Deviant behavior is a violation by a person or a group of people of the norms accepted in society. This may be a violation of law, morality or tradition. A person does not do as is customary, not as the majority.
Most often it is dangerous for society, such a person can harm himself or other people. Negative deviant behavior is quite common:
- alcoholism
- addiction
- crime
- suicidal tendencies
Apparently, due to the fact that society often faces these problems, the term deviant behavior has become accepted to be perceived only from the negative side. These deviants undermine social foundations and drag society into the abyss. But, if you think about it, there are also those deviants that move humanity forward.
Leonardo Da Vinci, Einstein, Aristotle, Newton, Yesenin, Lomonosov and many others were definitely deviants, but at the same time they brought scientific discoveries, inventions, and cultural achievements to the history of all mankind. This means that a manifestation of positive deviant behavior can be considered:
Genius and innovation
Protect others, despite the danger, to do something, perhaps even at the cost of your own life. Not everyone is capable of this. This behavior can also be considered deviant, but we call these people national heroes.
Heroism
You can also find deviant behavior that has almost no effect on society, neither for the better nor for the worse. Punks, hippies, representatives of other subcultures, just eccentrics who behave differently from those around them.
- eccentricity
- manifestation of oneself in various subcultures
