Not Typical?
I am a bit off today. I had a post brewing in my head about being "typical" and I completely forgot the point of it. Something about how not being typical seems to have become typical and how I can't imagine anyone describing themselves as typical, though they seemingly are. Actually, now that I am typing this it is coming back to me a bit. I recently met someone who described themselves as not typical for their field, but upon further investigation, I am going to have to ask them to revisit that conclusion.
Which made me wonder if, when I describe myself as not being typical [insert whatever it is I am not typical of here], whether people are rolling their eyes at me and snickering behind my back.
posted by Shoshana @ 11:34 AM
3 Comments:
I think a good way to evaluate one's typicalness is to ask how often you actively disagree with people you are comparing yourself to -- say, one's co-workers.
"Actively" is the key word here. You can't just think that you don't agree with them, you have to either orally disagree with them or behave in a way contrary to the way they behave.
The more often you do this, the less typical you are.
Interesting theory. I guess my confusion comes when a certain action or mind-set is described as typical, but I don't seem to find too many people who hold by it in order to make it actually seem a typical mind-set. But maybe I just surround myself with non-typical people.
Just because something is considered "typical," it doesn't mean everyone does it, just a lot of people. So it's entirely possible you don't see it at all. (Are we talking about something specific here?)
Like at my work they like to downplay the fact that you're entitled to a fifteen minute break in the morning and afternoon (recess!) because "people" abuse it, and go on long shopping trips. In my department, "people" is actually one person.
And yet it is frequently seen as a stereotype that governement workers take long coffee breaks. There was even an article about it in the Post last year. But this is not really widespread behavior.
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