“The notion that there is a normal we should all aspire to is a tyrannical idea. It is a fiction deeply embedded in our institutions that causes a lot of harm in the world.”
Jonathan Mooney, Author & Learning Advocate
The future of normal
The Future of Normal is a documentary film and national impact campaign that explores the tension between our country’s fixation on conformity and the need to recognize and support the rich spectrum of cognitive diversity that makes us human.
The most fundamental thing about being human is how we think. It’s what differentiates us from every other species. It’s also what differentiates us from each other. Just like no two fingerprints look alike, no two people think alike. Yet for nearly two centuries, our country, along with much of western civilization, has designed educational, social and economic systems that drive everyone to conform with rigid definitions of “normal.” It’s time to re-think normal and embrace the world of difference.
By weaving together deeply personal stories, expert interviews, scientific data and dynamic motion graphics, The Future of Normal will highlight how our antiquated systems consistently marginalize—and traumatize—millions of individuals who think differently.
The Future of Normal is a wake up call.
What all of our efforts in neuroscience are demonstrating is that you have many peculiar ways of arranging a human brain and there are all sorts of varieties of creative, successful human beings ... ADHD, dyslexia and autism, are not deficits or disorders, but facets on the broad spectrum of neurodiversity.”
Dr. Antonio Damasio
Professor of Neuroscience
University of Southern California
Over the past few decades, hard-won battles have forged some progress in embracing diversities in race, culture and gender orientation, and life is more inclusive and accommodating for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. There are also millions of people in the US, who are neurologically diverse, with ADHD, dyslexia, or other cognitive divergences, including the autism spectrum. Pressure to fit in pervades every aspect of their lives, and is exacerbated by the fact that their differences are often invisible. If they don’t, or can’t, adapt they are ostracized and made to feel like they don’t belong. The result is an alarming loss of human potential and a devastating assault on human dignity.
The need to shift the public mindset around people who think differently could not be more pressing. The Future of Normal provides a means to examine the societal tensions mentioned above, reflect on what makes us human, discover groundbreaking neuroscience, and learn about inclusive practices in education, health care and business that honor and accommodate the uniqueness of every individual.