Redefining Normal

 

Redefining Normal: Neurodiversity, Social Masking, and the Cognitive Crisis of Modernity

Abstract

This paper explores the conceptual construction of “normality” within contemporary psychological and sociological frameworks, critically analyzing how dominant ideologies shape diagnostic criteria, behavioral expectations, and adaptive pressures. Drawing on theories of neurodiversity, social conformity, and evolutionary cognition, we challenge the validity of neurotypical norms as a majority standard. We argue that current psychological practices may inadvertently pathologize adaptive neurodivergence while promoting conformity to a maladaptive societal model—potentially contributing to ecological and existential crises. This critique invites a re-evaluation of the moral, scientific, and epistemological foundations of “normality” in the 21st century.

Introduction

The concept of “normality” plays a central role in both psychological diagnosis and social organization. Yet, what constitutes normality is frequently more reflective of cultural consensus and power dynamics than empirical truth (Foucault, 1977; Goffman, 1963). This paper interrogates the construction of normality, particularly in relation to neurodivergent identities, with a focus on autism, and the psychological mechanisms, both formal and informal, by which conformity is enforced.

The Social Construction of Normality

From Durkheim’s early sociological work to contemporary critical theorists, the notion that normalcy is socially constructed has gained traction. As Berger and Luckmann (1966) assert, social norms are internalized through processes of socialization and legitimated by institutional authority. Within psychology, however, normative frameworks often reify these constructs as objective standards (Caplan, 1995). This paradox is especially evident in diagnostic criteria such as the DSM-5, where deviations from a constructed norm are labeled as disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Concrete Thinking and the Tyranny of Conformity

Cognitive rigidity, often termed “concrete thinking”, is typically associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Yet neurotypical populations, too, frequently display fixed belief systems, particularly in moral, political, or cultural contexts (Baron-Cohen, 2002; Haidt, 2012). If concrete thinking is pathologized in one context and celebrated in another (e.g., patriotism, religiosity), this reveals an inconsistent and ideologically loaded application of psychological criteria.

Furthermore, the argument that “everyone is on the autism spectrum” reflects both the continuity model of cognition and a misunderstanding of what constitutes neurodiversity (Singer, 1999; Silberman, 2015). If neurotypical thinking represents a minority mode, then the conceptualization of it as a universal or ideal standard becomes increasingly untenable—a form of cognitive ethnocentrism.

Masking and Authenticity in Social Adaptation

Research on autistic masking demonstrates the profound psychological toll of concealing one’s identity to conform to social expectations (Hull et al., 2017). But masking extends far beyond autism. Professionals, narcissists, and even average individuals frequently perform roles that deviate from authentic self-expression (Goffman, 1959). In a society that rewards conformity over authenticity, this pressure creates a culture of deception, alienation, and psychological distress (Fromm, 1941; Laing, 1960).

Autistic individuals’ preference for authenticity may be pathologized precisely because it resists this performative norm. This exposes an epistemological fault line in psychological practice: should adaptation to a dysfunctional norm be seen as healthy?

Cognitive Evolution and the Crisis of Normality

If the current social and cognitive norms are contributing to global crises—ecological degradation, social fragmentation, political extremism—then adaptation to such norms may be maladaptive from an evolutionary perspective. As a cognitive species, humans evolve not only through biology but through shifts in paradigms and thought structures (Bateson, 1972; Capra, 1996). Neurodivergent thinking may offer alternative modes of problem-solving and perception better suited to an era of transformation (Grandin, 2009; Hart, 2021).

This reframes neurodivergence not as a deficit but as a potentially superior adaptation, particularly in contexts where rigid systems are failing.

The Pathologization of Difference as Persecution

Describing autistic or non-conforming individuals as “abnormal” introduces moral and political dimensions into what purports to be a neutral psychological framework. Historical analogues, from homosexuality’s classification as a disorder to the institutionalisation of political dissidents, show how easily science can serve dominant ideologies (Conrad, 2007; Foucault, 1977).

The pathologization of neurodivergence can thus be interpreted as a form of epistemic violence or persecution, an effort to suppress divergent cognition that threatens entrenched power structures (Fricker, 2007).

Conclusion

Our society is facing a cognitive and moral crisis. Redefining normality, embracing neurodiversity, and re-evaluating psychological authority are not merely matters of academic debate. They are existential necessities. By confronting the ideological underpinnings of psychological “normalcy,” we open space for a more humane, flexible, and sustainable model of human flourishing.

Index List of Relevant Sources by Title and Author

• Madness and Civilization – Michel Foucault

• Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity – Erving Goffman

• The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life – Erving Goffman

• The Social Construction of Reality – Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann

• They Thought They Were Free – Milton Mayer

• The Myth of Mental Illness – Thomas Szasz

• Manufacturing Consent – Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman

• The Politics of Experience – R.D. Laing

• Escape from Freedom – Erich Fromm

• The Structure of Scientific Revolutions – Thomas S. Kuhn

• NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity – Steve Silberman

• Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism – Temple Grandin

• The Essential Difference: Male and Female Brains and the Truth About Autism – Simon Baron-Cohen

• The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion – Jonathan Haidt

• Steps to an Ecology of Mind – Gregory Bateson

• The Web of Life – Fritjof Capra

• Contested Knowledge: Social Theory in the Postmodern Era – Steven Seidman

• The Medicalization of Society: On the Transformation of Human Conditions into Treatable Disorders – Peter Conrad

• Epistemic Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing – Miranda Fricker

• Camouflaging Autistic Traits in Adults: Social Strategies and Mental Health – Laura Hull et al. (2017, Autism Journal)

• The Case Against Normality – Damian Milton

For in depth study of the core themes and topics of the books listed here, see this link: Redefining Normal - Reference Insights.