, I vote normal/not normal based on a mixture of factors. I base how I vote not always on my true thoughts, but on how the outcome of the vote will affect the person who asked the question.

    For example, take someone with very serious suicidal thoughts which they've had for many years and have attempted suicide before. If that person asked if their thoughts were normal, I would answer "yes, it's normal", even though I believe it isn't normal. The reason I would vote against my true thoughts is simple; telling this person that they are not normal is not the best way to help them improve their life.

    My logic would suggest that telling someone who felt this seriously suicidal that they were abnormal would make them feel even more isolated and alone, and wouldn't improve their situation. My purpose on IIN when answering "advice-style questions" is not to tell people what I believe is true, it is to tell people what I believe will help them. The two are oftentimes the same, but in some examples, like the one I've used, are not. It's a pragmatic approach as opposed to a dogmatic approach.

    Obviously, this is not really what the question is getting at. I think a lot of people do answer based on whether they think something is moral as opposed to normal. However, I don't think this is a bad thing. In fact, I think it's inevitable. If you want to discourage someone from doing something because you think it's immoral, you'll tell them it is "abnormal" to try and discourage them, even if you believe it to be normal. I don't believe this is a bad thing as to most people I think it is a rarely spoken truth that this happens.

    The main reason why I don't think that voting based on morality is a bad thing is that people don't usually want to know if something is normal/abnormal or not if it is a morally questionable topic. I think that most people, when answering questions that people might morally object to, are more interested in the right/wrong and moral/immoral aspect, as opposed to the normal/abnormal.

    TL;DR: Yes, I think it happens. Yes, I think it is NORMAL amongst our community to think this happens. No, I don't think voting in this way detracts from the "IIN experience".

    Feel free to reply to this if you think it's interesting or confusing :)

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      I appreciate your response and the perspective you are presenting.

      My suggestion would be to dichotomize the questions on the site: "Is it normal that I...?" and "Is it okay that I...?" This would allow people asking the questions to let people know what sort of advice or information they seek. That is, they could be clear about whether they want moral opinions (personal belief) or an estimation of normalcy (social prevalence).

      What do you think?

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      • dom180
        11 years ago

        I really like this idea. It would make the answers on the site simpler to understand and it would encourage users to submit more morality-based questions because it would be clear they had a place on the site. I'm not sure if TheManagement would go for it because it would be a step away from the initial premise of the site, but I really don't know how conservative TheManagement is about that sort of thing.

        I would suggest that when writing a question, you would have to first categorise it into a poll or a story as we do already, then sub-categorise it into an "Is It Normal?" (IIN) question or an "Is It Okay?" (IIO) question. An icon or a different colour or something like that could help readers differentiate between IIN and IIO questions when browsing the homepage.

        Is that the sort of thing you were envisioning? (:

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        • [Old Memory]
          11 years ago

          That makes sense to me. How would one go about proposing that to "TheManagement"?

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          • dom180
            11 years ago

            This is the link: http://isitnormal.com/help/contact

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          • Shackleford96
            11 years ago

            Use the feedback button at the top left of the page, or the quick feedback text box at the right of any page.

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      • Shackleford96
        11 years ago

        I like that idea. I don't really think it will happen, but I like it.

        Also, welcome to IIN by the way :)

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        • [Old Memory]
          11 years ago

          Thanks!

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          • Shackleford96
            11 years ago

            You're welcome. I hope you enjoy it here and, reading some of your comments, I think you'll fit right in too :)

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  • GuessWho
    11 years ago

    Something similar was posted a while back and the answer is yes, people aren't using this site properly and that's not likely to change.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      I am new to the site, so I was unaware of a similar post. Thanks for the input!

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  • anti-hero
    11 years ago

    I only ask actual IIN questions, unless it is a poll.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      Cool story.

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  • briannatheslytherin
    11 years ago

    You're right! I'm trying to be like a voice of reason for IIN, but if I vote, I vote on normalcy.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      Sounds like a good approach.

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