Trying to bring cognitive science into discussion, eh?

Taking the U.S. population into consideration, my take is that many — a slight majority — are mildly depressed. All of the time. Of the remaining, I think that a little less than ½ are mildly depressed sometimes, but not often, and that less than ½ are never depressed. The remainder are us. The crazies.

And then there’s the fact that it’s the least educated people that are the happiest. I guess that they would fit in the never depressed category.

Since ‘normal’ is difficult to define I suggest using the words ‘baseline’ and ‘alterations.’ I would need to adjust my percentages to establish the baseline but I think that I could safely say that mild depression is commiserate with the baseline of the U.S. population.

We - those of us who are misfits - are alterations (or ‘an alteration). And the baseline will adjust to include us.

Cool question.