Eccentricity (behavior)

Eccentricity is contrasted with normal behavior, the nearly universal means by which individuals in society solve given problems and pursue certain priorities in everyday life.

In 1685, the definition evolved from the literal to the figurative, and eccentric is noted to have begun being used to describe unconventional or odd behavior.

[2] In this vein, the eccentric's habits are incomprehensible not because they are illogical or the result of madness, but because they stem from a mind so original that it cannot be conformed to societal norms.

[7] A person who is simply in a "fish out of water" situation is not, by the strictest definition, an eccentric since (presumably) they may be ordinary by the conventions of their native environment.

[citation needed] Many individuals may even manifest eccentricities consciously and deliberately in an attempt to differentiate themselves from societal norms or enhance a sense of inimitable identity.

[citation needed] Psychologist David Weeks believes people with a mental illness suffer from their behavior, while eccentrics are quite happy.

Madame de Meuron , a Swiss eccentric with her characteristic ear trumpet and hat.
Saparmurat Niyazov , who ruled as dictator of Turkmenistan from 1991 to 2006, was known for imposing his personal eccentricities upon the country.
Evidence of whimsically eccentric behavior: large cabbage leaves purposefully and humorously placed on a neat row of traffic cones in the Dovercourt neighborhood of Toronto.