Better Than Normal

Better Than Normal

I've waited for this book probably at least half my life. I've
been accused of not being normal. Whatever that means. I heartily
concur. I wouldn't want to change a thing. In my mind my real
strengths and likeability are a direct result of my being wired a
little differently. In Better Than Normal: How What Makes You
Different Can Make You Exceptional Dr. Dale Archer totally vindicates
my way of thinking. He goes on to offer a transformational way of
seeing psychological functioning.
Archer calls the way we now conceive of personality "the box
called normal." It consists of folks who seem okay. The problem: like
the polar ice caps, that island of safety is shrinking much too
quickly. Our society is far too eager to diagnose and medicate.
Mental health disorders currently encompass 26% of our nation's
population.
Archer finds this state of affairs ludicrous. He posits that
there are eight important personality traits, each of which exists on
a continuum. The people who are way at the end of the continuum, who
have the trait to the extent that it interferes with their activities
of daily living or enjoyment of life, may need therapy and/or
medication. People closer to the midpoint would do better to adopt
life styles that make the most of their strengths.
For instance there's the adventurous continuum. At the low end
you have really focussed, calm people. The further up you land, the
more curious and energetic you are. It is only at the highest end
that ADD or ADHD will be dibilitating, despite what many classroom
teachers say. In fact one reason so many kids are diagnosed at school
is that sitting still is not their forte. How about we give them
active hands on learning rather than drugging them into docility? For
adults strong on this trait becoming entrepreneurs or working outside
might be preferable to the office cubicle.
My favorite is the magical continuum. Obviously the end point
of schizophrenia with its total break from reality is not desirable.
However, if you don't get that far but are still dominant you are
highly imaginative, intelligent, and intuitive. You can be a writer.
Because of your empathy and intuition you work well with others. You
can see not only what is, but what can be. You're the out of the box
thinker. Like me. How cool is that?
Ultimately I can't do justice to Better Than Normal. All I can
say is if you want a healthy alternative to pigeonholing and
diagnosing growing numbers of people in service to an increasingly
narrow definition of normal you will find this book really refreshing.
On a personal note, this morning the precip ranged from misting to
downright pouring. The children's wing of the library was quite a
popular destination. We had a great old time.
A great big shout out goes out to all our wonderful Orono Public
Library patrons.
Julia Emily Hathaway


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