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The normal is what you find but rarely. The normal is an ideal. It is a picture that one fabricates of the average characteristics of men, and to find them all in a single man is hardly to be expected.
W. Somerset Maugham
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The concept of normality is an idealized construct rather than a common reality.

W. Somerset Maugham's quote highlights the notion that 'normal' is a constructed ideal, representing the average traits of humanity. In reality, individuals possess a diverse range of attributes, making it rare to encounter someone who embodies all aspects of what society labels as normality, thus encouraging a deeper appreciation for individual uniqueness.

Themes

NormalIdealAverageIndividualityDiversity

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion on mental health awareness, this quote could emphasize the importance of embracing individual differences.

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There in the mist, enormous, majestic, silent and terrible, stood the Great Wall of China. Solitarily, with the indifference of nature herself, it crept up the mountain side and slipped down to the depth of the valley.
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Quote by W. Somerset Maugham | QuoteProject