# What makes a person weird? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2005, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-person-weird/287400 "2005-01-30T07:25:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![deena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e7dd6/32.png) [@deena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deena)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-person-weird/287400/1 "2005-01-30T07:25:56Z")
I have been considered weird or strange by many people. But by many others, I am pretty normal. So I ask, what makes a person weird or strange? How do we know if we should believe such an assessment? Should we even care? ---
**Author:** ![Spongemom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Spongemom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spongemom)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-person-weird/287400/2 "2005-01-30T07:51:21Z")
People view someone/something as “weird” when it differs from their conditioned opinion of “normal”. One person’s “normal” is not necessarily the same as someone else’s. In my opinion, anyone who thinks they know the definition of “normal” as applied to human tendencies is “weird”. So no, you shouldn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-person-weird/287400/3 "2005-01-30T09:33:50Z")
Weird is very subjective. Type A people think type B people are weird, and vise versa. I think it comes down to this, if you are sitting with a friend (who’s there to agree with all your assessments), you point out that someone is weird, and your friend agrees, then yeah, that person is weird. Weird huh? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-person-weird/287400/4 "2005-01-30T16:48:16Z")
It’s really the opinion of the group calling someone a weirdo. If a group of fundamentalists agree on something, and you don’t, you’re weird. If a group of athiests agree on something, and you don’t, you’re weird. The standard of weirdness will vary depending on the group of people you’re around. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-person-weird/287400/5 "2005-01-30T16:52:30Z")
Weird=good Unless of course, you’re serial killer-weird, and that’s bad. Who wants to be normal? Normal is boring. I guess that didn’t answer the question, but I guess my answer is that weird is subjective. I mean, your friends probably don’t think you’re weird, and if they do, it’s probably in a good way. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-person-weird/287400/6 "2005-01-30T16:54:36Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > It’s really the opinion of the group calling someone a weirdo. If a group of fundamentalists agree on something, and you don’t, you’re weird. If a group of athiests agree on something, and you don’t, you’re weird. The standard of weirdness will vary depending on the group of people you’re around. Yep. Consensus. ---
**Author:** ![sweetfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@sweetfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweetfreak)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-person-weird/287400/7 "2005-01-30T17:05:04Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > It’s really the opinion of the group calling someone a weirdo. If a group of fundamentalists agree on something, and you don’t, you’re weird. If a group of athiests agree on something, and you don’t, you’re weird. The standard of weirdness will vary depending on the group of people you’re around. Yep…and since I don’t define myself by any group standards…I am definitely “weird”…or…a “freak”…as my user name implies. God, I love me! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-person-weird/287400/8 "2005-01-30T18:21:03Z")
> [@](#): > > If you’re ever in doubt, throw a pepper in the air. If it fails to come down, you have gone mad, so don’t trust in anything. > > - Gregory Maguire > [@](#): > > Yesterday I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas I don’t know. > > - Groucho Marx > [@](#): > > I’ve been talking to dead rabbits and feeding bloody walls. I’ve done horrifying things with salad tongs. It’s really eaten into my social life. > > - Jhonen Vasquez > [@](#): > > As you were, I was. As I am, you will be > > - Hunter S. Thompson And that last one just about says it all. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-person-weird/287400/9 "2005-01-30T18:30:56Z")
> [@Indygrrl](#): > > Weird=good > … > > I mean, your friends probably don’t think you’re weird, and if they do, it’s probably in a good way. 😃 That too. 🙂