Deviance is behavior that is regarded as outside the bounds of a group or society (Deviance pp). Deviance is a behavior that some people in society find offensive and which excites, or would excite if discovered, and is usually met with disapproval, punishment, condemnation, or hostility (Deviance pp). .

             Deviance is not merely behavior, but involves a moral judgement (Deviance pp). Moreover, in essence, any act can be defined as deviant (Deviance pp). It is not possible to isolate certain acts and find them universally condemned by all societies as deviant acts, not even murder or incest, and even within a given society, behavior defined as deviant continually undergoes redefinition (Deviance pp). Furthermore, it is relative to time and place, thus, it is not possible to find a behavior that is absolutely condemned by all societies, because what is deviant in one society may not be in another, and even within one society, what is deviant today may not be considered deviant next year (Deviance pp). For example, in past centuries, people used to be burned at the stake for engaging in behavior that most people today regard as normal (Deviance pp).

             Although murder is generally condemned by society, there are instances, such as self-defense and warfare, when it is accepted and expected (Deviance pp). Nelson Mandela was viewed by the ruling party in South Africa as a "dangerous political deviant," however, most of the world revered him as a leader of the freedom movement (Deviance pp). Pancho Villa was regarded by the wealthy and powerful as a deviant, yet, to the poor, bandits are often seen as rebels who reject the normal roles that poor people are expected play (Deviance pp). People such as Pancho Villa are able to display courage, cunning, and determination through their bandit activities (Deviance pp).

             Moreover, for the most part, definitions of mental disorders occur the same way that other forms of deviance receive their definitions (Deviance pp).