A Brief History of Normalization

How the unthinkable becomes normal — and why you barely notice it happening

Normalization is how the unacceptable becomes ordinary.

Not all at once. Not in a single moment. It’s a process that takes repetition of the initial shock, until the shock wears off. Then it becomes familiar.

And where it seemed to stop society in its tracks the first time, eventually it barely registers. It becomes background noise. Late-night talk shows…