TIMES HONGKONG, JAKARTA – Many of us may have felt reluctant to ask "weird" questions to friends or family for fear of judgment. The fear of being made fun of or gossiped about makes one prefer to keep these questions to themselves or ask them on more anonymous platforms such as online forums or public discussion sessions. 

According to Sarah Nabila, a content creator and a motivator who often holds online discussion sessions, many of her webinar participants or followers ask similar questions over and over again.

"Questions like 'Is it normal for me to do this or that?' are often asked. I got to thinking, maybe they are afraid to ask their friends or family directly for fear of being considered weird," she said during one of her online seminar.

This reluctance often stems from previous bad experiences, where someone has been ridiculed simply for having different habits. "I've experienced that myself as a kid. I used to really like eating indomie without stirring, and my friends thought it was weird. It feels bad to be gossiped about for something so simple," Sarah adds.

Unhealthy Tendencies 

While it's normal to question whether a behavior is normal or not, repeatedly questioning one's normality can be unhealthy. It can trigger prolonged anxiety and interfere with one's quality of life. Dr. Andi Prasetya emphasizes that an excessive focus on whether we are normal or not can be a sign of a lack of self-confidence or a lack of connection with those around us. 

"When we constantly question whether we are the same as others, this could be a sign that we lack intimate and deep relationships with those around us," he explains.

"Therefore, it is important for each individual to learn to accept their uniqueness and understand that 'normal' is relative to their environment and social context," he added.

Being Yourself 

Ultimately, the tendency to question whether we are normal or not may never go away, especially in this digital age. However, it is important to remember that normality is a relative concept and everyone is unique. Instead of constantly comparing ourselves to others, we should focus on accepting and celebrating our differences. 

As Sarah said in one of her videos, "We all have things that other people think are weird, but we all have things that we love. (*)